New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-03-24
TIE DU Lux ESTATE.

Some months ago The TRIBUNE gave an extended
account of the romantic life Of Madame Jeanne ia
Lax of the application Of j. p Ferrie Tor the admin
is,raton OF her property, amounting to about sioO-
ooo and the curious uncertainty of the testimony ad
duced 70 show that he was her son. This uncertainty
wss 50 Great that the Surrogate, the Hon. Alex. W.
Bradford. did not feel justified in basing decision
uron it. lie accordingly appointed a commission con-
ssting of Mcssrs. George Clarence Cram and Charles
T. Whitehead to take further testimony in tse South Of
Frsnce where the lady aud her son-ifindeed Mr. Fer
RE was her son-were born. The Commissioners found,
on attempting to examine the very first witness, tina,
sey had no power to compel evidence and, as their
commission was private and municipal, they could not
claim the support Of the American Minister in Al ap-
pcaton Cor power 10 the supreme authorityn France
The evidence obtained by the commission Is ex-
teedingly contradictory. OF the Massat witnesses,
one old gentleman who knew all Mdle. Jearnes
tenth cousins and in whose fathers house Jeanne was
q servsnt. says that one E.pegnac wn the father OF
her child. A lady Of eghty-two sweers that old Mr..
Espsgnac sent Jeanne away because Master Espagnac
was too intimate with her Other old ladies who
anew her well and her friends, swear that she
was modest girl and reproce In Bert where
Jeanne's mother, the widow, kept tavern anu was
called ola Refine" various gray-haircd men ana
women testified that they knew Jeanne, but were en-
tirely ignorant Of any such man as Ferre. Some oil
them had heard that she had had child. Benoit
Carsiol!e whose mother was q cousin OF Nine. Du
Tux swears that che told his mother that the child
vas illeeitinate IL such the case, Benot Cara
;olle comes in for share of the property. In st.
Girons. Victor Ferrie says that Jeannes child was
horn in that place that its father Valentine Fer
opdfb of ha WAS married
10 her. Various other people know all about it except
the marriage An old soldier who wore the Cross OF
the Legion Of Honor swears that Valentine Fernes
father complained to him that Valentine used to steal
leather to provide money for Jeanne, who was his
bonnie omic, and said that he opposed TO their
being married. He knew Espagnacs family at Bert;
all the boys were very moral. An old maid of eighty
seemed to know most about it. She swears that Val
entne lived with Jeanne as and wife for some
fine before and after the birth Of the boy. The child
wa, born al the house Of Mr. Benoz, and baptized
there, in " Girons The baby was sent to nurse the
morning after its birth, and Jeanne made the bargain
and paid the nurse. She had understood that Valea
fine and Jeanne wanted to be married, but whether
they ever were or not she didn't really know. She
was in Just mement after the boy was born, and Fer
ne sas the,e; cannot tell who paid the expenses.
Jeanne vas often called Nine. Ferre. Catherine Fer
nj CastiloB, sister Of VsNtine, is very that
Valentine was not married to Jeanne at ST. Giron,
ksr father ~ much opposed to it. She was recOg
st.d by the family As the bonnie om,c Of Valentine
ssd not his wife. Her father was very weIl-to do
and Jeanne was q servant. They had child, but she
had heard that the child died right away after 1t
born. Catherine herself not more tlsa ten years
old then Valentine and Jeanne left ST Glrons shout
ths same time, and they might have gone away and
been married Valentine never came back to the
touestead to hive. Her father did not want him 10
many Jeanne. lie would not hear il spoken Of and
void not lot h@ and the rect Of the children 60 tC
zee them; Jeanne good g.rl, and Valentine was
o. Industrious, steady young man.
The Commissioners instituted a search among the
nxriago and birth records in the archives Of the
EsyoTsy Of St. Grons, and succceded in finding the
Allowing unsigned certificate Of publication, under
date q the IL FloreA An VIII May I, 1900, SONY
Whist dslscOd and with the word null written IN
ihe margin.
"Ttis day, the fourteenth F.resl tie yesr ,ghi Of
he French Republic, May I, loo l. the undersgned
municipal agent Of the comm Of 81. GrJns, have
Published aloud, by word Of mouth, before the outer
ard principal door Of the Municipal Hal, W iiov
CennutC.) Of St GirOns IN execution of the law Of
bs twentieth September, seNcntsen hundred AM
tiBety -iW lod styl that Naenun F"ue, nineteen
sesrs Of are son Of BathazN Errric aud OF FrAnrs
fa1es tanner resident 81 81 Girou- aud Jeanne
hart twcsty one year Of Bg' daughter Of Jean
lsar ard Msglslcn RiViere, naive Of ha-sat, resi-
Seat at ST Cirons intend - execute the ar, of tbr
usrisg. on the twentieth Of the current month, a.
tea O'clock in tie morning, before the president of The
GunIcpa administration Of the canton OF ~. GirOns.
And have caused this present publication 10 be-
po.,ed up by copy before the door.
Among tie baPtsmal records was found the follow
ing entry
"BathaEar Pierre Ferie son OF Nslentln AMI Of
Jeanne Ioat was born sul baptised the thr,ieth OF
Iuse, 4 ghteen hundred. Godfather, Bahhsz8r Fer
fk. G,d.mother, Rose Fsnic'
Thsse two records to show that Valentino
made preparations TO marry Jeanne, and us fAtAcr
rEsed such breeze about il that be cid dare @
toald not by Law do II 10 81 G.rOns. The Batha1ar
AZ Roso F,uiS who oficiGtel ss god.parents TO The
sh are probably brother and sister.n law Of Vol
ssns a. he went into business with his brothers after
having he fathers house.
On the whole the question seems about a. far from
tsetloh Ss ever.