The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-08-03
A NEW ORLEANS SENSATION.
Death of n Mysterious Old Man
who Possessed the ABOur-
bon MDiadem.

From the New Orleans Picayune, July Is.
Few of the residents in the lower part OF
| the city of late years but are familiar with
some of the incidents we are now relating.
| They have often seen in the twilight of sum-
mer evenings singular apparation. Sud-
denly, on the banquette of Music street, has
appeared an old man, with long gray hair,
and clad in the costume OF half century
! ago. The garments were faded and worn,
but revealed richness which in earlier days
was more fitted for a court than an Ameri-
can metropolis. He was very tall man,
although a hunchback, and but for the de-
formiCy would have been of gigantic pro-
portions. In the breadth of shoulders, the
deep powerful chest, and long nervous arms,
resided marvellous strength, while the lower
| limbs, fashioned in magnificent strength
and beauty, arrested attention and COM
manded admiration wherever he appeared.
He spoke to no one, looked at no one, but in
silent abstraction pursued his lonely walk
far into the night. Years went by, and
night after night little children paused In
their play to watch the receding figure of
the lonely man.
1t must have been forty years ago that he
first came among us. He looked middle
aged then; but as the years flew by the
sturdy frame remained flexible and active
but the hair grew gray and his face was
scanned with wrinkles.
He lived in a little brick building that set
back from the street. Wild vines crept over
shapes on the chimney tops. In the yard,
beautiful flowers bloOmed all the year round,
and their rich perfume made the air sensu-
Gus and sweet. At a window, shaded by
trellis work, hid in the bloom of roses, the
old man sat of afternoons and watched the
suns decline. No one else was ever seen in
the hOuse-nO one ever crossed the thresh-
old; and so he lived, smileless, sad old
man, in lonely house.
But one day, not a great While since, the
nniOhhOPS that the blinds in the hnnao
were closed. The old man had not appeared
on the street for weeks, and the grass had be-
gun to grow from the chinks of the marble
slabs at his door, and it began to be whis-
pered about that the old man was dead.
AT last, one day, the neighbors went in
(they were poor people, but kindly and true).
Sure enough he was dead. He lay pallid and
stark on a pallet of straw. There were a
few scattered chairs around the room and a
plain table. One only object arrested the
eye: Near the body was rich casket, set in
mother of pearl and gold. Jewels flashed
from the costly lid, and wreathed in the dust
of diamonds were engraved the "Lillies of
France" in corOnet of gold. They opened
the box and there flashed on their eyes the
Bourbon diddeDa. 1t was stolen the night of
the 10th of August. 1880, when Charles the
Tenth abdicated the throne of France in
favor of the Duke of Bordeaux. Under
meath il was manuscript, written in French.
1t contained only these words:
Il am Charette, the Vendean General.
Maria of Savoy was to have been nv wife,
She was taken from me and given to the
Comte d'Artois. l could have forgiven this.
but he deserted me when most needed his
help and assistance. | revenged myself and
procured his overthrow, and am happy since
he died in exile"
This was all. Over his life silence now
draws veil. His Maynard passions, his in
ward conflicts, none can estimate. Lonely
and sad he persisted in exile; none could ap-
preciate his injuries; let none Judge too
harshly of his life.