In consequence of some reflections made by the editor of the French
journal, the Tribune, on Marshal Lobau, commandant of the Parisian
National Guard, four officers on the staff of the Marshal paid a visit
to the office of the Tribune, with, to use a homely expression, a very
bullying message. Taken unawares, the principal editor refused to meet a
body of persons; but expressed his readiness to give the Marshal himself
personal satisfaction. The affair got wind; and, in the course of the
day, many young men left their cards at the office of the Tribune,
soliciting to be permitted, as assistant-editors of journals, to take
off the odds; and accordingly the Tribune of March the 21st, intimated
to the Etat-major, publicly in its columns, that sixty-seven editors
were ready to go out with the sixty-seven officers of which the
Etat-major is composed. Saturday, the 23rd, produced the first of the
duels resulting from this challenge _en masse_. The principals in this
affair were General Jacqueminot of the Etat-major, and M. Belmonte, the
editor-in-chief of the Tribune. The former was attended by General
Gourgaud and Colonel Taunton; the latter, by Colonel Bricqueville, a
member of the Chamber of Deputies, and M. Cartel, editor of the
Nationel. After an exchange of shots, the seconds interfered, and that
particular affair was made up.
BETWEEN M. COSTE AND M. BÉNOIT.
September, 1832.
In consequence of a paragraph which appeared in the French journal
called “Le Temps,” reflecting on the manner in which orders had been
distributed among the commissaries of police, a meeting took place in
the Bois de Boulogne, between M. Coste, the editor of that paper, and M.
Bénoit, commissary of police. M. Bénoit was attended by M. Nay, chief
clerk of the private office of the prefecture of police, and M.
Haymonet, another commissary. The seconds to M. Coste were Dr. Pasquier
and M. V. Schoeler, a literary gentleman. The parties were placed at
fifty paces from each other, with an understanding, that they were to
advance to the distance of twenty paces. Both having arrived at this
point, M. Bénoit desired M. Coste to fire first: this, however, he
declined, and the seconds desired that they should fire together, at a
signal. The two shots went off within a second of each other: the ball
of M. Bénoit’s pistol went through the collar of the coat of M. Coste,
while that of the latter entered the right side of his adversary, and
passed through his body, coming out on the left side, about three inches
higher. M. Bénoit was immediately conveyed to the infirmary of the
King’s household, where he shortly after died.