While browsing the net, I found an account of a remarkable 19th-century due=
=3D=0D
l=20
at :
http://www.fencingroom.com/article.html
It seems a Parisian fencing enthusiast named Roulez had beaten four=20
opponents in consecutive duels in the course of an hour. Searching microfil=
=3D=0D
m=20
at the Yale Library, I found front-page articles about the duel in the Lond=
=3D=0D
on=20
Telegraph, the London Times, Le Figaro and Le Temps. With the proces=20
verbaux included, and a short interview with Roulez, I put together the=20
following account
Roulez vs. Blondel, Dumoulin, Leclerc and Aviroguet
(May 18, 1892)
In May, 1892, Paris was abuzz with talk of a new D'Artagnan, who coolly too=
=3D=0D
k=20
on four opponents, one after the other, within an hour. His story was front=
=3D=0D
-
page news, and received international coverage. The hero, Monsieur Roulez, =
=3D=0D
was described as tall, thin and sinewy, but slightly stooped and near-sigh=
=3D=0D
ted;=20
his age, 57.
=09
An electrical engineer and inventor of telephone equipment, Roulez was a=20
veteran of the Franco-Prussian War, in which he was awarded the Military=20
Medal for distinguished conduct. He was a well known fencer and a member=20
of the Ecole d'Escrime Fran=E7aise. It was said that "his fencing is the mo=
re=3D=0D
=20
redoubtable owing to his singular coolness, his skill in fixing his eyes on=
=3D=0D
=20
every movement of an antagonist, and above all, the strictly mathematical=20
precision of his style."
=09
The duels arose out of an incident at the Paris Opera. During a performance=
=3D=0D
=20
of Salammb=F4, Roulez was chatting with one of the ballerinas in the=20
intermission when three young men passed by, snickering and jeering. The=20
three--Blondel, Dumoulin, and Leclerc--found it amusing that a man of=20
Roulez' age would be speaking with a young dancer. Roulez demanded that=20
they leave him alone, which provoked more jokes at his expense. He then=20
began thrashing the three of them with his cane. A scuffle ensued which had=
=3D=0D
=20
to be broken up by employees of the opera. Cards were exchanged. Having=20
resorted to physical violence Roulez was considered the offender, and on=20
May 17, he was visited by six seconds and agreed to fight his opponents one=
=3D=0D
=20
after the other the following morning at 9 AM, at the Longchamps race cours=
=3D=0D
e=20
at Bois de Boulogne.=20
=09
The three men were all awaiting him as he arrived punctually. Blondel was=20
the first to fight Roulez.
=09
According to the proc=E8s-verbal:
>>>>>>>>
In the first engagement M. Blondel was struck by a thrust which perforated =
=3D=0D
the=20
top of his right lung to a depth of 6 centimeters.
This wound brought an end to the combat which had lasted one minute.
Next we have the account of the fight with M. Dumoulin:
Scarcely had they positioned themselves on guard when M. Dumoulin was=20
struck by a thrust which went through his forearm, his biceps, and went on =
=3D=0D
to=20
wound him in the chest.
=09
This wound brought an end to the combat.
<<<<<<<<
Then he faced Leclerc. Having witnessed the two prior duels, Leclerc tried=
=3D=0D
a=20
different tactic, vigorously retreating while defending himself against Rou=
=3D=0D
lez'=20
attacks.=20
>>>>>>>>
In the first engagement, M. Leclerc responded to the attack of M. Roulez by=
=3D=0D
=20
falling back quickly while extending his sword in line.=20=20
=09
This maneuver lasted ten minutes and covered a considerable amount of=20
ground. [200 yards according to one account.]
Mr. Roulez, by a skillful maneuver, succeeded in guiding his adversary=20
against a tree, and M. Leclerc only realized he had been led down a dead=20
end by M. Roulez when he received a thrust in the middle of his face.[In th=
=3D=0D
e=20
nose; a most humiliating wound.]
This wound, which was very serious, brought an end to the combat which had =
=3D=0D
lasted 15 minutes.
<<<<<<<<
This would seem to have been a sufficient morning's accomplishment, but as =
=3D=0D
Roulez made to leave the field, one of Blondel's seconds, M. Aviroguet,=20
approached him angrily.
=09
"Now, us!" he said.
=09
"But, monsieur, I do not have an issue with you," responded Roulez.
=09
"That doesn't matter. If you will not fight with me, I will slap you."
=09
"Very well--let's go!" responded Roulez.
=09
This duel ended in the first engagement when Roulez thrust Aviroguet in the=
=3D=0D
=20
neck, five centimeters below the ear.
=09
The four encounters had consumed less than 40 minutes.
=09
According to the Daily Telegraph, the fourfold victor was loudly applauded =
=3D=0D
by=20
the group of persons who had gathered round the spot, and the acclamations =
=3D=0D
became more boisterous when M. Roulez still stood his ground waiting calmly=
=3D=0D
=20
to give a taste of his steel to anybody else who might be inclined to try=20
conclusions with him. His seconds, however, had by this time arrived at a=20
sense of their duty, and prevented him from accepting any more challenges.
The very model of sang-froid, Roulez returned to Paris and spent the day=20
attending to his business affairs and keeping his appointments as if nothin=
=3D=0D
g=20
remarkable had happened.
=20=20
<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<
HOWEVER, after writing this up, it occurred to me to look through the=20
newspapers on subsequent days to see if there were follow-up articles on th=
=3D=0D
is=20
remarkable duel. There were, and, alas, it turned out to have been a hoax=20
perpetrated by M. Roulez. I found myself regretting I had thought to look=20
further into the story.
--Paul Kirchner
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