Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1893 — FEATS OF SWORDMANSHIP. [ARTICLE]

FEATS OF SWORDMANSHIP.

Steel Plates and Pokers Severed with • Single Blow. Feats of swordmanship, such as cutting through triangular burs of lead or oarcases of sheep, are performed with special weapons; agd on this subject and that of sword blows generally, Mr. Henderson, the well-known professor of swordmanship, and for many years connected with Angelo’s School of Arms, has some interesting facts to relate. Though no longer quite so young as be was, he is still active and hearty, and must have been in his prime a very powerful man, weighing 190 pounds. He has in his time, at one stroke, cut through two sheep, one caroase inside the other, and in a similar manner through two and three-quarter inches of solid lead. A specially made cuirass, much thought of at the time by the Duke of Cambridge, when tested by the redoubtable Henderson, was cut clean through. Steel plates—six to the inch—and ordinary pokers have been severed at one blow by the same strong arm. These exploits were all accomplished with a sword made for him by the old firm of Wilkinson. It is called “Excalibur,” and weighs but four pounds. It is perfectly plain, slightly curved, has a hilt something; like a naval cutlass, and is tempered to perfection. Mr. Hendersou was present at the battle of Chilnia-, wallah in 1819, and can testify to some remarkable instances of the power of a keon sword.

Toward the termination of the fight, as the British troops were slowly retiriring, a Sikh challenged by his gestures and defiant attitude an Irish soldier to leave the ranks and engage in single combat. One thrust from his bayonet went right through the Sikh, who, though mortally wounded, instantaneously with his razor-edged tulwar cleft his opponent’s head in two, as far down as the base of the neck, both falling dead at the same instant. After this engagement a Sikh* was found sitting on the ground apparently unhurt, yet holding his hands up to his head, and when the surgeon bade him lower his arras, he fell dead on the spot, with half his skull gone, the entire upper part having been cut clean through. Elephants are completely disabled by one blow from the Arabe two-handed sword, whioh almost severs the huge hind leg, biting deep into the bone. This feat is varied by slashing off the trunk, leaving it dangling only by a piece of skin. A Goorka has been soen by the late Laurence Oliphant to behead a buffalo with his cockrie. And Sir Samuel Baker, a man powerful enough to wield, during his African exploration, the Baby, an elephant rifle weighing twentytwo pounds, once clove a wild boar with his big hunting knife, almost in halves, aa it waa making his final rush, cstohing it just behind the shoulder, where the hide and bristles are at least a span thick. Sir Walter Scott relates how the Earl of Angus, with hia huge sweeping brand challenged an opponent to fight, and at a blow chopped asunder his thigh 'hone, killing him on the spot. There ia a story ourrent in Australia that a Lieut. Anderson, in 1862, during an encounter with bushrangers, cut clean through the gun-barrel of his adversary with hia sword. And at Kassasiin it is related that one of Arabi Pasha’s soldiers was severed in two during the midnight oharge. But in the opinion of experts this Is very improbable, oven baa the new regulation sabre been then in uae. —[Boston Globa.