Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-12-04
CAROLINE DELAMARTER.
HUNG BUT NOT DEAD.

with very snort anu IemdIhhoi9 y"
correct sketch OF a case that occurred
in France in 1776; the story going tha
young girl hung for robbery was re
suscitated by the surgeon to whom bel
body had been given, and afterWaro
proved her innocence Of the crime fol
which she had suffered. The circum'
stances given were that the girl was in
the service of q man who sought her
destruction. and, having failed in this
mode, revenged himself by secretly
placing in her trunk some of his own
property, and then accusing her of rob-
berry. We noted the inaccuracy OF this
version at the time of its publication
but thought the occurrences referred to
were too remote to justify us in using
our space TO correct our hasty cotempo-
rary. As the misstatement has been
extensively copied, however, the matter
assumes sufficient Importance to merit
an authentic revisal at our hands, and
we give it.
The story Of Caroline Delamartre's s
swell authenticated resuscitation after
hanging" reads so much like ro-
nance, that one might take it for the
work of Sue, Dumas, or Sand, were il
not recorded among the many volumed
reports of = Ecole de Meaiein, whence
it has been translated into English more
than once. If we mistake not, one Of
the London Magazines published it
some ten years ago, the translator re-
marking, in note, that its general tone
was far more English than French
The Magazine made quite long semi
love story of it, but we take the liberty
condensing it down to what are known
to be facts.
Caroline Delamartre lin 1916 was
the only daughter of "poor but honest
parents" in one OF the Loire Province,
and supported herself by working as
vintager, until middle aged gentleman
from Paris, who was travelling through
the grape districts for his health. saw
her and was fascinated by her blooming
beauty. Learning by inquiry that her
parents were poor, he went to them and
offered TO adopt and educate their
daughter. He represented himself TO
be a bachelor OF handsome means, and
said that though Caroline would be
obliged to take the position of a servant
in his household for the sake Of her
character, he would treat her as a
daughter in all material respects, and
see that she had good husband and
comfortable do#ry. Furthermore, he
agreed to give her parents handsome
present down, and allow them Smali
pension while they lived. The poor
old people were 10th to lose their daugh-
ter; but finally agreed to let her decide
for herself. Caroline was undoubtedly
a very affectionate daughter, but she
had never seen Paris. The gentleman
gave her description of the city's
grandeur, and she hesitated no longer.
So the old bachelor took the pretty
vintager home with him, and installed
her as his servant apparently, his ward
really. We find no reason to doubt
that thus far, his actions were purely
disinterested-his desire or fancy being
TO rescue the beauty from obscurity in
the Province, and make her worthy of
his fatherly parentage in Paris; but all
men are weak (more or less when
there's woman in the case, and the old
bach fell in love with Caroline before be
knew it. The death of her parents left
her completely dependent on him, and
1t was then that he asked her to become
mistress of the establishment in which
she had been serveant. The offer
was brilliant--a generous one, but "love
sees not with the eyes, but with the
mind" and as Caroline had already
fallen in love with poor medical stu
dent, she mildly, but firmly, denied her
master.
Disappointed affection makes tempo
rary villains of the best OF us, and when
Monsieur's suit was rejected, he turned
villain and plotted deep revenge. So
pertensciously did he annoy Caroline,
that she finally fed from his house,
with the determination of going back
to her native place. Foot sore and
weary, she had gone but few miles
from Paris. when she was arrested on
charge OF robbiug her master of certain
teaspoons. and hurried back. With
tears and prayers, she protested her in
nocence, but the police found the spoons
in her trunk (where the old man had
secretly placed them and her doom was
sealed. Immense crowds attended her
trial, and her youth and beauty excited
much sympathy. but her crime appear
ed proven; her description of her mas
ter's loving proposals, and subsequent
anger was disbelieyed, and she was
condemned to be hanged. Her execu-
tion took place; and after the body oI
the unfortunate girl had hung for the
usual number of minutes, it was deliv-
cred to q worthy surgeon. The latter
carried his prize to his operating-room
a short distance from Paris. and having
placed It upon the dissecling table and
prepared it for the scalpel, proceeded
to make ready his instruments. While
thus engaged he was startled by a deep
drawn sigh from the corpse-then an
other-and then Caroline opened her
beautiful eyes and stared at him with
an expression of horror. In moment
the excited surgeon threw away his in
s.rumepts and applied such restoratiyes