New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-09
THE ROMANCE OF LAW.
The Surrogate Decision IN the Du Lux Case

]
Hon. A W BRADFORD, in the case Of Jeanne Du
Lux together with a sketch of her life Tae Pc
cullar circumstances of the case the marked
personality Of the vain and misery Madame, and
the ny .tery which enveloped her relation To Fer
rie, the applicant, rendered that lawsuit ro-
msDce of no ordinary interest. We give below
the decision Of the Surrogate. 1t will be found
TO contain the history of the parties in an attract
i've form. The Surrogate decides thss iudner
investigation mus. be made as TO the relationship
of Ferre with Nine. Du Lux.
In the natter fthe Estate Of Jeanne Du Lux. deceased
Jeanne Du Lux recently died in this City, leaving a
llge estste, probably exceeding 100000 in value
John p Ferrie has applied for letters OF administra
ton, claiming as Der Der nephew aud the Pub
lie Administrator and the French Consul intervene Ia
contestston.
The dee. dent was q native of Pau, Province Of
Besrn, in France and WAS born Nov. "A l777, being
the Slaughter Of John Icsrd and Msgdalene Rviere.
Her mother was first married 10 Antoine Dezelle, by
whom sbe bads son, named Benoit.
By her second marriage, she had Jeanne, and q son
named Paul Alexis. John Icsrd the father, died in
1885, and his widow probably did not long survive
him
After the decease OF her psrents, we find Jeanne
Icard at Massat, Castlon and st Grons, places all
in he vicinity of Bert her mothers original domci,
and where an uncle and cousins, Rivere, maternal
relatives, stul resided. Her brothers entered the
Revolutionary army and from the correspondence OF
enc of them she appears in 1897 and 10 1900 to havs
been living at the house Of citizen Anere, merchant
of St Grons Department LArrege At this place,
and about this period occurred her marriage with
Ferre and The birth of the applicant the latter be,
in fact, her legitimate son. The child was put to
nur,e with country people and shortly after, Ferre,
the alleged father found dead by the roadside
murdered. Jeanne next appears at Toulouse with an
Hnt-Catbarine La Croix-snd again at Bordeaux,
in the house of Catelan, six merchant where she
became acquainted with Henry Du Lux, her future
husband, then q clerk with Catelsn & Brothers.
Nothing inspires in regard TO the boy until many
years afterw@d.
In the month of May 1906, the decedent came TO
the City of New-York, engaged in business, and re
sded here until her cecease She lived with Du Lux,
and Judging from the address of letter in lsOs,
passed by his name. BY the advice Of friend, they
were formally married the II June, 1912, aud
Du Lux Immediately proceeded to Bordessx. lie
returned to the United States in 1913, and in the
sumner Ct 1914 a. ain left for his native country
at Paris in December, 1914 In which he states that
her neglect in rot bonoriDg one OF his obligations
would prevent mis- return to New York. cloud hung
over bic course from that time until ls2l when No
communicated with NJ Duquene, OF this City, from
the lse Of France and since that period no furher In
teOigeuce wa received.
The fate OF Alexis one of the decedents brothers,
who entered the French army, WA in uncertainty as
early 1896, when it formed subject of inquiry in
the eters OF his surviving brot Ter, Benot. The lat
ter. who astumed the name OF Riviere, continued In
active service-rose to the rank Of Captain, aud &C.
coDpaDed the unfortunate expedition OF lie Cerc to
ST Domingo in ls0l, where undoubtedly he perisbed
Upon ,his state Of facts the death of decedens bus
band ard two brothers will be presumed
To return to ferrie, who had been left, since his
birth in the PyreDDtes:
DuLu1, on bis arrival at Bordeaux, in 1912, imme-
diaey il stiuted investg ston at the solicitation
OF his wife: Ia letter TO her, dated in August. he
says: 81 have written twice 70 st Grons and have
"po. received any Believe, nevertheless, that
"ihe &C dress which you gave me is the one which
"sent."
In September, he informs her, "They have written
"to me from ST. Glrons hope TO have another letter
before leaving which will, perhsps ,ble you {,
receive good news from me And again:
"AI eis has replied to that he is goisg to
make a thorough investigation himself-thst he
lived eight leagues from tue village. On my arr cal
" thou VIII probably know what believe about it"
And yet 8gsiD: There 10 nothing positive TO &C.
quaint thee with about the fate of thy nephew"
Whether definite information WAS received
through A1eie, is uncer ain; at any rate, nothing
further trsnspres until the year 1915, when Madame
Du Lux proceeded 10 France. She visited Bordeaux
and st. Gnons and finally succeeded, in person, in
discovering Feuie.
Hs .tory it, that his first recollectons were of
living in the mountains. The Lower Pyreneee with
country people, where he continued until Madame
Du Lux made her appearance and claimed hun. He
states: She ssd, this 10 my son. 1 come 70 fetch
"bin She sad she had paid great desl Of money,
"snd did lot appear to be pleased with the way
Cooked. She took me away with her.
Madame Du Lux proceeded with Fsrrie to Bor
deaux and having placed him at school left for Paris.
night two succeeding his arrival, Ferrie escsped
sno mace his way back 10 the mountains, and after
serrg ON foot another search for the boy, Madame
Du Lux returned TO New-YoIk.
He, meanwhile, was discovered, brought to 81.
Gnors and placed with Aneie who consented 10 take
charge Of bis education. He thers remained until
l-2l, when Madame Du Lux, having received no in
tsDigence Of him, for several years, though Aneie
wss supplied With funds through Catelsn, Of B)r-
oesux her Suspicious excited that be vas dead,
and travelling agent was commissioned by Ce'elan
10 make inquiries at st Girons. The boy was found,
clothed in rsgs, employed as servant ana ms
ecUcaiion greatly neglected. He ws then sent
10 Bordeaux ana remained IN charge OF NJ Ceeish
until April, 1894 when, 10 escspe The conscnpton 70
which lie would have been exposed by HkiEg tor
passport be was secretly conveyed 70 vessel lying
of Bordeaux and brought - America; be lived With
Mde Du Lux some tine bai dlsagreenenfs soon
broke out between them, sad hey separated rerre
ultimately "a abiised himself az hair dresser ct Cn-
ciIbati be CORE, ponded OCCASIONALLY with the decs
cent and visited her several times at N-wYork; and
thus matters continued until she met with fatal acci
cent ard came her end at the Hospital Of the SIS
ttrs Of Mercy
Wa. Ferrit the nephew or the son of Mde Du Lux
One Of the most remarkable fe,tures of this extra
ordinary case the and fidelity with which cor
respoDderce and documents have been preserved
,oule Of them reaching far back a. l77s Over
enc hundred and fifty letters and papers are before
me, conspibe the history of the parties; and il any.