The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-07-26

he buried there by the side of his friend Ugo
Foscolo. The coffin was granted to him, but his
remains were not sent to London. He expressed
in his will still another desire. to.wit: that a gold
watch, worth eight hundred francs, might be pur-
chased and given to Jules Fayre, who had defend
ed him. inc then procureur general, Chuix q Es'
tango, caused this wish too TO be fulfilled, and
believe Jules Favre is wearing that watch all the
time. Orsini preserved in his last moments the
same tranquility and composure which he had
shown during the whole of his Imprisonment. As
'regieides,' he and Pieri had TO ascend the scat
fold barefooted and their heads shrouded in black
Grape. On the way thither, Pieri began TO sing
the hymn, Mourn pour la Patrie but 0rsini
rebuked him in gentle words and exhorted him to
be quiet and composed. Pieri's head fell first.
0rsini gazed at it for moment, and shouting out,
'Vive PItalie Tive la France' he laid his head
under the AK
Permit me to close this not exactly very merry
conversation by relating curious case, :" said an
artist who was among the guests. You muse
have heard oftentimes of Lays, the opera singer.
This singer who enjoyed considerable and we'll
merited celebrity toward the close of the eigh-
teenth century left q daughter who married the
historical painter Dupavillon, pupil of David's.
and a son who obtained TO gain fame and rches,in
the career of bis father. Dupavillon the painter,
avery excellent artist, was in feeble health, and
soon was unable to work in his profession, so that
be was coon in an embarrassed condition, which
the Society of Fine Arts tried to alleviate as much
as possible. His brother in.law, Lays, who loved
his art, but was destitute of talent, soon like
wise in reduced circumstances and, although he
was neither painter nor a sculptor. he was sup
ported by our society as q member of Dupavil-
Ions family. Before long, however, a still worse
fate was 10 befsll this unfortunate man, a rumor
spreading like wild fire that, during the Reign of
Terror, he had officisted on the scsfOd assis-
tsnt of the executioner. He was relieved as here.
tofore, but no artist would see him; no one would
come In personal contact with him. He had
already written several letters TO our president
nd IN tho fOnndar af tha Of orfia
Baron Taylor, requesting an interview; bat the
baron, in spite of his well known kind hearted.
ness, could not prevail upon himself to visit a
man upon whom such suspicion rested. Many
years passed in this manner, until Taylor, pro-
foundly moved by the heart.rendering letters of
the old singer, at length resolved to visit him.
Z" Il am the victim of a terrible Suspicion he
said to the baron, and know what has given rise
to it. My father was on friendly terms with
Samson, who, il is well known, was an ardent
lover Of music. Samson gave a great many
soirees, and my father sang at his house with.
out ever accepting any remuneration at the
hands of his friend. Sanson's family and mine
were in constant intercourse, and after the death
of Samson and my father, Ssnson's son often
gave me money. But swear by the Almighty
God that the suspicion which has been weigh.
ing me down for so many years past and made
me an outcast, is untterly groundless.'
'Baron Taylor, il is true, was convinced Of
the sincerity of the poor man, bat he required
still more irrefutable proofs. Hence, he repaired
on August "a 1854, to Samson, who, you know,
had been dismissed in lS47; and Samson wrote
him at once certificate, in which he declared
that Lays had never been in the service, that
the assistants of the executioner we're appointed
by the minister Of justice. that they received
their salary from that functiOnary, and that
meme but relatives Of the execu iUner were APP
pointed to that position.
"Tbe minister of justice told the baron the
same thing, and thus the poor man was relieved
from the disgrace that had weighed him down
for over twenty years past.
"Pars is the most interesting city on earth"
said the artist, closing his narrative. mo ro-
msncist is able to invent as thrilling events as
take place here every day, and | am justified in
saying that the truth here is often by no means
probable,D