The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-12-30
TIE ROMANCE or THR AGE,
Deliberate Suicide Of Dr.. Demme
and his Bride in Lake Geneva,
Last Letters to their Parents,

Us through the medium of French yer
sion, and something Of the tenderness
and pathos Of the originals must inevitbly
have evaporated in the process Of trans
fusing the expressions Of 30 much suffer
ing and affection from the emotional ani
almost caressing and Teutonio speech int
the more exact and glittering phrases o.
the Gallo tongue. -
But read even at two removes, they viii
be felt to be touching record of human
feeling. wrought up to An unexceptional
point Of intensity BY the pressure Of cir.
cumstances in an extraordinary degree
peculiar and agoniIng.
We need scarcely recapitulats the story
OF which letters heralded the tragic de-
movement.
Accused Of comprising the death BY poison
Of friend of whose daughter he was the
betrothed husband, Dr.. Hermann Dem
me, az our readers viii recollect, Wa
acquitted BY Bernese jury after trial
made more than commonly painful and
interesting BY the strange conduct of the
deceased mans wife, tho mother Of the
affiancied bride of the accused. This
lady, Madame Ttumpy, publicly charged
herself with having lived in criminal re-
lations with DR.. Demme, and with having
moved him to commit the deed With which
he was charged.
Neither Of these confessions was sub
stantiated by the evidence; and they mus.
be added to the list of those instances OF
moral hysteria which constitute not the
least remarkable chapter in the annals OF
human psychology.
DR.. Demme, however, while acquitted
of the charge of murder, was declared by
the jury to have been guilty of culpable
dereliction of duty as a physician in fail
ing to declare at the time Of N. Trumpy e
death that the deceased, his patient, had
taken poison.
The most eminent mea Of science in
Switzerland had testified on the trial OF
Demme to his great merits as scientific
physician, and also to the almost morbid
devotion which he had shown from his
earliest youth to an exalted ideal of pro-
fessional excellence and professional honor.
The modification inflicted upon this
trait OF his character seems, in connection
with the conduct of Madame Trumpy, and
the generally nnaddening circumstances of
the whole case, to have profoundly de-.
pressed the unhappy young hero Of this
most unhappy drama.
He turned for relief to his bride elect,
but only to meet with new vexations.
The guardian Of Flora Trunpy vehement
ly opposed the marriage of his ward, and
the family Of Or. Demme himself do not
seem to hsve looked with favor upon
his alliance with the daughter Of worse
than dissipated father, and mother who,
if not maniac, must clearly be set down
as something worse than a maniac.
Driven quite to despair by this fresh
complication in their destiny, the lovers
suddenly left Berne, aad passing by Frey
burg to Bulle and Nevey, took small
boat at Ouchy, near lausanne, and row.
ing out on the lake OF Geneva, buried
themselves and their sorrows forever be-
meath its placid waters.
The following letters mark the stations
of this most tragical pilgrimage:
FRBYBuRo, Nov. Is. 1864
posted fonr days later at Lausannc.)
DEAR PARENTS AND BROTHERS IL know
well that the news of my death, which this let
ter bears to you, will cause you fearful pain
But know, too, that the unalterable love you
bear to me- will secure for me the pardon
which I now beg Of you. The stop which this
letter tells you have taken has not been taken
lightly, but upon calm reflection and after care
full examination of all the circumstances.
My existence Is shattered By the terrible
events of this past year. ...
did not wish to turn my back ON the battle.
l resolved to see my conscious innocence vic
toriously established, despite the terrible CON-
phcatl0nS which have come to pass; and to this
end perseyered as long as my honor and that
Of my family were threatened. But could
never recover from the wOand uniuetly inflict-
ed upon my medical honor by the tribunal
My enemies were not content with oil the
misery which has this year overwhelmed me-
They have prosecuted me down to the last
| moment, and have even sought to tear from
| me her who has loyalty borne up with me
through all the storm, and whom Ihave vainly
implored to leave me now. l declare that
could never have been happy after what [ have
suffered that the honor of our name Is safe
| that so far Us l have been free to do have
| given my life, not to dissipation, but to con
scientious labor. These considerations, dea
parents, should be to you consolation.
izing to me. But it must be! Oh! receiv,
my gratitude for the love you have shown me
the sacrifices you have made for me, and for
give me the sorrow 1 have caused you. u
not lament US, for we have been faithful In on
love till death. ..t
ssMy dear parents, I leave to you oil that
possess, and beg of you to give only souven;
of me to each of my true friends. Give to m
brothers something which may be useful t
each of them. beg you to give my collet
ton Of pathological anatomy to the CITY {
Wurzburg-the city in which my dear fathe
passed the most important years of his life. an
which has always been dear to me: send wit
it q few serious and kindly words; send m
manuscript to B, and beg him to fin
some one who can continue and complete It.
In case my father should have worthy su
cessor In his clinical chair DR.. Demme, ST.,
one OF the leading professors at Berne In Il
university bequeath my galvano- plastic o.
paratus to the university; otherwise let 10
family keep 1t. is cAl4i 5-.Ii q
To my mother, with my hearts farewell,
leave the clock which has measured out Il
weariest hours of my life. You will understar
that ct this solemn moment cannot recall
/ would wish done; trust In the thourhtft
!. ness Of my parents to fulfil all that / forget
mention.
II, dear parents and brothers, you will pr
| tect my memory; II In the steps I take you VI
sec, not an oct Of cowardice, bat the dete