M. DE CASSAGNAC'S DUEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6296, 21 January 1882, Page 7

M. DE CASSAGNAC'S DUEL.

A Parts correspondent, telegraphing on Sunday night, says that the duel fought on Saturday between M. Paul de Cassagnac and M. Adrieu de Montebello is, after the Ministerial crisis, the event of the day. There has been for some time a bitter grudge between the two, which was aggravated by M. de Montebello's attempt during the elections to wrest the constituency of Mariande, originally represented by M. Granier de Cassagnac, from his son. The contest was keen, but the Bonapartist triumphed nevertheless. For some weeks there seems to have been a sort of truce, but M. Paul de Cassagnac took offencc at M. de congratulating M. Clemenceau on his attack on the Government, and on the following day the Pays appeared with a furious article against M. Leon Say's chief secretary from its impetuous editor's own pen. The insult was too gross to he passed over, and M. Adrien de Moutebello accordingly dei spatched two of his friends, the Vicomte de Saint Pierre, senator, and M. Cassimir Perrier, deputy, to M. Paul de Cassagnac, for the purpose of arranging the preliminaries for a hostile encounter. These gentlemen were promptly joined by M. Georges Brame, deputy, and Commandant Blanc,' acting for M. de Cassagnac, and it was settled that the duel should take place on Saturday afternoon at half-past one at M. Buloz's estate at Epiuay sur Seine. Punctual to the minute, principals and seconds appeared at the tryst-ing-place, but it was soon perceived that the ground selected would not suit, and an hour was spent in search of a better arena. Finally a spot was found that answered every requirement, and the adversaries were soon face to face with each other. It was a battle of giants. M. de Cassagnac is a big, heavy man, rather over than under six feet in height; but he is small in comparison to M. de Montebello, who actually towers above him, though of a very square build. Both are very strong and admirable fencers, but the Bonapartist proved himself the better man of the two. After a pass or two, a blue vest worn by M. de Montebello was pierced by his adversary's sword, and he exclaimed that he thought he was touched in the breast. The doctor examined the place, but found no wound, and the combat was continued. It was at the fifth pass that M. de Montebello was wounded in the right arm, M. deCassagnac's weapon penetrating to the very bone. He dropped his sword, and M. de Cassaenac, turning to his seconds, remarked that he thought it was all over, as he felt that he had struck home. The prediction proved correct, the doctor refusing to allow the combat to continue. It is affirmed that Ml. de Cassagnac has declared that, although he had already fought sixteen duels, he had never had such trouble with an adversary before. Although hardly a match for him, M. de Montebello was very energetic in his attack, and M. de Cassagnac needed all his address to defend himself, and to avoid inActing a mortal wound on his opponent. "It is lucky," he remarked to a friend, " that I have been practising every day for some time, as, had I been a little rusty, I should have been less sure of myself, and the duel might have terminated in a tragical manner." Curiously enough a rumour was current for several hours last evening that M. de Cassagnac had been severely wounded, and that his life was despaired of. Some even went so far as to assert that he was (lead. As for M. de Montebello, he returned to the l'ctit Luxembourg at five, and found many of his friends auxiously awaiting his arrival. Hi? wound is not serions, but a few days' rc3t and carc are needed to set him to right.