Duelling Épées, especially late 19c ones & more modern fencing ones, are thrusting weapons without cutting edges. I suspect'épée'' may have been used in the older sense of just meaning a 'sword' as it is derived from the original Latin 'spatha'. He likely had a more deadly sword with a sharpened edge. Maybe even a short sword/hanger/hunting sword - or even a sword-stick with a sharp blade.
(I was '1st Épée' on my college fencing team. Our coach was a crusty, skinny 90-year-old 5 Ft. 2 in. ex-Hungarian cavalry officer from WW1, he was late for practice one evening - we found out he'd been attacked by a couple of muggers in the Bronx that delayed him. He put both of them in the hospital. I presume with his walking stick/cane. He also was an Olympic coach at NYU.) (No, it wasn't a sword-stick)
Considering his tempestuous relationship with Gauguin, the tale is likely more believable than the cover-up that he did it himself.
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