The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-01-07
THE ROMANCE OF THE AGE,
Finnlc Ofllie Great Erumpy.Dcm-
lnc Gis>e-I.as1 Act Of the IrG.c.
Iy-EDelifscF-:sfc suicide Of hIr.
DenlHnc and Bride in Lake &c.
From the S-y. York World. Dc,enber.l7:h.


DeInme and his betrothed bride, Flora, to
their parents, before their joint suicide ia the
Lake Geneva, have been published in the
Swiss Journals. They teach us through the
medium o! :. French version, and something
OF the tenderness and pathOs of the originals
must IucvItaJ.: have eyap1rated IN the pro-
cess of transferring the expression OF So mUcl!
suffering and affection from the emotional
and almost caressiHg Teutonic speech into
the more exac; and Sli.tering phrases of the
GAliIc tongue.
But read even at two removes, they will he
felt to De 4 touching record OF human feel
ing, wrought up to an exceptional point ot
intensity 10y the pressure Ut circumstances III
an extraordinary degree peculiar and agoniz-
ing
We need scarcely recapitulate the story Of
which these letters her:.Idcd the tragic de-
uoLcmeHt.
Accused of comprising the death by poison
OF !. friend Of whose daughter he was tie be-
trothed husband. DR.. HERMANN Demne. Is
readers will rccolicct. WIS acquitted 10y :.
Bernese jury. after a trial made more than
commonly painful an! Interesting hy the
strange cUnduct OF the deceased man wife,
the mother Of the ail!anced iri!e II the
cuscd. This iady, Madame irumpy. pubicly
charged herself with having lived III criminal
relation with Dg. Demme. and with having
moved him to commit the deed with which tie
was charged.
Neither oc these confessions vas substan-
;iateJ b. the evidence; and Ji.ry mast be adj
dei To the lis, ri those instances OF moral
hysteria, which constitute noi the leas,
:narhable chapter III tie annals Vi human
psychology.
DR.. Dcmme. however. was acquitted Of tie
charge OF murder. was declared by the iury
to have beea GUILTY OF a cup,.lle dereiicI',u
OF duty. ptyslc!an. III failing to decars
at the ;ine oi u Trumpgs death. the 4 =
ceased. has patient. n,... t.,.;ca poison.
The nIost ,.l in-!.' men O. se.rcc IL -#..2
erland. had testified ta,.- ira, of ,pru.ue.
IL his sr-:,j HIrf!.> ,-ieHt tic physician.
aud ais, the a.inc>i morbid Devotion ws,,n
he had shown from his earliest youth. To a.!
exalted ide,. OF professional excellence and
professional honor.
The modification Inflicted upon this trial
of his character seems, III connection with
tie conduct %. Madame Iramgr. and the
general maldcuiug circumstances Of the
whole case. 10 hay, profoundly depressed the
unhappy youu. hero Of this most unhappy
drama.
He turned for relief to lis bride-eIect, Ju.
only'tn meet with new yeXations. The guar
au Of Flora Trumpy vehcmen;y opposed
the marra-r q lis ward, and the fam \ @.
DIR. u nrilp Go r1, sees. - have looked with
favor upon his alliance with tie dan ghter Of
a worse than dissiiated father. and mother
who, II not maniac, must c.eair be So;
down rs somethiU. worse than :. maniac.
Driven quite to despair hv this fresh com
plicaton il. ;heir destiny, tie lovers sudden
Is lei, Berne, and passing by freyjerg TO
Bulie and Vevay, took = small boat at Ouchy,
7 ,r,1 .i,a l.l-
Of Geneva. buried themselves and their sor-
rows forever beneath lis placid waters.
The following letters marx the stations Of
this most tragic..l Pi-rimage:
FREYBEEG. November i, lS6i.
Posted four days later, al Lausanne.
DEAR PARENTS AND BROTHERS: ! know
well that the news Of M death. which this
letter bears YOU, viii cause You fearful pain.
DuI know. 90, that the unaiterabic love you
bear me Will secure .or me the pardon which
| now beg Of you. The steps which thu let
ter tells vou | have taken. las not been taken
lightly, but upon calm reflection. and after :.
careful examination ut all the circumstances.
Nv existence IS shattered By the terrible
events OF the past year.
dill not wish to turn my back Oh the bat
tie. | resolved TO see ms conscious iuno-
cence victoriJusly eStaLiis ed. despite the ter
rible complications which have come to pass
and To this end | pcrSevcred rs long aS my
honor and that OF my family were threatened
Bui / could uevcy recover from the wound
unJustiy inflicted upon my medical honor by
the iIibana!.
NJ enemies were not content with all the
misery winch has this year overwhelmed the.
They have pcrsccUtcd down :" the last mo-
ment and have even sou ghJ To te ar from me
her who has so lovaliy borne up with me
through the storm. and whom have warmly
implurcd 10 leave me now. | declare that |
could never have been happy after what !
have suffered that the honor of our name IS
safe: that. 50 far as have been free 10 do So,
have given my lie 10 conscientious "a
Dor. These considerations. my dear parents.
should he 10 You Il consolation.
Nv partin" from YOU has been terribly ago
MIXING 10 me. But it must be, On receive
my gratitude for the love YOU have shown me,
the sacrifices you have made for me. and tor
give me the sorrow ! have caused YOU. Do
not lament us for We have been faithful IN our
love till death
Ny dear parents, leave YOU all that pos
sess. and beg OF you only To give s0ncemir
OF Ine TO each OF MY true friends. Give TO
nv brothers somc;hiu" which NAV be useful
to them. beg YOU to give my collection Of
pathological anatomy To the City of Wurz-
bdt III N-eN "liltII '.tsii iI!4'l idHSC't
the most important wears Of his lie: send
with it = few serious and kindly Words
Send my manuscript to B. and beg him
to iiuG some one who can continue and com
plete It.
In case my father should have worthy sue
ccssor in his clinical chair DR.. Demme, SEN
Tor. is one OF the leading Professors at Berne,
in the University | bequeath my galvano-
plastic apparatus to the University; otner-
wise let my father keep it.
TO my mother, with my hearts farewell, |
leave the clock which has measured ont the
wearicst hours OF my life. Iou will under
stand that in this solemn moment | can not
recall all that would wish done; | trust in
the ihoughtfuness OF my parents to fulfill all
that forget to mention.
IT, dear parents and brothers. YOU will pro
tectmy memory; itiu the steps have taken you
will see, not al act Of cowardice, but the de
termined action Of an incJrably wounded
man. shall be satisfied
fhave patiently borne all that is most fear
fct to bear. l have never trembed. My
death. now that my innocence has been estab
llshed, can give rise to 10 sinister interpreta
tions. Forgive me, then, Would that
might have taken the pardon of all you with
me. This might not be! Dear parents
farewell. May you find strength to bear,,.hi:
news, and not be crushed By il. Preserve
yourselves, dear parents, for my brothers, wht
70 much need you. and remember with love
HppuAwv