The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-12-27
DUELS ARE NOW
OUT OF FASHION
Recent Encounters Show "Field
of Honor" Has Lost Its
Romantic Glamour.

fashion after some fourteen centuries
Of popularity two gentlemen In Paris,
IN Italian nobleman and Jacques
Richepin, a theater manager, started
poking at each other with rapiers.
About the same time Norwood Huck-
ably and Charles A. Williams of Tex
as laid hold of a handkerchief with
their left hands and blazed away
across 1t with revolvers.
A little antiseptic and some court
plaster healed the harm wrought in
the Partisan encounter, but nothing
could be done for the Texans except to
give them decent burial. The Italian
duke. who lost his battle, could have
been wounded just as badly in sharp
ening a pencil as he was in fencing
with his adversary.
Paris, according to all accounts, did
not take the duel seriously. There
was a time, however. when dueling
ranked well up with cancer and d1a-
betes in the mortality tables of the
city. In one deco de in the reign OF
Henry w 1000 F'renchmen persisted
n the duello. England. Germany,
Italy. Spain and even the United
States have also had their outbreaks
Of gentlemanly homicide.
Virtually every country has forbid
den these slashing and shooting par
ties by law. but it is fashion rather
than legislation that has doomed
them. The spectacle of two grown
men trying to kill each other while
their best friends look on has come
to be regarded as ludlcrous rather
than romantic
War Revived DucIng.
The close of the war witnessed
brief revival in the settlement of per-
sonal and political differences on the
so-caIled field of honor. The dueling
of nations appeared to have natural
sequel in the mortal combats of indi-
viduals. The theory has been fire.
quently advanced that life was held
so cheaply as result of the blood
shed in the war, the most trivial eX-
cuses were sufficient to send a group
of men out early in the morning on a
mission of mutual mansaughter.
italian noblemen, politicians ana
trampled down many acres
Of the good grass around Rome as
they endeavored to bring home their
argument on the point of sword
Benito Mussoini, when a Nationalist
deputy, engaged in four duels within
Il few months, winning them all, but
several superficial wounds.
It WAS said that a little inn just out
side of Rome and off all the main
II ghways was supported almost en-
tirely by duelists and their seconds.
Hungary seethed with duels. AL
most every debate in the national as
sembly was prolific of challenge or
-wo. While fatalities were few,
scars and bandages were common.
Strong efforts were made finally to
curb the cutting.
Russia has banned the duel as being |
/ sport of aristocrats. Two high Rus
,ian officers of the Red army engaged |
IL fatal passage at arms about
rear ago, following the discovery that |
10Th we're paying court to the same |
sirl. One of the officers was killed. |
rhe victor was sentenced to three |
ears imprisonment. The girl was ar
ested, charged with completely, and
Ound guilty.
The sentence passed upon her was
lnique. She was termed a siren, an /
angel of trouble" and was ordered TO
emaln away from all cities for twenty |
ears. She must grow to old age IN
he country, where her charms can
lot play havoc with impetuous army
ulcers.
Duels Popular in Old Days.
In the early days of the American
Iavy, the officers were sticklers for
Iueling etiquette. In the war on
-ripoIi, about the beginning of the
century, dueling among
avail officers was the vogue. Duels
Lmong planters and politicians were
ommon occurrences in some of the
southern states. The statute books of
6 states carry laws prohibiting such
ncounters, these measures having
cen prompted by outbreaks of bloody
uarrels. Virginia barred from pubic
flee any one who had fought in
uel
The wastage in humanity engen-
cred by the duel has never appealed
D the Germans. although Heidelberg
nd other universities have gone IN
ute extensively for it.
Neither official dignity nor towering
ank prevented men from exercising
heir right of giving or accepting iny1-
4 tions to meet On the field of honor.
! 1883 the duke of York fought an
decisive duel on Wimbledon common
18th lieutenant colonel of the dukes
aginlent After a dispute, the duke
nd refused to stand upon whatever
was his by reason of his be-
lg sen of Englands king.
William Pitt, the great commoner
I'D friend of American independence,
as challenged by George Tierney, a
oIifical opponent, 10 mortal combat.
either of them had the slightest
no~ledge of handling pistol. Two
lots which each tried went wild, then
le encounter was stopped by the sec