The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-08-05
Death of u Mysterious Old Man who
Possessed the Bourbon Diadem.

Possessed the Bourbon Diadem.
From the New Orleans Picayune, July l6.l
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 re-
iating. They have often seen in
the twilight Of summer evenings
Il singular apparition. Suddenly,
on the banquette of Music street
has appeared an old man, with
long gray hair, and clad in the
costume of half Il century ago.
The garments were faded and
worn, but revealed Il richness
which in earlier days was more
fitted for a court than an Ameri-
can metropolis. He was very
tall man, although Il hunchback,
and but for the detormity would
have been of gigantic proper
tions. In the breadth of shoul-
ders, the deep powerful chest,
and long nervous arms resided
marvellous strength, while the
lower limbs, fashioned in mag
niticent strength and beauty, ar
rested attention and commanded
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, aud
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 ac-
tive, but the hair grew gray aud
kles.
He lived in a little brick build
ing that set back from tho street.
Wild vines crept over the crnmb-
ling tiles and wreathed fantastic
shapes Oh the chimney tops. In
the yard beautiful flowers bloomed
alt the year round, and their rich
perfume made the air sensnous
ami sweet. At Il 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 honse--no one
ever crossed the threshold; and
so he lived, Il smileless, sad old
} man, in a lonely house.
But one day, not Il great while
since, the neighbors saw that the
blinds in the house were closed
The old man had not appeared
5 on the street for weeks, and the
grass had begun to grow from the
chinks of the marble slabs at his
: door, and it began to be whisper.
Ell about that the old man was
dead
At last, one day, the neighbors
went in, Uhey were poor people
but kindly and true.) Sure enough
| he was dead. He lay pallid and
-" Il pallet of straw. There
were u few scatl.nG' ..i.,, -, ;
the room and u plain ....... one
only object arrested the eye: near
the body was u rich casket, set in
mother of pearl and gold. jewels
flashed from the costly lid, and
wrcathel in the dust of diamonds
were engraved the "Liiies of
Er'nce' in a corOnet of gold
Ihey opened the box and there
fashcd on their eyes the Bourbon
"i"ttcm. 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. Underneath
it was Il manuscript, written in
french. 1t contained only these
words:
II am Charctte, the Vcndean
General. Maria of Savoy was to
have been my wife. She was ta-
ken from me and given to Comte
UArtOis. l could have forgiven
this, but he deserted mo when
most needed his help and assis-
tance. l rcvcngcd myself and
procured his overthrow, and am
happy since he died in exile.n
This was all. Over his life ST
fence now draws veil. His wav-
ward passions, his inward con
tilcts, none can estimate. Lonely
and sad he perishcd in exile; none
could appreciate his injuries let
none judge too harshly of his life.
The Overland Transit Compa-
ny, give through bills of ladin @
from Sherman Texas to st. Louis,
at S4 80 per cwt, and cotton is
shipped through to New York at
$1,000 per bale. Trains of wae-