Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1914 — Was Hero of 200 Duels [ARTICLE]

Was Hero of 200 Duels

Labertesque, Modem D’Artaonan, ,■4 Dead in Paris —Fight* Whole - Town Council. Paris.—Labertesque is dead, and with his death a figure that belonged to old French romance has passed away, for Labertesque was Cyrano de Bergerac and d’Artagnan rolled Into one. and set down on the Paris boulevards, where be kept alight for years toe flame of chivalry, gallantry and picturesque swashbuckling. Though his clothes were th§ prosaic garb of modernity, bis spirit belonged to toe days of cloak and ruffle, when men drew swords on a quarrel mid spitted their opponents deftly. He was the hero of 200 duels. Tall and broad, with a brown face, he swaggered along the boulevards a few years ago, ready to pick a quarrel with anyone whose presence was obnoxious to him and ask for satisfaction at the point of the sword- His manner was grandiloquent and authoritative- — - l

• When he lifted his slouch hat with a medieval flourish you could almost see a cloak and sword behind his lounge suit He rolled his name grandly as he delivered his challenge to those who were luckless enough to merit his anger. "Laber-r-rtesque,” be would say. He achieved so Instant notoriety when he came 1 6 Earth, for he began his career by fighting the whole town council of Algiers, and finished up with his famous duel with Max Regis, the mayor.