Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-18
...s F..t
FIGHTING A DUEL
WITH POISON PILL
Some Deadly and Barbarous
Methods Of Settling
Disputes.

From Pearson's Weekly.
An extraordinary duel was fought tia.
other day near Mont Blanc. in France
Two young men who had fallen in love
with the same girl arranged to fight a
duel with nature as decider of the re-
suit.
district. many thousand feet up. where
avalanches are known to fall at frequent
intervals, the lovers agreed to take It in
turns to stand for a given time In the
most dangerous spot that could be found
The idea was that when one was killed
by an avalanche. the other should be free
to propose to the girl whom they both
loved.
This is not the only instance on record
of duel by avalanche. A few years ago
two Italians, named Guetta and Sorato.
decided to test fate In this manner and
also for the love of woman.
For three mornings they tempted ma
ture, but nothing serious happened. On
the fourth day Guetta was knocked down
by a falling avalanche, but not much
hurt. Then 1t was that their food supply
gave out and they returned home to get
some more. By this time the police had
come. to hear Of their strange duel, and
threatened them both with Imprisonment.
So the undaunted rivals settled their diff
ferences In another and less adventurous
way They drew lots for their lady love.
Sorato won. and after Guetta had left
the village he was married to the girl of
his choice
Some years ago two determined rivals
decided to fight a duel with dynamite.
They arranged that each should sit on a
barrel Of dynamite to which a fuse was
attached. Whichever fuse burnt down
first would. Of course, Oave decided
which was the winner. As luck would
have it. however. both fuses went out
some time before the dynamite was
reached, and the rivals were SO astonished
at his unexpected happening that they
made up their quarrel then and there.
A particularly terrible kind Of duel was
fought on one occasion in Mexico. The
opponents were an Indian settler and a
rich cattle owner. The weapons chosen
were butchers knives, 2nd 1t was settled
that each combatant was to hold out his
hand in turn to have one OF his fingers
cut off. The first to show the least sign
Of suffering pain was to have bullet put
through the heart by the other
The Indian had the first cut. and am
putated the cattle owners first finger al
a single blow.
The Indians first injury was the loss
of a thumb. and he likewise remained as
impressive as marble This horrible drama
went on until each contestant had ost
four digits. Then the cattlemans Sec
ond became so frightened at the CHA silly
sight that he shot the Indian dead and
ended the fight.
Another extraordinary method OF set
tling'a dispute was that hit upon by a
doctor In America some years ago. Two
Of his friends had !. seriously Quarreled.
and told him that they had set their
minds on duel He replied that If they
would leave all the arrangements to him
he would provide them with a-nOvelty.
They submitted to be guided by him.
and on the day fixed for the encounter
they made their appearance at the place
agreed upon. The doctor was there be-
fore them and, to their surprise. he had
no weapons of any kind. Instead. he
showed them a pill box containing four
pills. and informed them that while three
of the pills were quite harmless. the fourth
contained poison which would instantly
kill any one who swallowed it.
The rivals agreed that each should take
a pill In turn until one or the other drew
the fatal pellet. The first two draws"
had no result. and then each duelist bad
another chance. The doctor made them
swallow the remaining pills simulta-
neously. and a moment or two later one
of the comhatants fell back In his last
agony.