The Elbert County tribune., 1913-07-25
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in restaurant along with the lady OF
their affections.
A duel agreed on. and such the wrath
ful haste of the Jealous suitors that they rushed
forthwith to the apartments of the woman with
out troubling to secure pistols swords Um-
brellas were substituted for rapiers. and the fight
followed. Tintard the victim The ferrue
of his adversary's umbrella gouged out eye,
and he fell half swoonng from the pain. The
maddened victor stamped upon the wounded
mans face and skull, and Tintard died within a
few days from Inflammation of the brain
In contrast to the gruesomeness of this hap
pening. there was the happy issue to the predica-
ment Of an Irishman in Span who chal-
lenged by an hidalgo famed for skill in fence
The Irishman, having no art of sword-play, 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 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
Tho Most Freakish Of All.
Undoubtedly the most freakish of all duels
fought In 1908 in Paris The principals
rivals between whom the woman in the case
refused to choose The weapons selected
blunderbusses. the ground the air-for the
shots we're to be exchanged from balloons in
process of ascension. The seconds exhibited an
astounding amount of sporting spirit by
panying the principals aloft.
At the first fire the envelope of balloon
was penetrated and the gas exploded. In the
fall to earth both principal and second
killed. Thus simply was the woman relieved of
choosing
Two other rivals were Henri Delagrave and
Alphonse Riviere, who confded the arrangements
for an affair of honor to their seconds. AS the
duel to be outrance 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, Delagrave the toss of the coin.
by which his adversary was forced to take
pellet first Rivere selected of the black
balls and swallowed It, A brief interval proved
that he had not taken poison. Delagrave then
took his turn. and he also escaped. Again it
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 few moments he was
dead
Another instance when the determination of
the affair left to chance was in the case of
an Englishman. challenged by a Frenchman. The
Englishman was without skill either for fence or
shooting, while his adversary was renowned for
both. The Englishman had wish to be mur.
dered, and set his ingenuity to devise a means
of equality in the encounter AS result OF his
pondering he stipulated that the duel should be
with pistols, but that only one of the two
should be loaded with ball. and that first choice
of them should be left to a toss The weapons
thus aportoned 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 won the toss and had first choice He
spent considerable time in examination of the
twin weapons balancing them. first one 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
man fell dead. while the Englishman suffered
only some scorching from the blank charge.
About the middle of the fourteenth century.
there occurred in Paris duel unique in all his
tory: formal combat between man and dog
under the authorization of the king. Aubryde
Montdider murdered. and his body buried
in wood outside the capital His dog found
the grave and remained guarding 1t until driven
away by starvation. Afterward the faithful beast
led searchers to the spot and thus made known
the crime.
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
huge hound.
The affair was carried to 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