A SERIES OF DUELS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 10

A SERIES OF DUELS.

Three duels were fought in Paris on November 13, two of them arising out of recent events in the Chamber of De* puties, while the third'was the settlement of a purely personal- matter. The political duels, as they may bo termed, were between. Lieutenant Andre, son of 1 the then War Minister, and the Comte do la Rochethulon, a; Deputy for Vendee, and between the late. M. flyreton, a member for Paris, and Captain do Gail, of the 11th Cuirassiers. The, private duel was between. M. Andre de jonq mores and the Marquis Dumet de Sincurs. Nothing serious happened at any of the encounters. The chief interest attached to the meeting between young Lieutenant Andre and his adversary, the . Yeacjean deputy, formerly a Dragoon officer, who wrote a most insulting letter, to the . War Minister's son. M. Andre belongs to the 12tK Artillery Regiment, stationed at Vinoennes, and it was there he fought his redoubtable opponent. The young lieutenant .is a bad fencer, and is the despair of the maetar-of-arms of his corps, from .whom he has been taking lessons lately. The master-of-anns was in a yerj anxious state of mind about his pupil, who had. to face a seasoned soldick'' land expert swordsman like the Comte de la Rochethulon. M. Andre, however, escaped with a slight injury. The lieutenant bicycled with a brother officer to the place of meeting, near the artillery park of Vinoennes. His adversary arrived. on the ground in a motor-car, accompanied by General, Jaoquey and M. d’Klva, his seconds, and by a doctor. The men were face to face, rapiers in. hand, the Vendehu .Deputy, tall of stature, forming a sharp contest to bis smaller opponent. It was soon evident that the lieutenant was no match for the cohnt.. The coolness of M. Andre was most remarkable, although he was fully aware that everything was against him. At the fourth engagement his rapier riped the glove on the count’s right hand. A few moments afterwards the lieutenant was punctured in the back of the right hand, near the fingers, and He was at tm od incapacitated from continuing. Doctors and seconds interfered, and the duel was stopped. lieutenant Andre refused the attendance of tho surgeons, and rode back in all haste on his bicycle to the fort at Vincennes, where his lather and mother, General and Madame Andre, were waiting for results. The War Minister and Madame Andre had gone down to Vincennes early in the morning iii an automobile. The duel between M. Syveton and Captain de Gail took place at Saint-Ger-main, pistols being used. M. Syveton motored out to Saint-Germain with the Marquis de Dion and M. Guyot de Villeneuve, his seconds, and a surgeon. They wefe followed by several Press automobiles and by a small army of bicycling policemen. There was hot competition on the road between the Marquis de Dion and the ’‘Matin’’ motorists. The marquis did his best to get his car far ahead of the pressmen’s

vehicle, but it was no use. . He also tried to dodge his pursuers, but his effort* were unavailing- Ho only succeeded in leaving the bicycling policemen far behind. The marquis was under the impression that he was being followed by polios motorists, but when be found that the energetic pursuers were pressmen be was mollified, and all ran easily from the Noailles cross-roads to the drill-ground at Saint Gerraain-en-Laye. There • Captain, do Gail and bis-party were, met, and, after some preliminaries, the spot for the duel was chosen, and the Marquis .de Dion counted the regulation twenty paces in a very expeditious manner. The arms were loaded by M. Guyet de Villeneiuvo and M. Berteaux. Then the men were put face to face, and the question was asked, "Are you ready, k en Clemen. ?" Tho reply was in the affirmative front the opponents, , and the word “Fire I” was uttered.., Two reports followed, a little blue smoke from the pistols ascended into'the morning air, and all was over. M. Syyeton’e bullet fell quite cdoee .to, a’doctor of St. Germain-on-Laye. Who went to tho ground., with Captain do Gail.. The latter left tho place of meeting : very hastily. The private duel between M, Andre de Jonquieres and the Marquis Dumet de Smours took.jPlaoo in the Pare das Princes at Autouil. Two shots , were fired by the combatants, and neither man, was touched.