PARISIAN DUELLING.

Shannon News, 13 April 1926, Page 2

PARISIAN DUELLING.

Duelling: in the Bois de Boulogue the famous Paris Park, must stop. The police are thoroughly angered and determined to prosecute. This promiscuous firing of pistols is too dangerous—not for the duellists, but for the birds and ‘ deer whfelT live in that forest, at the edge of Paris. So runs a recent Paris despatch. Duelling in recent decades has become a somewhat harmless pastime, the message goes on to say. In fact, duelling pistols are the Press agent’s tools in Prance, just as an actress’s jewels get her columns of pubicity in America. The recent duel, which took place at daybreak on a grey December morning in the Parc des Princes, at the edge of the Bois, between a dramatic critic and the son of an actress, whose playing the critic had dared to hint was amateurish, was typical. , The critic whose face was slapped by the actresses's son, immediately sent for his seconds. They were unable to find a solution other than a 1 duel with pistols at thirty paces. The next morning two cars drove up in the grey dawn. Six men stepped out, Back to back, the principals stepped out on the fatal thirty paces. At a command they turned. In the best novels a pistol should have cracked at this moment. The critic a gallant gentleman, waited for the other/ to fire first. The seconds, gallant gentleman, waited for both to fire first. Neither fired. The critic got tired waiting fired Over the head of his enemy, and the six got back in their cars. Two cars drove off in the grey dawn. But the police got busy. They deliberated long over the policy to be followed. Plainly the law was broken when the single shot was fired. If tile two cared to risk a wild shot v/hich would have missed going over their heads and had landed by mistake in the body of either, that was their affair. But someone must look after the animals.