Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1882 — As Sensible as Most Duels. [ARTICLE]

As Sensible as Most Duels.

Sheep’s-head, although hardly a flattering epithet or term of endearment, is not regarded between man and man in this country as an insult of so deep a dye that the stain inflicted upon the honor of a gentleman to whom thin compound noun may happen to be addressed can only be washed out in blood. That such, however, is the view taken of its German equivalent, “Schafskopf,’’ in the Fatherland, is conclusively demonstrated in the following lamentable occurrence : -In the ancient city of Oldenburg, one Heir Jansen, an elderly barrister, called upon an acquaintance, the upper story of whose dwelling was occupied by an infantry Lieutenant named Fischer, the proprietor of a handsome pointer, upon which he had sportively bestowed the name of Shafskopf. The dog was lying stretched on the doorstep as Jansen came up to the door, and at that very moment the Lieutenant, thrusting his head out of his secondstory window, shouted at the top of his voice : “Sheep’s-head, come up, will you?” Jansen took the summons to himself, and, instead of entering the house, waited by the door until Fischer made his appearance, when, exclaiming; “Sheep’s-head yourself,” he lent the Lieutenant a hearty box on the ear. Fischer, who was in mufti, retorted with a walking-stick, and the result of this misunderstanding was a hostile meeting. Jansen fired first, inflicting a slight flesh wound upon his adversary, whereupon Fischer, in no way ruffled by his hurt, stretched the too-hasty advocate dead upon the ground with a bullet through his heart.— London Telegraph.