A STRANGE DUEL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13056, 26 April 1910, Page 3

A STRANGE DUEL.

POLICE CHIEF INJURED.

Captain Queipo, a cavalry officer, lias just spent a month’s imprisonment in a iortress owing to the role he played in connection with thejnanifestations against certain promotions of officers who served in the Riff campaign. It had been arranged that on his discharge he was to fight a duel with Senator Rafael Esbry, editor of the newsparer El Ejercito Espanol, and this combat duly took place. Tlie duellists are fencing experts of an unusually high standard, 'and the bitterness between the. two men was ’so great that it was generally believed the issue uiight he fatal. The captain and -his adversary left for the ground selected in two.poiyerfuripptorears, and succeeded in out-distancing a third car containing the Chief of Police, who sought to arrest the parties concerned, as the Spanish law prohibits duelling. The principals, however, with thpir seconds and doctors', reached a field surround'd liy a wall, where they, were able to lock themselves in. Whoa the Chief of Police, came up ho found it necessary to climb the' wall, the top of which was amply provided with, a covering of broken bdttles.' 'He tiien lumped from his perilous position, and fell between the duellists, a distance of some 10ft. The combat, of which two engagements had been fought without injury to •nther of the participants, was at once brought to a sudden termination, and the duelling party declared under arrest. The attention of the doctors, however, had at once to be concentrated on the unfortunate Chief of Police, whose hands, feet, and legs were bleeding profusely as. a result of his experience on the top of the wall. It is the lighter aspect of, the affair which has attracted Madrid society, who tokingly say that this is the first duel in which a police representative was wounded, while the chief parties concerned were uninjured. All those engaged in-the affair have been taken td the police station, and the usual prosecution will follow in due course.