Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-04
WASHINGTON, D, c., Jan. l, 1854

SINGULAR AND DISTRESSING SUICIDE
MARRIAGE BESIDE A CoRPsE.-The Lou
isville Times relates the following re-
markable facts:
On Monday last, Mr.. James Chowning,
of Henry county, committed suicide un-
der the most singular circumstances
He was a highly respectable citizen, had
been at one period preacher of the
church known as g Reformers." hen be-
come impressed with the influence of
universal salvation but for the last few
years his views of religion have been ca
pricious and unfxed. He was about
fifty years old, had family, to whom he
was uniformly kind, and daughter was
to be married on the day after that on
which he perpetrated the rash act. On
that day he went to the little town of
Port Royal near by, leaving at neigh
boring school house. his gun, which he
had taken from home under the pretext
of hunting squirrels, but doubtless for
the commission ofhis sad purpose. While
in town, he was seen to drink freely several
times alone-a most unusual circum.
stance.
On Tuesday, he was discovered with
his head resting on log, his rife pressed
with the muzzle against his left breast, a
pawpaw stick cut the proper length with
which he touched off the trigger, and he
seemed to have died instantly and with
out struggle. A note was discovered
desiring that there should be no delay
in his daughters marriage, which ac-
cordingly took place, and the ceremony
of the infair occurred with the fathers
corpse in the house.
"The funeral bake meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage table,"
This is altogether singular occur
renee. Mr.. Chowning was a sober, in
dustrious and intelligent farmer. He was
rather independent in circumstances, and
no cause is assigned for his self-violence
unless tired of life annoyed by dyspep-
sia, from which he had been for consid-
erable period sufferer.
JULLIEN'S EXTRAORDINARY DUEL
Julien was first noticed as leader of
the concerts at the Jardin Ture, at Paris,
since built over. A large house now
stands where he once stood, as we have
also so often seen him in London, with
primrose gloves and shirt cuffs turned up
to the elbow, welding the sceptre of king
of the orchestra. 1t was during his reign
at the Jardin Ture, that, according to NJ.
Lecompte, the following accident happen.
ed to him: "He had an extraordinary
duel, unprecedented, save among Arios-
to's heroes. One of his musicians, who
had been fencing master in regiment,
had dispute with him, and sent him a
challenge. julien asked a week to pre-
pare for the duel, and his request was
granted. At the end of that time, the
encounter took place with swords, and he
received furious thrust, which ran him
right through the body, the hilt of the
weapon actually resting upon the wound;
and his antagonist having naturally let
60 his sword, julien rushed upon him,
and in his turn dealt him q desperate
blow, after which, having thus revenged
himself, he remained erect with a sword
sticking out Of his back Nobody daring
to withdraw it, he himself had the energy
to pluck it from the wound. 1t had made
itself passage which, wonderful to re-
late, interfered with none of the organs
essential to life.
A month afterwards, Julien had re-
sumed his baton and his primrose gloves,
and pallid and in elegaic attitudes, he
once more presided over those concerts,
to which the fame of his adventure had
attracted all Paris. The circumstances
which decided him to quit Paris were
like every thing in his life, singular and
out of the common way. Having some
cause of complaint against the authori-
ties, he revenged himself by the compo-
sition of all old posting bill, in which q
combination Of letters, put in larger type
than the others, formed, when seen from
distance, word offensive to the police.
He had to run for it, and then it was he
went to England.-London Journal.