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Title
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Fencing at the Mardi Gras
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Date
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March 1939
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volume
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4
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issue
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2
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pages
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1, 10
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list of authors
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Orest Meykar
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content
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en
FENCING AT THE MARDI GRAS
Orest Meykar
The Third Annual Mardi Gras International Tournament was held on February 18th and 19th at the American Legion Club in New Orleans. It attracted 34 men and 7 women fencing entrants from all parts of the United States, and one entrant from Brazil.
Lt. Fred Weber of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 6th ranking épéist in America and member of the 1936 American Olympic Pentathlon Team won the Individual Foil and Épée Competitions. Lt. William B. Kunzig of Fort McClellan, Ala., won the Individual Sabre Competition repeating his victory of last year. Miss Paula Murchison of Fort Worth, Texas, present women’s foil champion of the Southwestern Fencing League, won the Individual Women’s Foil Competition.
Among the other entrants to this colorful competition were Lt. Gustave Heiss of Cheyenne, Wyo., National Épée Champion in 1933, 1934, and 1936 and member of the American Olympic Fencing Team in 1932 and 1936; Karl Hanisch of Battle Creek, Mich., member of the 1936 Austrian Olympic Fencing Team; Howard A. Hayden, Michigan Épée Champion and place-winner in sabre and épée in the 1938 Midwest Championships; Robert Bristol, former Midwest Three-Weapon Champion; Thomas Kemp of New Orleans, defending champion in the foil and épée events; Tom Schmuck, Hartford, Conn., former New England Épée and Sabre Champion; P. Schaudies of Baylor University, Waco, Texas, Épée Champion of the Southwestern Fencing League; and Pedro Nabuco of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fencing Clubs and Colleges represented included the Fencers Club and Salle Meykar of New Orleans; New Orleans Athletic Club; Y.M.C.A., Pensacola, Florida; Amico Fencers, Galveston, Texas; Salle de Tuscan, Detroit, Mich.; Texas A. & M. College; Baylor University; Athos Club of Louisiana State Univ.; Fort Worth Y.M.C.A., Texas; and Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
From the outset, the competition resolved itself very closely around the Heiss-Weber-Hanisch-Hayden-Bristol combination, eliminating all other entrants except Schmuck, Schaudies, and Clem D’Albergo of Amico Fencers of Galveston from any of the Finals. Kemp and Kunzig as defending champions entered directly into the Finals in their weapons. Kemp attempted sabre additionally and Kunzig entered the épée but both were eliminated in the preliminaries of these weapons. All Finals were held on the evening of February 19th before an overflowing and enthusiastic audience, amongst whom were representatives of Foreign, State and Local Governments, the Army and Navy, and New Orleans society.
In foil, the first prize, the Bronze Medal of France, offered by Consul General Rene Soulange-Teissier and Captain R. Estachy of French Line, was awarded to Lt. Weber for his record of 4 wins and no defeats in the Finals. Lt. Heiss with 3 wins and 1 defeat was awarded the second prize, the Silver Foil of the New Orleans Public Service. The Miss Paula Murchison, first in Women’s Foil, was awarded the Gold Foil of L’Académie d’Escrime, served annually by Honorary French Consul, Mr. Norman R. Pedrick. The second award, the Silver Sword of Zeitz Seven-Up Bottling Co., went again this year to Miss Johanna Blumel of the Amico Fencers, Galveston, Texas.
The épée, characterized by some excellent and hard-fought encounters, found Lt. Weber again undefeated in the Finals. He received as first prize the Gold Épée of Brazil Lo Cruzeiro do Sul, from the donor and Honorary President of the Tournament, Señor P. N. de Abreu, Brazilian Consul General, himself an épéeist of note. Schaudies, a left-hander, took second prize in this, his first encounter with fencers of competitive reputation. He lost only to Weber in the Finals. He received the Silver Sword of D. H. Holmes, Ltd.
