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A German Students' Duel

A German Students' Duel image
Parent Issue
Day
6
Month
March
Year
1890
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Stkassburg in Elsass, Stein Str. 1, i Germany, Feb. 12, lb90. I Dear Register: Thi9 morning I had the privilege of witnessing a duel, and thinking that a description ot this characteristic and very disgusting feature of Germán student life might be interesting at Arm Arbor, I send the following: Tha interest in this barbarous custom is kept up by a class of fraternities (Vereine)i who3e members on joining the society, agree to ansvver unconditional'.y any challenge made them. Geaerally speaking there are two kinds oL dueh: one, the niost common among studenta, is fougbt for the f un of it or for practioe ; the other is fought to retrieve insultad honor. The former is often brought about as fol'ows : A new recruit (freshman or fuch) after practicing fencing a little begins to long for some real practics, and informs the leader cf his fraternity of the fact, who goes to the leader of another fraternity with a challenge for a duel. Sometimea a defiaite person is challenge:! and sometimes the fraternity itself is to appoint a representativo to give the desired satisfaction. It cften happens that the duelista are good friends, both before and after the combat. In the latter ca-e the challenge 3 usually sent by a person who bas been or who imagines that he has been ïnsulted and wishes in this wBy to clear his honor of a etain. This is much more Hable to be a serious affair than the other. The students are very proud of their haggled faces and every hideous scar adds beauty, in their estimation. If tha wounda seem to be healing so as to leave no scars, they often open them and irjjeet some irritaüt. Dueling is prohibited by law but like some lawa in other lands, it is scarcely noticed. About eight o'clock, in company with two students, I started for the scène of. ' action, which was a lit'.le suburbau village about a mile distant. Upon arriving we entered what seemed to be an ordinary saloon. Then passing through the front room and another back of it, we entered a large hall entirly secluded from the front drinkiog room by curtains. In this room were some twenty-five or thirty Germán studente, smoking, drinking, anJ talking. About half of them wore little round, red flat topped capp, and the other half wore blue caps of the same shape, the color indicating the fraternity to.wnich they belonged. Oa two tables in different parts I oí the room lay several swords about four feet long, without pointe, but very sharp on both edges for a distanoe of about six or eiïht inche3 from the end. Over the handle was a large metal basket tö protect the hand. On.two other table3 were outfits of surgical apparatus, each in charge of a physician. The floor was covered vith a heavy coating of saw-dust, to absorb the blood, and linea were dravvn about four feet apartupon which the combatants were to stand. OL the two duelisís, ons was a youns man of nineteen or twenty, whose face was free froa; scars, while the other's face told the story of considerable previous experience. Tje outer clothing of the upper part of the body wa8 removed and then began a long process of padding and wrapping. On the right hand was drawn a heavily padded glove; heavy leather wrappings were fastened around the shoulders and upper arma, and a large quilted sleeve was drawn on, which wa thickly bandaged at the wrist and shoulder. A solé leather breastplate protected the heart and lungs, and the neck was wrapped to the thickness of an inch and a halt. Then over the tront and sides of the body and down to the knees was fastened a heavily wadded, blood-stained, and blood-stiffened mantle. The eyes were protected by heavy leather or metal goggles. The left arm below the elbow was unprotected, but was fastened hfïhind t.Vif hank. After these preparations, the two men took their places and the ouly parts of their bodies above the belt that were vulnerable were their cheeks,'énose, and that portion of the head above the eyes. By the side of each man stood his second, partially protected by padding. At a given signal the two men began striking at each other like demons. During the first moment the inexperienced man received a cut just below the left temple, when they were stopped and the wound pronounced not serious by the physicians. Again they went at it, the same man received another cut during the next round, and the older on e lost a piece of his scalp. This was kept up four and one-half minutes, when the duel was stopped and the record showed four blood drawing3 on the younger and one on the older man. By this time the younger man's face and head was covered with blood, which was running profusely from his four wounds. They were all quite good sized and the larcest waa between three and four inches long and clear into the bone. His padding was removed and then began the operation of sewing up. Although having lost enougn blood to make an ordinary man weak, he underwent the sewing without a twich or murmur, very much to his credit according to the dueling code Although a most hideousand disgusting sight, the pluck and nerve they showed was worthy of admiration. The striking was all done with an arm ana nana movement and except the strokes of the right arm, their bodies seemed to be anything but human. They did Jot dodge nor tremble, and even atter a vigorous blow had given a ghastly wound no movement was vieible. Such weakness would be regarded as very unbecoming. Thi8 one was followed by four more, which in preparation, operation and reparation consumed the enüre morning. All ten of the participants were more or lesscut up, the average number of gasb.es being 2 1-5 each. I remained through the first one and the surgioal operalions following it, and then, having lectures at the University and having satisfied my curio9ty, I left, very glad to have seen a duel but not caring es ec'ally to eee any more. University of Stbassbdkg, Germany.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register