The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-03-17
A CASE OF INTERDICTIUN.
"who Shall Decide When Doctors D,..ssess-
Biography Of Defendant Anthony Fernandez

An interesting case is now pendingin the Second
District Court, Judge Duvigneaud, which will soon
be closed, but Is yet creating much Interest among
the creole portion Of our community, TO which
portion of our population the plaintiff and defend
ant belong, who are both well known TO the CON-
munity. The case has already been alluded to in
the CRESCENT at the time it was instituted. NJ.
John McClelland, the plaintiff, who occupiea with
credit the Office of chief of police under Mayor
Monroe until the city of New Orleans fel into
the hands Of the federal authorities during the late
war, petitions the court to order the interdicion
of his maternal uncle, Anthony Fernandez, ,'op the
ground that being possessed of means and; unable
to manage his affairs, great injury will enur> to
his heirs at law.
The defendants history is one full of events and
should have place here. His father, Don Jose
Joaquin Fernandez de Mendoza, an eccentric
gentleman, was born IN Spain. of undoubtedly
noble parentage and arrived in New Orleans in
l779, at which time, according TO his own. state
ment, he was already of age, and died In this city
on the 9TH of August, 1859, or when he was over
one hundred years old. He had seen during his
leng lifetime the double transfer of Louisians to
the French and afterwards TO the United States,
and both he and his son Anthony took part in the
battle Of New Orleans, on the memorable 9Th OF
January, 1915. Until q short time before his
DEATH although weighed down by years aud in6r-
mites. he could be seen daily attending in an old
fashioned house on st. Ann street, between Royal
and Bourbon, to his business, that of undertaken
business which he almost monopolized and ky
which he amassed considerable wealth.
Anthony Fernandez, the defendant in this suit,
was born in this city about the year 1894 and is
consequently about seventy-nve years Id In
his early youth, like his father he was noted for
his eccentricities, and although he received a
good education at the college " Henri Qustre,'a
aalah fad poh fuoff ffnssop a.. II
times were so strange that he was generally
called br0c, the French for " cracked braIneA.h
In the eventfu invasion of the British on Louisiana
soil, Anthony or Tony, as he was Familiarity Called
was "claronetist'' IN the line but what services
he otherwise rendered, If any, we are not advised
OF.
Later his impetuous disposition involved him in
a difficulty at the old Orleans Opera coffeehouse,
during which he dangerously cut his adversary
with penknife. He fed the country and went
TO France, which was then at war with England
and Prussia 10 offer his services to the first Napo-
leon, but arrived just in time to learn of the
Waterloo disaster; whereupon he left In disgust
directing his course toward England, and Is next
heard OF in London Here he figures conspicu-
ously in the famous trial for divorce brought by
the Prince OF Wales, afterwards Prince Regent
and George w.
Anthony was remarkably handsome and withaI
possessed of boldness and courage in his younger
days Of crime which gave him the entrees of the
best circles of the English capital. He was sls-
intimate with the princess when she was on her
Italian, or rather Continental Tour, about which
so much scandal arose, and he was summoned as
witness on the divorce trial. Ii is said that he
received 100000 not to appear as a witness before
the House of Lords, but the assertion is contra
dcted.
ne returned TO Paris ana assuming the title Of
Marquis OF Baratarla," moved in the best So
ciety, being even on familiar terms with the then
Duke of Orleans, afterwards the Inflated Louis
Philippe. His course ran smoothly for some
time until be was betrothed to q rich duchess and
on the point of marrying her, when he was de-
nounced by one Of his intimate friends gentle
man OF this city, who, It is reported, avenged
himself of the vanity displayed by Anthony silce
be had attained his exalted position. by declaring
that there existed no such title that of Marquis
of Barataria.
After this exposure, discounted and ridiculed.
he left Paris once more and returned to New Or.
leans, his former difficulty having been previously
amicably settled. With some thousand dollars
worth of merchandise, he next went TO Durango,
Mexico, where, however, he did not remain long.
having gotten into serious difficulty concerning q
young girl, who it is said. he seduced. which com
PEELED him TO take French leave. After this he
led wandering life, residing at times in Monterey
Tabasco, Tamaulipas, TampIco, and other cities
and towns IN Mexico, and finally returned to his
native home. He now engaged in the auctioneer
business, occupying for many years the basement
OF the 81. Louis Hotel, at the corner Of Charities
street, and was quite successful acquiring a
handsome fortune. short time beforelthe war
be retired from business and when the ouestion of
secession was raised he became violent partisan
OF the South.
Yesterday we were shown telegram sent bv
him 10 the commander Of the Orleans Guard
Battery, stationed at that period of the war at
Grand junction. which evidences his solicitpde for
the Lost Cause" and is in these terms 4 "Be-
ware of counterfeit cartrdges.- But upon the
advent OF the Beast, we find him bitter Radical.
and one of the Brute's constant advisers which
ne could wei be, knowing, as he did, every body
ana every thing 10 and about New Orleans. From
that moment he has been working hard for the
hopors of his turn-coat abilities, and recently was
Radical candidate before the Legislature for
senatorial honors, In which, however, he was
shsmefully ignored by his colored friends. This
defeat, We are told by gentleman who ASSERTS it
positively, was the immediate cause Of the DEM
entia mention In the petition in the suit for inter-
dicton.
The blow, at all events, was a severe one. and
IN Oh gust be again traced his course towards Paris
IN search, possibly, of diversion at the grand Ex-
position, then going on. He had been in Paris
tor month or two when he was taken suddenly
Ill with Rout, and sought admittance into bne Of
the nl0as0ns de s0fste of the French capital.
Here, it Is said, he became acquainted with
an attendant, named Claudene Bedault, o superb
woman. OF the meridional type, who won his
heart at the mature age Of 73. He returned with
her TO this city some months ago as his mistress.
although he introduced her To his friends as his
legitimate wife.
short time after his arrival here, the couple
"Nnt cfSi Nhc iaho " soA2C watering place. Eler0
be was one day, while walking in the street struck
with an apoplectic ft, which nearly cost him his
NE. II was then that they were married. and ru-
NOR has 1t that at the time he was mentally unable
TO take care of himself. and returned recently az
the petitioner in interdiction AYERS In condition of
mind TO justify the belief that he Is incapable of
managing his affairs before the suit in interditou.
The case is now occupying the Second District
Court In the evening almost daily, and several ply
sieians have been summoned TO testify. Including
Doctors Borde, FACET, Bsyon. Landry, Delery and
Durel, some OF whom disagree totally in their tes-
nmony as to the question of mental alteration.
All the physicians named, except DR.. Landry, as
sert that Anthony possesses an excellent MEMORY
Of past events but not present ones, DR.. LSndrv
Affirming ''in all the visits have paid defendantI
have not noticed the least indication (indidel OF
mental alteration" DR.. FACET, one of the abiest
physicians in this city, has filed a voIumno5s re-
port upon the subject. Dr.. Borde gives In SUP.
port OF his opinion that he called at the residence
OF the defendant some time ago and handed him
seventeen dollars, which he told Fernandez was
the amount Of the rental of one OF his (Feinsn-
oez's) houses, and asked of him receipt therefor
Fernandez m a "a int fo-