Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-04-05
THE SHAw-C 'RSTANG CASE-THE
DEMl.NONDE OF AMERICA.
From the ". Y. Herald

DEMI.NONDE OF AMERICA.
From the N Y. Herald.
The plaintiff, Miss Efie Carstang, was, it
seems, very respectfully connected and prop
srly connected Her early associations were
not, as it would seem from the evidence of the
most rigidly virtuous character. After numer-
Gus smOrous adventures in Brooklyn, Charles
ton, S. c., and elsewhere, as it is alleged, she
made the acquaintance Of Mr.. Shaw, who seems
to be one Of the new rich men Of the day, and
made 50 by the rapid development of the re-
sources Of the Great West. Mr.. Shaw, a per-
well stricken in years, is fascinated by
Miss Carstang; he gives her many valuable
presents, and finally pops the momentous
question. He is accepted; the preparations for
the wedding are made. Miss Ellie already sees
herself presiding over the palatial mansion of
her octogenarian adorer, when he suddenly
breaks the slken tie and leave: the lady to
the solitary delights of spinsterhood
This is terrible. Such perfdy should be
punished. The injured and unprotected fe-
male rushes to the temple of justice and cries
for damages, damages damages, He has
much money, this Shaw-let him disburse lib
take up the affair. Next to divorce case,
breach of promise actions are the best things
going for the bar. If the parties have any
social standing whatever, all the details are
reported, and the counsel got fine advertise
ments for nothing. They sometimes take cases
cf this kind as people rent farms on shares,
and recall TO the irreverent mind the evidence
Of Mr.. Weller in the celebrated Bardell vs.
Pickwick case, to the effect that the plaintiff
expressed her admiration at the conduct of her
attorneys, who acted uncommon handsome"
in saying that they would not charge a cent
unless they got damages out Of Mr.. Pickwick.
In the present case Mr. Pickwick suffered
heavily. The intelligent jury sworn for the
drst time, awarded to Miss Csrstang SlOO, ,OOO
The defendant succeeded in getting a new
trlal, and commission was appointed to take
testimony as to Miss C.'s reputation, and to
investigate more particularly into the facts
connected with her adolescent chaps This in
QUESTION was composed of delegates from the
counsel on either side and its mem bers tray
eled from place to place. examining n very
great number of witnesses 1t will be noticed
that the privilege Of cross examination was ac-
corded to the plaintiffs counsel, so that the
dePositiOns taken by the lawyers were of co ual
court.
All OF the evidence that could be printed has
been laid before the public, and the inference
from the perusal of it and verdict of the Jury
Is that the PLAINTIFF character was not, to use
the mildest term that occurs to US, immacu-
late. If all the evidence is true, Miss Cars
tang love affairs have been very numerous
She has had, according to the witnesses flirta-
uons without number; of serious intrigues
not few have fallen to her lot; she has been
several times afianced, but never welded; and
more than once detected in peculiarly per-
picking predicaments with persons of the op-
poslte sex. The array Of evidence on the de-
tendant side 1st have been very strong to
have overthrOwn Miss Cars:angs case Put
twelve intelligent American citizens in Jury
box. Place them before pretty woman in
distress and rich man who has, as alleged,
promised marriage and then basely deserted
her when her things were all ready, and the
intelligent jurymen, unless the facts are each
as solid as a sixty-four pound shot, give the
pretty woman swingeing damages, and go home
TO their dinners with the proud consciousness
of having done their duty to lovely woman
in difficulty.
That was the sentiment of the Jury in the
hrst trial of the Carstang suit, but the panel
for the second examination of the affair has
been obdurate. The jurors evidently believe
from the testimony, that the plaintiff belongs
to what is politely known as the demi -monde, a
French term for class of women very we'll
known abroad, and not altogether a stranger
IN some circles in the United States. The best
defuitiOn Of the demi-n,onde woman extant is
given In the play of NJ. Dumas fills, by the ia
nous comparison Of the peaches the fruit as
1t is exposed to view in the basket looks all
alike, but here and there you find specimen
with suspicious spot under the skin-nOt a
large spot, but still spot. The unsound
peaches represent the demt -mOnae women who
are clever, handsome, well-bred, cultivated,
agreeable, and so On-but they have the taint
The 6eHst-mOnde woman has no Affections
she has only appetites she has no heart-only
a sort of air-pump; her rule of life is founded
upon interest tables. The question Of money
ID the only vital matter with her. She is a
gambler, and her game varies according to
the circumstances and surroundings Of her VIC
tins.
In some cases she has been suspected of mur-
der; in others she has led on her prey, step by
step, until he has been comfortably lodged in
the penitentiary; but in the majority of cases
the operations of this interesting and important
class of the community are only known to the
parties interested The breach of promise
dodge Is favOrite one with the deli-m0Ude
but such cases, in this section of the country
rarely ever come before the courts. The victim
prefers to pay roundly, rather than make him
self ridiculous. Tae operations of the demi-
MONDE woman are so infinitely various that
they could not be enumerated in a moderate
sized volume She is to society what the lobby
Is to polltics-a genteel pirate, with the black
flag constantly nailed to the mast
We must do tho common street woman the
justice to say that she is not acknowledged by
the Eemi-monde. That interesting class re-
CARDS the iorette with degree of holy horror,
compared to which the virtuous indignation of
ancient maidens and venerable dowagers is
extremely mild. No, the deni- monde woman
may be found oftentimes at the tables or in the
salons OF very nice people; not unfrequently
she has pew in fashionable church and at
tends to her religious duties with rigid regu-
larity. The demt-monde woman lives every
where. She has grown a social excrescence out
of French novels and the hotel or boarding
house system, which has deprived at least two
thirds Of the Northern and Western States and
half Of that Of the Southern, of anything like
4 home.
Many young women are brought up to the
belief that they are only to know how to dress,
dine, dance and firt so as to catch rich hus-
band They lay plans accordingly; if they
land their fish and it turns out badly, they
hoist their colors and take out letters of maruue
against Wall street. If they fail, they resort to
bullying, and sometimes subsequently to law.
1t is not for US to say whether or not Miss
Carstang belongs to the deni- monde. The jury
seemed to think so, and the evidence has GER
tai9}1 a very ugly look.
A FIGHTIyG COUNTRY.-A citizen of Mem
phis, Tenn, has just returned from trip to
Arkansas, and tells the following, which will
convey an idea Of how they do up matters in
that State: