FOUGHT FOUR DUELS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1926, Page 3

FOUGHT FOUR DUELS.

WHEN JUNKERS FALL OUT. A NOBLEMAN’S HONOUR. IMPRISONMENT AS SEQUEL. Seven Junker noblemen stood in court at the little town of Stolp, in farthest Pomerania, charged with being concerned in an amazing seres of duets, which resulted from a violent political quarrel at a hunt diniiw, writes a Berlin correspondent of a London paper. The seven accused were:—Herr Bogusla von Somnitz, Herr Nikolaus von Weiher, Herr Egon von Pirch, Herr Walther von Hcwelke, Herr von Zinders, Herr Kurt von Koenen, and Major von Ramin. These men all belong to the elite of Junkerdom, and it had taken 16 months for the judicial authorities to make up their minds to bring such aristocratic personages before the court. The duels took place on July 3, last year.

Six months earlier Herr von Weiher had invited four of his Junker neighbours to dinner after a day’s hunting. At table a violent poltcal discussion arose, on account of Herr von Somnits having expressed some views running counter to the stem conservatism of the others.

Words led to blows, and eventually Herr von Somnitz received challenges to mortal combat from Herr von Weiher, Herr von Pirch, Herr von Hewelke, and an eighth man, Herr von Kohl. Major von Ramin conveyed the challenges, and Herr von Zinders and Herr von Koenen acted as seconds.

In court Herr von Somnitz told the remarkable story of how’ the duels were carried out.

It was at 3 o’clock in the morning,” he declared, “and the combatants stood at 15 paces from each other.

“It was so dark that we could hardly see. My fights with von Weiher and von Pirch and von Hewelke were without result; but in the duel against von Kohl my bullet hit him.

“When I saw him fall I rushed forward to effect a reconciliation. It was too late. Von Kohl was unconscious, and he died a minute later.”

z Questioned by the judge as to why the duels were fought, von Somnitz said he would rather not say—so as not to arouse more hatred in the district.

But he added that it was a political quarrel which led to the blows against him.

“I had my honour to defend; and in my social class it is usual to wipe out insults with weapons.

I could not refuse the challenges without being regarded as a coward. ‘I did not wish to kill anyone; but merely to put my opponents hors de combat. It was my duty to my family. “Von Kohl I did not desire to fight, because he had spread such false gossip that I regarded him as beneath my notice.

“But he insisted on fighting.” Remarkable “military’” sentences were pronounced. Herr von Somnitz was condemned to two years and nine months’ fortress arrest ; von Weiher, von Pirch, and von Hewelke to six months o-f the same kind of “honourable detention.” Von Zinders and von Ramin were sent for one month, and von Koenen for three weeks.

Thus the politically unorthodox Junker who was insulted and beaten gets the heaviest sentence, while three of his orthodox opponents escape with comparatively’ light sentences—which is quite in accordance wth the unwritt >n laws of' Junkerdom.