New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-21
THE WOODEN LEG:

THE WOODEN LEG;
THE STORY OF A FRENCH PHYSICIAN
THE following is copyrighted article
repulished, by permission, from the City o.
brooklyn newspaper
On the seventeenth of May, 1880, a French
officer of infantry-Captain Malsherbes-
was found in the streets of TOulOn severely
wounded. A patrol of gendarmes, in max
ing their early morning rounds, discovered
him living in pool of blood that had evil
IDENTIFY flowed from an ugly sword thrust
between the ribs He was picked up and
carried home. Being person well known
every attention was paid to him, and every
effort made to discover the attempted
assassin. The low state the patient was in
rendered it impossible to obtain any infOr
nation from him at the time, and the police
were. accordingly, thrown upon their own
resources. Blood was tracked from the
scene of encounter to the sally port at the
Castigneau, where it was lost sight of, the
unknown appearing to have resorted thither
in order to wash off the stains his crime had
affixed to him. Although the sharpest de
tectives were employed that Tonlon could
boast, they were completely batfied In this
business. No further signs were to be
found. Captain Malsherbes, after a
critical illness, recovered from his
wound, and as sOOD as he could bear
questioning, inquiries were naturally put
to him concerning the man who had at
tackled him. At first he affected to know
nothing about it. and attempted to convey
the impression that the assault was too sud
den and was committed on too dark night
for him to recognize his enemy. But from
rhn ant hot no n tragedy
well lighted; that the captain, when found,
had his sword in his hand; that he had not
been robbed; that the wound was in front;
and that the unknown had left a richly en-
broidered handkerchief on the field through
which the captains rapier had evidently
made hole, this ignorance was regarded
with suspicion, and he underwent some
close oss-questiOning from the authorities.
And now the captain tried a different trick
he didn't remember; he wasn't well enough
to stand this Obtrusive examination; he
might have relapse: he didn't want to
talk, etc. The cOmmissary soon gave the
matter up as bad job. and 1t ceased to be
talked about, except in those polite circles
in which the hero of it moved. Here it was
settled to have been an affair Of honor con-
corning some fair one. The captain was
joked about that queer poke in the ribs-an
ugly place for prOtessedly crack swords
man to be hurt-abOut the handkerchief,
and. indeed, every particular Of the occur
ence that had got wind.
The captain bore it all in silence. No
word of his ever confirmed the sly sur
misses that were constantly thrust at him
by clever little lawyers in petticoats. No
indiscretiOn in cOnyivial hours ever fur
nished clue to this dark bit of history.
Time wore on. The captain appeared as
much in society as ever, was as social as
10 Erik s1i ~
but though he was generous, rather good
looking, and well OF, never got married.
lie could have chosen almost any pretty
woman in TOulon, yet he remained single.
When bantered on the subject, he always
looked grave. and replied in a thoughtful
manner: sometimes with shudder-never
gaily-as other men did.
When the troubles broke out in Paris.
his regiment was ordered to the capital.
He remained in ToulOn few days after
its departure, to make some arrangements
in regard to his property. and then fol
lowed it. He arrived too late to take part
in the street fights that occurred, but was
placed on guard with his company in the
Alice de Longchamp, Bots de BoulOgne.
At midnight feeble call for help was
heard in the wood and his men. aroused
rushed forward, and found Captain Nal
sherbes badly wounded, as before. in the
Longchamp hospital and his wound dressed,
while every effort was made to discover his
assailant. The captain was much beloved
by his men. and it was they who made the
search. They were as unsuccessful as the
cendarmes had been in Toulon. Footsteps
were traced to the Porte Dauphine, but
lost sight of at this point, for here the pave
ment commenced. No other signs were
discovered After long illness the cap
hafo al
mouthed as before, and bore his injuries
and the scandal that followed them with
the same silence.
That the unknown was no assassin was
again evident. The captain was foun(
sword in hand and at the mercy of his an
tagonist, who might have taken his life ha'
he chosen.
The disturbed state of the city forbad
all further inquiry at the time, and the cap
tain,s evident reluctance to revert to til
subject effectually prevented it afterwart
Maisherbes returned to TOulOn, made som
further arrangements concerning his estate
and reioiued his regiment, which was the
stationed at LYONS, and Guartered at tn
barracks near Fort BrOtteaux.
4 week afterward the captain was foun
severely wounded as before, and the follow
ing curious billet pinned to his breast: .
have at last reached your leg!' and it wa
trated to the knee, near the patella or knt
nan and rendered amputation necessar,
An that was known of the affair was thu
shortly afterward boat belonging to
man-of:war anchored in the Rhone had lie
the ouay at the Tete dor, and pulled ra
idly to the vessel.
30 other clue was obtained. and as tn
batiment de gue,re sailed the next day +,
the Mauritius, the search was 500
abandoned. This time, however, CAPITA
Malsherbes was not 80 communicative ;
before. During the painful operation OF I,
moving his fractured leg, and when Int
homes were entertained of his recovery,
Unmarried in weak, broken tones to the ;
tending physician, the writer OF tins stfdn
story, that portion o: history Whi'h II
nished some explanation OF his my sterlo
fatalities.
1t seems that during a former rcSldeh
of the captain in Paris, before the w"ni
he received at TOulOn, he frequently III
and secretly admired beautiful I"ui
woman, an orphan daughter oi ia capita
of artillery who died mt Qua,rc Bras. I'll
lady, whose name was Madeleine Lavaiett
was remarkable tor her spirit and das
Her parentage, which was respectable
her beauty and little fortune she pc
sessed, gave her the range of the best =
ciety; but the extraordinary freedom ut h