DUEL IN PARIS STREETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15563, 21 March 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

DUEL IN PARIS STREETS.

REVOLVER VERSUS KNIFE. CAPTURE ,BY POLICE DOG. In the early hours of a recent morning, as two Parisian policemen, with a police dog, were patrolling the Boulevard Ornano, a taxi-cab, in which were two men and a woman, drew up"' sharply, some 50yds in front of them. One of the men jumped' out of the car to the pavement, drew a long knife from his pocket, and crouched as if ready to spring. . He was a tall, heavy man, and wore a.green raincoat. The second man, lean and undersized, put his foot on the step,, as if to follow the first, then stopped, fumbled in the pocket of his overcoat, drew a revolver, and fired three shots at his crouching antagonist. The woman meanwhile sat back motionless in the car. Without waiting to see whether the shots had taken effect, the small man turned and ran up the boulevard. The big man, who semed to have been hit, crawled to the taxi and was helped into it by the woman. The car -then drove off and disappeared. The strange duel had taken place too swiftly for the police to' interfere, but .one of them now dashed off i in pursuit of the fugitive, who, finding ! that he was being overtaken, turned and fired twice. Both shots went wide. By I this time the other policeman had let slip i the police dog, who in a few bounds over- i took the apache and buried his teeth in j his leg. This timely interference diverted the fugitive's aim, and a third bullet also ! missed the mark. The apache was over-! powered and taken to the police station, j where he at first refused to give his name, I on the score- that it would bring disgrace ] on his family. Later he was discovered to be a street hawker of 20 year's of age. : He had already been twice condemned to terms .of imprisonment for theft. He gave ' the following account of the strange mid- j night duel in'the street: — j " Last night I met in. a, Montmattae ( ) caie an old acquaintance whose name 1 do not know. We were' both in love with | 'the same woman. As neither would yieid j to the other, and the lady would not, choose, we decided to fight "it out in the ! Spanish style. , The woman was to direct i the duel, and vhoever'won it was to win' her, too. We all three took a taxi and told the chauffeur to drive to the fortifica-1 tions. On the way we quarrelled and ' decided Ho fight it out on the spot. I don't remember very well what happened afterwards." i 1 Of the other duellist, who disappeared ' in the oar, nothing has been heard, though inquiries have been made at all the hospitals.