FATAL DUEL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14483, 3 July 1911, Page 6

FATAL DUEL.

BLOW AND RETORT. GERMAN OFFICER KILLED. A great stir has been caused in Berlin juid Potsdam society by tho fatal diwsl which was fought recently in a wood on the nc-rttem outskirts of the city, both combatants belonging to well-kiHiwii nubki families moving in Court circles. The victim of the encouuter was Herr William von Gaffron and Oberstradn.nl, an ex-officer of cavalry, 51 years of age, who .was married a couple of years ago and settled m, Potsdam, in u house adjoining the palace of Prince Eitol Friedrich. He kept an extensive stable, web an, expert rider, and regular competitor in equas-. trian competitions, and CUod in bis leisure by painting pictures of sporting subjects. He also had the reputation of being an unerring shot. The survivor of the duel is Baron Oswald von Richthovon, son of the former Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He is .25 years of ago, and aleo a retired officer.

The conditions of the combat were unusually severe—an exchange of shots at 1-5 paces till one of the antagonists was disabled. At tho first fire both bullets missed their mark, but at the second Gaffron was struck in the abdomen, and fell to the ground bleeding copiously. Me was placed in a motor car and removed to a. hospital not far distant, where an operation wna decided upon. It only revealed that both the liver and tho kidneys had been so severely lacerated by the shot that recovery was out of the question, and the wounded.man expired- shortly afterwards. Baron Oswald von Richthoven reported himself to his regiment as soon as ho heard of his opponent's death.

The duel had its origin in an lOU for £2OOO, which Richthoven gave to Gaffron a year or two ago-, in return for an immediate advance of £1250. The borrower communicated the fact of the loan to his brothers, through whoso intervention Gaffron agreed to surrender his bond on payment of the sum actually transferred, plus 6 per cent, interest. A good deal of bad blood seems to have been .made over this settlement, Gaffron accusing Riciithoven of disclosing a confidential transaction, while tho latter retorted with the charge of usurious practices. Finally the younger man, who had meanwhile left the army, embodied h'« view of the whole business ia a letter to Gaffron, and departed for Morocco on a commercial venture. After his return to Berlin he was sitting one evening in a • well-known restauran-t — this was ■ in Novemher. 1909 —when G;affrnn walked in, and, approaching hjm from behind, struck liim over the head, exclaiming. " You remember the letter you wrote me before you left for Africa; that is the only proper reply

to it!'' Without waiting fur retaliations ho clipped out ill' the place, jumped into II motor car, and drove, olf, iiaro-n von tfichthoveii had only t : mc to reach bim with the_ epithet, "Pig-dog," but lost do time :ii challenging k.ui to light a. duel. Gauiuu, honevei, toStuxd to meet bin la a personal encounter, averting thai lus betrayal of conlidcnco had rendered him inoaiiablo of affording "saiLsi'ictiojj," Richtkovou appealed to tho law, and his ouomv was fined .1-25 lor• assault. On nopcal, tlr's penalty was redm-cd U, £lO, V i rasun of the hiiiilt witlt ivhw-h had, en iiio of the moment,, ivnlied 1.0 i.ho li'it tho matter was not to end there, .■■■ had r.„i, about v. it!, repaid tu ■• ,:r.-, methods as a inonev-U'i.dcr , :',i ll'.s .<:l«sal 011 -..ha' «vi* .■„,!- . ~,;-.,1 insui'iicent grounds to light- a duel'. Society begun -.,, /nv hiiu the cold shoulder, and hi* r.n:i;e -.vns struck oil' tin: let of those'who iv, ;-'v >'invita--t.ions to hunt with tho liec-rnl pa/k. Imputing these thins.*. apparently quite crroncou.-l\. to the maiiiinations of Riehthoveu. he reconsidered his position, intimatrd to iho baron that he was now re.Vly to accent, a challenge if he received -one, and the issue was the (ragic. encounter. Such, at anv rate, i.s as near an approach to the facts as eau be obtained from the conflicting stories put forward by friends of the two parties. Assuming, as one is bound to do, that their statements are made in good faith, one is unable to res : st the conclusion that at least half of tho quarrel was. the result of choleric misunderstandings on both sides.