The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-01
A Curious I.awSuie--Thc Disposition of
Large Estate Depending on which
Of Two PerSons Drowned together
nia6 Eirs7.
Paris letter to London Daily Ncws.l

Paris letter to London Daily NcwS]
A delicate point, involving large inheri-
lance. was decided few days ago by the
civil tribunal of RcnucS. 1t arose ouf OF a
tragic occurrence which took place IN octo-
ber 1871. on the rock OF PenmaIch, IN
Fini>tcrrc. This rock, OF gigantic omen
sions. ovcrtangs the Atlantic, and, being
one Of the most picturesque features OF me
brittany coast. is much visited by tourists
and marine painters. 1t iuts out ut great
hcicht over the sea. and the abyss beneath
i known 10 the aboriginal fishers rs lai!-all-
Tern. or the mouth OF hell. An evil Slhl1t,
these primitive people believe, Is constantly
lrins in wait at The foot OF the rock 10 en-
tran rnwary mortaiS and cut them OIL from
among tl.c living in the midst OF their sins.
This idea, founded, like mos, local superStl-
fiors. on fact, iSnot always sufficiently present
20 the minds of cXcursionistS to Pcnmarch.
The victims Of the Tai!-a,l.Ifcrn demon in Oc-
tohcr 1871. were Nine. Leyainriilc, the wife
of a Brittany prefer, her daughter, Mdlse.
Gabrielle Lcvainyille, beautiful young
girl Of eighteen, her nephew ana niece, NJ ::
Georges and Mdllc. Eugene Drcsch, ana
Mdle. Bonnemlin, TIE .fnncfe OF Georges.
They mad been staying on Il visit at Inc ro'
mantle chateau OF kernuZ, the seat OF vi.
Manfras du Chatcllicr, and had driven over
ON tho S,h of October with their hosts son,
NJ Paul Manfras du Chatellier, marine
rainier of some repute, to visit his studio
overlooking Pcnmurch. After inspecting
some PAINTINGS they went 10 compare thcin
with the sites they represented. Nine. Le'
yainyille proposed that before returning TO
the chateau of kernuz she and her young
relations should pass half an hour on the
platform watching the effects Of an angry
sunset. The sky was menacing, the horizon
in blaze, the atmosphere close and charged
with electricity, and the sea smooth as glass.
The tide was luil in. and nothing indicated
the presence of the legendary demon OF Tall
au.Iiern. NJ. Paul du Chatclle,, while his
friends were admiring the superb effects OF
color. returned to his studio to hX them on
canvas.
A. The positions taken up by the TWO
oroups into which the eNcursionlstS spit
was the chief element in the case the Rennes
tribunal had TO decide. j; Is well TO state that
Nine. Lcrainvilc and n. and Mdllc. DreSch
were sitting together on the most northern
uoint OF the rock. under sort OF natural
Dara,,ct. Mdlic. Gabrielle Lcvalnvllic ana
Mdile. Banrcnain were Standing at Il us
tantc OF about w" yards behind them. SUD
denly j vast wave arose, gathering Ill llel=h III
- !. advanced, ard, before tie live persons
on the platform had tiS'c to perceive The
danger, washed them into tie yawnlng laii-
au-l(crn. TIE foremost group was taken
first. da> he'd against the parapct, and rrccipl-
taxed violently into the sea. The iiall-spcnt
wave then gently Fitted the twn young girls
and sent thea to rcioin t!c! relatives. Now,
Mnc, I.cvaintilc WAS the owner Of large
1
estates. and Mdilc. Gabriel" her only child.
TbcGuestion ,hc;rihunal Of ReNneS had TO de.
eide was who should inherit this fortune,
which. was claimed by Mime. Drcscii, the sis
ter Of Nine. Levainyiiic, as the helirSS OF
this lady, and by NJ. Lcyainrilc is the heir
OF Gabrielle. If it could be proved that the
witc died last, the property would 60 to the
sister; and j: rot. to the husband rs the daugh-
ter, heir. M. Paul du CEateilier, who was
skctching the rock at the moment of the ac-
cident, was the principal witness. He stated
that the foremost group, comprising Nine.
LcyainyiIleand Georges and Eugene Drcsch.
must have been killed at once by the violent
collision into which they were brought with
tn lateral parapet. When they were flung
into the sea he lost sight of two OF the
bodies. Tfat OF Georges, which remained
floatiny some moments, seemed 10 him III
inert, nanged mass. When the wave car
ried the two girls into the Tall-au-lfcrn,
they must have been in the full possession
Of their faculties, and physically unhurt.
There was, in M. du Chatellier'S opin-
ion. more than fair presumption
that Grabriclle survived her mother for
ncrhaps minute. or. at all events, as long
lime time as it takes to die from sllbmersion.
Nine. Dresch herself admitted that she saw
her sister dashed head-torcmost against
rock and flung into the sea ere the wave had
reached the niece. The state Of four out OF
five of the bodies that We.ctound confirmed
NJ, du CLatellier's evidence. Those OF Nine.
Lcvainyille and NJ. Dre>ch were all magied,
whilst that of Mdlle. Leyainyii!e did nQtnre'
sent single confusion. 1t had the sleeping
appcarance which N. James Bertrand gave
to the drowned Virginia in beautiful PIC
tIlre he exhibited four or five summers Dack.
The court held that Gabrielle must have sur
yiyt d her mother for at least a few seconds,
and accordingly decided that the fortune she
inherited from her goes to her father, ana
not 10 Mime. Levainville's sister.