The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-06 00:00:00

A TILIGEI_

'C1NN.,127.

(From the Cincinnati Gazette of Aug. 17.)

Last evening occurred one of those terrible tra-
gedies in real life which, for fearfulness of inten-
sity, surpass the conceptions of the dramatist, and
reveal the terrible earnestness which often exists
beneath an exterior the most frivolous and aban-
dOncd.

We publish the facts in the order of their oc-
urrenee.

A young man, whose name it appears, from
papers found on him, is Thomas Eugene De Mar-
bais, has had a wife named Blanche, living in a
house of assignation in Plum-street, above Fifth.
From the papers and from his declarations to the
coroner, we learn that five times has he attempted
to kill both himself and his wife. It would also
appear that he married her aware of her abandoned
life.

The following note on him shows his desire to see
her last evening :
" Send me word by the boy. May I come and
see you ? I await an answer on the corner. I can-
not exist without seeing you. Let me come—must
see you very somf. Oh, Blanche ! Blanche !
Blanche ! Blanche ; I am very repentant. Come !
come ! I cannot live without seeing you."
We cannot say whether he sent a duplicate of it.
About 11 o'clock last night he called at the house
in Plum-street, and desired to see her. She was up
stairs in bed. She came down to see him, and he
told her he wanted to walk out with her, and,
said he, "I am going to kill you." She said she
wasn't afraid, and they went out.
The next known of them, the reserve corps of
policemen in the Ninth-street station-house were
startled by two pistol reports at the corner of
Plum and Eighth streets. They immediately
ran to the corner, and there saw De Marbais and
Blanche at the door of Brookfield's marble-yard.
Blanche was sitting quietly, while he was stretched
at full length on the pavement, apparently dead.
Mr. Wm. De Beck, of the County Auditor's-office,
who accompanied the police, caught a young man
by the shoulder, saying, "I've got you, sir." De
Marbais spoke up, " There is no one to blame but
me. I did it." Policeman M€Grew went to Blanche
and assisted her to rise. She said, " I came out of
the house to die." Then she exclaimed in agony,
" Oh, my daughter. Oh, my daughter." M‘Grew
asked her where her daughter was. She said she
was with the Marsh troupe, and upon being re-
moved to the Ninth-street station, she took off a
splendid jet cross, tipped with gold, kissed it, and
desired it to be sent to her daughter.
Upon examining them at the station-house, it was
found that she was shot in the left breast, just
above the nipple, and that he was shot in the right
ear. The policeman took from him two three-inch
pocket pistols, of Allen's patent, which he said he
had purchased yesterday morning and loaded for
this express purpose.
As he was lying in the station-house Dr. Carey
informed him of the probability of his recovery.
He said—" If I live I want you to hang me for this
damnable deed—for shooting the wife I love so
well."

They were removed to the hospital, where he
said that before they came out of the house they
had taken 30 grains of morphine, divided it into
two portions, dissolved it in water, and drank it.
Blanche is a young woman of beauty and has a
sweet countenance, It is thought she is French.
Be Marbais is a young man of short stature, and
we learn is or has been in the negro minstrelsy
business.

The following papers were found in his pocket
by Dr. Carey. We think we have never seen any
letter belonging to the literature of suicide and
death more touching and remarkable than this
which we give first
"Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 16, 1859.
"My dear Wife,—Should you survive what is
intended as your death blow, I trust you will for-
give me for not being a better shot. To say I have
loved you would only be to corroborate what all
who know me know full. well. That I now love
you better than ever, this fearful step I give as
proof. Death in preference to its being said I
caused you to live the life you are leading. We were
happy until it was marred by intermeddling would-
be friends both in Philadelphia and this city par-
ticularly. I do not wish it to be understood
that this letter is in any manner to exonerate
me in the dreadful tragedy I attempt. It is
simply to enlighten the few thousands who arc ready
to condemn unheard and untried the unfortunate
ones of this cold world. It is unnecessary here for
me to enter into the particulars of how we met and
were married, as the certificate among our papers
will certify to. I will simply say we knew arid
understood the importance•of what we were about.
When I could get work, I worked, and it was my
great pleasure to give you all my earnings,little as
they were. True, in the early days of our rnrariage
you were true to me, and like an angel yciti never
deserted me through greater misfortunes than want.
Now the public of this cold-hearted city rcfuses me
employment, and we are comparatively dr.stitute.
" You prefer [here follow the words, 'No mat-
ter,' with a mark of erasure through th,...m.—REr.]
My dear, dear Blanche, God forgive ro.e. But death
is now more preferable for me than life. Had I.
means we could and would have li red happily to-
gether. Ido love you, nay, adore.und worship you
even now, one, two, three, four, or five hours pre
attemptingvious to this last (1 hope) fearful act of
my life. My God, would thut I was able to take
you from where you are. I, -would do it even now.
There is' one man holding 'a prominent (poor speci-
men of man) position w!uo has promised to be my
friend. [A long flourish follows.—REF.]
" The principal cause of my misfortunes in this
city is now a clerk in the [here follow the words with
a mark of erasure through them, principal store
(drug) on Fourth-street. His brains ought. I have
blown out first. First drug store on']. finest drug
store on Fourth-street.

" I leave him and the balance of my enemies to
the remorse of conscience, which every true man
feels when conseions of a mean action. Mean actions
—their acts towards me are, and have been, das-
tardly, mean, and contemptible. 'Tis not because an
individual has erred in early days that he should
be made to suffer ever after. So goes the people of
Cincinnati. if a man does wrong once, not like the
good Samaritan, help him up again. No; they
trample hiM down, down, and never ni7e him a
chance to get a mouthful.
" If I succeed, our baggage will amply defray
all funeral expenses.
" My wife% child is in good hands--unnecessary
to mention where she is. Good bye, dear mother.
Forgive me, sisters dear. Sisters Clara and Ellen,
forgive ine taking Blanche away in this manner,
but I am so jealous of her that I prefer her dead.
[Another long flourish.—REP.]

" Trios. E. DE MARBAIS.
" All my family papers, dating back to the year
179-1, my mother's marriage certificate, and other
papers, will show for themselves. Adieu to all."

" Cincinnati, Tuesday, Aug. 16, 1859.
" My dear wife Blauche,-1 hereby certify that
from this day I solemnly promise never to come,
go, or seek you, wherever you may he. unless at
your earnest solicitation.—You; husband until
death, and after if possible.

-"
THOMAS E. DE MARBAIS."
The following, is the endorsement on the back of
this note :

* 2, Third-street. This is written at tl._ie soli
citation of my own dear wife I love Bette'_ th
"D MAIIBAIS."

" Ten minutes later.
" She tells me if I love 1-... et as I should I would
blow her brains out. Sct I will this very night.
"BE MALBAIS2'