Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-22
Suicide OF M. PARADOL.


Courier-Journal.] ~
WASHINGTON, July 20.--Washington
was shocked early this morning. by the
announcement that M. Lucien Avatole
Provost Paradol, the new French Minis
ter, was suicide, having shot himself,
shortly after midnight, in his own room
at the newly-established quarters of the
LEGATION, No. 900 New York avenue.
The circumstances attending it show
that il was cool, premeditated act even
in the purchase Of the deadly weapon
early on yesterday and in the writing of
note several days since to his valet,
which was not to be opened till certain
time. and in mere memorandum left
on his table last night, the latter reading
thus:
al kill myself, Je Me 7eue. M. Ber-
theny come back and stay.
"PARADoL."
After a brief visit to the Secretary Of
State, yesterday, M. Paradol returned TO
his residence, and, lying down, con-
plained of the excessive heat. Scol
after he rose and went down to n he :
ware store ON Pennsylvania avenue, near
Tenth street, where he purchased a
single-barrel cartridge pistol, being the
mate to another which he had purchased
there in the forenoon, about III clock.
His conversation with the clerk was in
English and entirely rational, and re-
lated simply to the price of the pistols
The clerk who sold them observed moth
ing out of the way with him when he
called last, or when he came with COM
panion the first time. From this store
he returned at once to his residence and
retired between 3 and 10 o'clock. The
only inmates of the house besides him
self were French servant man and his
housekeeper, Mary Walters. The latter
states that at IL o'clock she retired, and,
in going TO her room, stepped to the door
of that occupied by the Minister, and
said:
Monsieur, is there anything that you
needg
He replied, Nothing"
Il hope you will rest well, she added,
and hereplied, " hope so.
Everything seemed quiet in the house
till few minutes past one o'clock this
morning, when quick, sharp sound of a
pistol came from the minister's room.
1t brought both servants at once to his
apartment on the second floor, where
CHASTITY sight met their eyes. NJ. Para
dol Law in the center of the room on his
back, with his right hand back of his
head, and his right. leg drawn up, his
night shirt, the only garment he had on,
being crimson with blood, which was,
also, running over his person on the car
pet. He was addressed by the fright
ened attendants, but made no reply,
having died In moment after he fired
the shot. An exploded pistol lay on the
floor, and on the bureau was its mate,
with cartridge beside it. The two
frightened servants, being total strangers
in the city, knowing no one, hardly the
street they were on, did not give the
alarm for some time, when physician
was summoned, who, of course, could do.
nothing more than examine the wound,
which was half an inch above the heart,
and necessarily instantly fatal.
1t appeared that he had not fully re-
tired to bed, but merely laid down, and
then sat on its side, as if he had been in
o meditatiye mood. He must have shot
himself while standing in the center of
the room, with his back to the fireplace,
aud falling toward his bed.
The remains have been embalmed, and
will await the wishes of Mr.. Bertheny,
the late French Minister, who has been
recalled here from New York while on
his return 20 Rurops, A dispatch with
details of the event, was sent during the
forenoon to Grammont, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs at Paris.
The direct cause ofthis terrible tragedy
is not definitely known, but is ascribed
quite correctly to many sources. twas
stated In these dispatches on Monday
that NJ. Paradol was i'll from the extreme
heat of the weather, to which he was un-
accustomed, and to which he had exposed
himself good deal. Yet he insisted in
going out contrary 70 the protest Of his
housekeeper, whoBarned him Of such ex-
posure. but his mind was i'll at ease. The
sudden war in France, which country he
left peaceful on July q his iaexpeFienee
in diplomatic MATTERS, the fear that he
had made serious error in praising NJ
Theirs to a Senator only to learn the
next day that the latter had come out in
denunciation Of Napoleon's course, the
fact that he had been understood at the
While House 20 say that he had official
dispatches itom FRANCE when he rseeiyed
none but meant to refer to the news dis
patches, were all matters which seemed
TO weigh on his sensitive mind. Ate
his interview with Secretary Fish c
yesterday, he seemed TO fear that he
said something without diploma c
bounds; indeed the prevailing tenor of
his mind since Saturday last seems TO
have been fear that everybody had not
comprehsnded big meaning and tAis'
too, on fhe face Of the fact that he spoke |
English fuently and conversed with
Senator Sumner and Secretary Fish in
Frepeb, These feelings, accelerated by |
nervous prestrati0n ana eyeitenent in |
the end produced that temporary aherra- |
ton Of mind that led him to take his
own life.
M. Paradol was widower, his wife /
having died some FIVE years ago. He |
lesgsS daughter sixteen years Of age !
and son ten years Of age, both of whom |
are at Newport, having left here on Sat |
urday last for that watering-place. The |
Minister himself was born in 1925, and
was admitted 70 the French Academy at
the early age Of thirty'six. As Jour.
nalist his chief distinction was won in
the columns Of the Journal des Debats,
with which he had been connected many
years. During the civil war in this
country, he distinguished himself by a
series Of calm, earnest articles, in which !
he advised thai France should support
the unity Of the nation whose liberty
her arms had done so much TO establish |
In personal appearance be was pleasing |