Lt. Kunzig came through the sabre Finals undefeated, carrying away the complete admiration of the entire audience and jury for his quiet, gentlemanly, and polished performance and behavior throughout the Tournament. Signor Peter G. Chiavari, Consul General of Italy and himself an ardent sabreman, presented to Kunzig, for the second time in two years, the Gold Sabre of Italy; and to Lt. Weber, second in sabre, the Silver Sabre of Maison Blanche Co. Many of the visiting fencers remained in New Orleans for the Carnival, and many were the glasses raised on high along the Vieux Carré during their stay.
The Bout Committee of the New Orleans Division, confronted with such indisputable proof of the popularity and importance of this Tournament, will make every effort to make the next year's Tournament better organized, better judged, more enjoyable, and interesting to the participants. An effort will be made to secure official A.F.L.A. judges and to procure electrical épée equipment. It begs of all who took part to overlook whatever deficiencies might have taken place and thanks all those who came for their loyal and gentlemanly support and behavior under what often were trying circumstances.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TOURNAMENT:
Hanisch, nonchalantly declaring "passée," when a heavy floodlight came down from the ceiling and missed him by a few inches; Director Meykar, experimenting with beer, Coca, water, and other beverages to make the rubber strip stick to the floor; Weber, besieged by a bevy of fair autograph hunters after his victories; Hayden, solemn as an owl on the strip but off it a man of exquisite wit and excellent taste; Heiss, always ready to banter and to plague his opponent, enjoying the contest to the utmost in spite of not having had a bout in two years; Heiss' brilliant counters with Weber and Hanisch were the high spots in entertainment; Bristol, gamely fighting, outpointed and often misjudged, always ready to give a helping hand to the harassed Bout Committee; the excellent and absolutely perfect direction of Hanisch, who really showed our fencers what directing and judging really should be; D'Albergo's extraordinary judging, his steady advance to the touched man, his close inspection, his pause for a deep thought and his vote "Abstain"; the musical intermezzo on the cavalry bugle, between the pools, before the announcements and at other sundry times, including one very sour flourish after the Foil Finals; the cold blond prettiness of Paula Murchison, matched by the warm smile and brown-eyed beauty of Mrs. W. L. Anderson, a thing so rare in women's contests; the violent and forceful exchanges of Weber and Hanisch, followed by enthusiastic handclapping and cheers of the audience.
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The Tournament is of inestimable value to the New Orleans Division and to the entire fencing community of the South. This marks the first time when modern high-speed fencing was ever presented in New Orleans or in the South. This is the first time that the fencers of the South had the opportunity to meet top-notch fencers of American and International reputation. This Division, in its work for the popularization of modern fencing and in its attempt to draw the Southern fencers into the A.F.L.A. ranks, rather congratulates itself on the fact that it was able to lure the key fencers of the Southwestern Fencing League, a very strong and loyal though very individualistic organization, out of its lair and onto the modern fencing strip. There is no doubt that more Divisions will be developed in the South in the near future.
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SUMMARIES
Foil Finals:
Weber defeated Heiss 5-4, D'Albergo 5-3, Hanisch 5-3, Kemp 5-2.
Heiss defeated D'Albergo 5-3, Hanisch 5-2, Kemp 5-3.
Hanisch defeated D'Albergo 5-3, Kemp 5-1.
D'Albergo defeated Kemp 5-2.
Women's Foil Finals:
Miss Murchison defeated Mrs. D'Albergo 4-1, Miss Blumel 4-0, Mrs. Anderson 4-3.
Miss Blumel defeated Mrs. D'Albergo 4-2, Mrs. Anderson 4-1.
Mrs. D'Albergo defeated Mrs. Anderson 4-2.
Épée Finals:
Weber defeated Bristol 3-0, Schaudies 3-1, Schmuck 3-0, Kemp 3-1.
Schaudies defeated Bristol 3-2, Schmuck 3-2, Kemp 3-2.
Schmuck defeated Bristol 3-1, Kemp 3-2.
Bristol defeated Kemp 3-2.
Sabre Finals:
Kunzig defeated Weber 5-4, Hanisch 5-3, Hayden 5-2, Schaudies 5-0.
Weber defeated Hanisch 5-3, Hayden 5-1, Schaudies 5-0.
Hanisch defeated Hayden 5-2, Schaudies 5-1.
Hayden defeated Schaudies 5-1.
