A SWORD DUEL IN PARIS.

Western Star, Issue 2220, 8 July 1898, Page 6

A SWORD DUEL IN PARIS.

FKNCING MASTERS IN EARNEST. The two most conspicuous fencing masters ol Paris, M. Vigeant and M. Rue, quairelied the other day over a letter wLich the latter published in the " Figaro," criticising Vigeant's conduct on the occasion of a fencing bout between Merignac and San Malato in 1831. M. Viyeant demanded a retraction from Rl. Rue in a rather stiff sort of Utter. M. Rue refused and a ch«llenge was the consequence. Hue accepted the cartel, ami the respective seconds arranged the conditions of the light. The weapons selected were swords. As the two men were masters in the art of fencing, great itter*st was taken in the duel, and it was thought that one of them would certainly be left dead on the ground. The place of meeting had to be k< pi secret by the seconds ami to all inqnirios by reporters and others they replied, " The duel will be on tin: outskirts of Paris." It cam.- off at the I'ark SaintOtien. A few journalists and friends had an opportunity to witness th.2 encounter. Among them was a reporter of ihe "Figaro, "from whose account the following description of the affair is taken :

A duel is always excihDg especially when it occurs between two swordsmen like Vigeant and Rue. Uulike amateurs, when fencing masters tight they dispense entirely with little thrusts =»t the arms.; they diiv.- .straight at the body. At 11 o'clock in the morning the adversaries and tlu-ir friends eamfi upon the ground. The place was adu i.ahly sebetc-d, in front ol the old Chateau Saint-Ouen. Little nuunds of sand, which might interfere with the lighters, were cleared away by workmen employed by M.Adam, the owner of the race course of Saint-Ouen. Then, when the spot was thorough ly swept, the two combatants, M. Rue and M. Vigeant, were called up. Previous to this they were, walking about quietly, chatling with their friends and with the reporters. The two duellists took off lh<-ir coats and ve>ts, although the cold was rxtreine, and one of the doctors, Professor J'elizc t, remarked laughingly that the fighters were in greater danget of catching pneumonia than of getting a sword thrust. However, the sequel made him change his opinion, for the fight was furious. There was an ominoui silence in the crowd, broken only for an instant by the whispering of impiessioni upon ti e piobable issue of the combat. M. Rue won the choice of position a«d ot swords. His swords were just half a centimetre loFger than those of M. Vigeant; but the seconds gave the option of using one of his own Weapons if he preferred it, and he decided to do so. It was now twenty minutes past eleven, and the weather was cold and clem'.

The adversaries nere placed in position by M. Broutin, one of the b< st swordsmen of Paris, nho pronounced the usual "Go it, gentlemen !'" and the fight began. Visseaut and Rue were admirable in the combat. Not the slightest emotion could be uoticed in the countenances of either. Vigeant bent a little; forward with a low guard, and bis vigorous parries at the commencement of the engagement were noticeable. Rue, taller than Vigeant, and evidently mere liery, held his guard just as he would hold it at a public fencing match, but with the point of of the weapon a little higher. At first Rue took the offensive, and attacked soberly and pi intently by simple straight thrusts, which weie parried by Vigeant with superb maestria. Then Vigeant attacked at the very moment when Rue was about to deliver one of those extraordinary straight lunges which he executes so marvellously in the fencing school. This resulted iu a close. At that moment everybody wr.s literally breathless with excitement Tho surgeons, the spectators, and the seconds were in dread of a fatal thrust. Fortunately it was agreed that the bouts should bet two minute-,' duration ouly, and the two minutes were up. M. Broutin called out " Halt !" Everybody beav«d a sigh of relief. But in this first engagement, on the altackof hue, Vigeant was obliged to give ground to the extent of about ten metres ; arid tho conditions of the combat, agreed upon verbally by the seconds, were very severe. Each adversary had- only fifteen metres to give way, and so Vigeant had only live metres behind him when the fight was renewed. Rue attacked again. Vigeant stood up boldly against him, and with extraordinary skill coolly parried the onslaughts. His ripoats were low, and sometimes he let drive at the legs. The Professor of the Rue Saint Marc (Rue) furiously eud< avimred to land, and, like a cat, watt bed an opining for a straight lunge, without advancing. Some marvi lions phases of fencing were displayed on both sides. One woui (l imagii.e that the adversaries were playing with foiked lightning. If any one of the terrific thrusts had reached home the man who received it would have been pierced completely through. But the combatants were artists in the business, and the lightning Hashes Sfct-med to dance between them harmlessly. Vigeant, still holding his weapon low, tried to gain giound, »nd in this i fl'ort the poiftt of Rue's sword scratched his forehead as he was partying a thrust. He immediately thrust buck, letting drive at the leg, and exclaiming, " How's that ? " The seconds rushed in and stopped the combat. | They believed that Rue was wounded, hut ia reality he had only n r-eived a side stroke of the j weapon, and to profe that be was utterly unI injured he hounded up. roll.d up his trousers, land, smiling, said to the suigeons, "Sk for i yourselves ! " The speetatois could also see, bi cause they were not very far away, and r vtry- | body noticed that Rue po.-ses-i d muscles of j steel ; and, as a matur of fact, many ol then) ' knew that beforehand. The third bout was uow to commence, and there were many pale faces among the spectators; but jus! here a perfect coup de theatre cecumd. The blood i from the wound in Vigeaut's forehead Ikwed i down into his eyes, but he insisted upon going 'on He said he would not stop for a small i .scratch, aud that the tight should continue. But this was not the opinion of the surgeons and the si cands, who, noticing the blood flowing down over his eyes, declared at once that he was in a state of inferiority, and an end was put to the struggle then and there. Spie.tatois, seconds, and surgeon* were only too happy to see the affair, which promised tu be tragi':, end in the way it did ; but the two rival swardsmen left the duelling ground without shaking hands.