American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-08-25
A FEARFUL TRAGEDY.
A Man Shoots his wife in the Public
Streets.


Las. evening occurred one Of those ter
rible tragedies in real life, which, for fear
fulness of intensity, suIpasses the concep-
ticns Of the dramatist sod reveal the terri
BILE eaInestness which often exists beneath
an exterior the most frivolous and aban-
doned.
We publish the facts in the order Of their
occurrence.
A young man whose name it appears
from papers found on him, is Thomas Eu-
gene De Marbsis, has had wife named
Blanche, living in house of assignation
on Plum street above Fifth. From hia
papers, and from his declarations to the
Coroner, we learn that five times has he
attempted to kill both himselfand his wife,
It would also appear that be married hsr
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 ]
come and see you? await an answer on
the corner cannot exist with out seeing
you. Let me come-must see you very
soon. Oh, Blanche! Blanche! Blanchel
Blanche! l am very repentant. Comel
coIne!I cannot live without seeing you"
We can't say whether he sent dupli-
cate Of it. About II O'Clock last night he
called at the house on Plum street and de-
sired to see ber. She was up stairs in
bed. She came down to see him and be
to Id her he wanted to walk out with her,
and said be, II am going to kill you."-
She said she wasn't afraid, and they went
out.
2 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 Eigth
streets.
They immediatel " ran TO the corner, and
there saw De Marbais and Blanche at tie
door Of Brookfeld's S Marble yard. Blanche
was sitting up quietly, while he was
stretched at full length on the pavement,
apparently dead.
Mr. William De Beck of the County
Auditors Office who accompanied the po-
lice, caught young man by the shoulder,
saying 81 have got you SIR" De Mar
bsis spoke up: "There is no oneto blame
but me. | did it." Policeman McGrew
went to Blanche and assisted her to se
She said II came out to die" Then she
exclaimed in agony, "Oh my daughter!
Oh my daughter!" Mr.. MoGrew asked
her where her daughter was. She said
she was with the Marshe Troupe, and up
on being removed, as she was forthwith,
to the Ninth street Station House, she took
off splendid jet cross tipped with gold,
kissed it, and desired it TO be sent to her
daughter Adele.
Upon examining them at the Station
House, itw 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-ihch
pocket pistois, of Aliens patent, which he
said he had purchased yesterday morning
and loaded for this express pupose.
As he was lying in the Station House
Doctor Carey informed him of the proba-
bility of his recovery. He said, "If live
| want you 10 hang me for this damnable
deed-ior shooting the wife l love SO
we'll"
They were removed 10 the Hospital,
where be said that before they came out
they bad taken 80 grains of Morphine, di-
vided it into two portions, dissolved it in
water, and drank it.
blanche is a young woman of beauty
and has sweet countenance. 1t is thought
she is French
. De Marbsis is 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 lettei
belonging to the literature Of suicide and
death, more remarkable and touching, than
this which we give first:
CINo1NNATf, Ohio, Aug. 16, 1859
Ny DEAR WIFE:-Should you survive
what is intended as your death blow.
trust you win forgive me for not being a
better shot. To say that / have loved you
} would be only to corroborate what all who
know me, know full WELL, That Inow
love you better than ever, this fearfu steI
1 give as proof. Deathin preference to
IlVS) OelDS shlu cauSeu Jou w iFo 'ne
life you are leading. We were happy till
it was marred by inter, ,meddlihg, would
be friends, both in Philsdelphia and this
city particularly. do not wish it to be
understood that this letter is any way or
manner to exonerate me in the dreadful
tradegy attempt. 1t is simply to enlight-
on the few thousands who are ready TO
condemn unheard and untried the uufor-
tunate ones ofthis cold world. 1t is un-
necessary to enter into the particulars Of
how we met and were married., as the GER
tifeate smong our papers will certify to.
I will simply say we knew and understood
the Importance Of what we were about
When / could get work, ! worked, and il
was my great pleasure to give you all my
, earnings, little as they were. True, in
: the early days Of our marriage you were
true to me, and like an angel you never
deserted me through greater nlsfortnnes
than want. Now the public Of this cold
hearted city, refuses me employment, and
we are comparatively destitute.
d You prefer, here follows the words
, "No matter" with mark of erasure
through them,-REP. Ny dear. dear