Desperate Doctor

One picturesque feature of pre-War Hungary still survives in that country-- the love of dueling. Last year even the late Premier Julius Goemboes realized that honor could not be satisfied until he and the man with whom he had quarreled, Deputy Tibor Eckhardt, had trudged into a gloomy cavalry shed and each had fired a shot over the other's head.

Last week fantastic, near-sighted Dr. Franz Sarga of Budapest, who for four months has made fantastic dueling headlines in the world's press, at last got himself seriously wounded. He first succumbed to the dueling disease last November after four clerks, two bank managers, two lawyers and a landed proprietor insinuated that he had married his wife Magda "for her money." Black with rage, Dueler Sarga challenged all nine, fought two, wounded one. Round & round Budapest's night clubs afterward staggered Dueler Sarga, quaffing red wine, challenging all and sundry until the list of his opponents numbered "a hundred," so he said.

Carried away by the publicity his swordplay was bringing him, Dr. Sarga neglected his affairs, failed to pay installments on his furniture. Nothing mattered except finishing off his hundred duels. A third duel was fought two months ago and still Dr. Sarga went unscathed.

Hot with success, Sarga last week followed up with another encounter, this time against George Vazsony, a bank employe, but not one of the original nine "insulters." Dueler Sarga again polished up his sabre, went out to tackle George because his mother had said catty things about Mrs. Sarga. For 90 minutes sabre clashed against sabre. After seven rounds Dr. Sarga got the surprise of his dueling career--a wound in the head. For seven more rounds he fought on until he had lost so much blood that he had to be carried off the field.

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