Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-24

men in restaurant along with the lady Of
their affections
A duel agreed on, and such was the wrath
full haste Of the jealous suitors that they rushed
forthwith to the apartments of the woman with
out troubling to secure pistols swords. UNI
brellas were substituted for rapiers and the fight
followed Tintard the victim. The ferrule
of his adversary's umbrella gouged out eye
and he fell half swooning from the pain. The
maddened victor stamped upon the wounded
mans face and skull, and Tintard died within
few days from inflammation OF the brain.
In contrast to the gruesomeness of this hap
pening. there the happy issue to the predica-
ment Of Irshman in Spain, who chai
lenged by an hidalgo famed for skill in fence
The Irshman, having no art Of sword-pay, was
not minded to lose his life unnecessarily, and
like the Kentucky parson, set his wit for defense
He chose shillalahs for weapons explaining, with
perfect truth that these were the national weap-
ons of his country
The don demonstrated In vain. He investigated
the nature of the unknown fighting tool and
what he learned caused him to withdraw the
challenge.
The Most Freaklsh of All.
Undoubtedly the most freakish of all duels was
fought in 1908 in Paris. The principals were
rivals between whom the woman in the case
refused to choose. The weapons selected
blunderbusses, the ground was the air-for the
shots were to be exchanged from balloons III
astounding amount of sporting spirit by accom-
panying the principals aloft
At the first fire the envelope of one balloon
was penetrated and the gas exploded. In the
fall to earth both principal and second
killed Thus simply the woman relieved OF
choosing.
Two other rivals were Henri Delagrave and
Alphonse Rivere, who confided the arrangements
for an affair of honor to their seconds. AS the
duel was to be outrance, one of the seconds,
who was physician conceived the idea of leav-
ing the Issue TO fate. in the shape of poisoned
pellet
To this end, he made up four black pills. One
of these contained prussic acid, When the meet
ing occurred, DeagraVe won the toss of the coin,
by which his adversary was forced TO take
pellet first. Riyiere selected one Of the black
balls and swallowed it. brief interval proved
that he had not taken poison. Dclagraye then
took his turn, and he also escaped. Again it was
the choice of Riviere, who stared for long time
at the twin pellets in which lay hidden his life
or his death. Finally he seized pellet hastily
swallowed it. Within a few moments he was
dead.
Another instance when the determination of
the affair left to chance was in the case of
Englishman, challenged by a Frenchman. The
Englishman was without skill either for fence or
shooting, while his adversary renowned for
both. The Englishman had wish to be muir.
dered and set his ingenuity to devise a means
Of equality in the encounter. As a result of his
bordering. he stipulated that the duel should be
with pistols, but that only of the two weapons
should be loaded with ball. and that first choice
of them should be left to a toss, The weapons
thus aportioned, the combatants should fire from
stations only two PAGES apart This OF course,
meant almost certain death for the holder of
the pistol with the blank charge. The skilled
duelist the toss and had first choice He
spent considerable time in exa .lination of the
twin weapons, balancing them first and then
the other, in his hand, in effort to distinguish
between the weights as he knew that the fully
loaded one must be the heavier But chance is
stronger than any skill. At the fire the French
fell dead, while the Engshman suffered
only some scorching from the blank charge.
About the middle of the fourteenth century
there occurred in Paris a duel unique in all his
tory: formal combat between a and a dog
under the authorization of the king. Aubryde
Montdidier murdered, and his body buried
in wood outside the capital. His dog found
the grave and remained guarding it until driven
away by starvation. Afterward the faithful beast
led searchers to the spot and thus made known
the crime
Soon afterward this same dog flew at the
throat of the Chevalier Macaire. The suspicion
thus directed against the Chevalier finally culmi-
mated in the kings edict that the guilt or inno-
cence of the accused should be put to proof by
trial of combat between the man and the dog
a huge hound.
The affair was carried to q conclusion in due
form In the arena the dog when loosed instantly
sprang for the throat Of his enemy. and sunk
his fangs there in death grip. All the mans
EFFORTS TO save himself were futile. When at