The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-06-07

mittance, in obedience to Mr. de POntalba's
orders, but the maid was allowed to follow
her mistress. The main building being un
, dergoing repairs, the entire household was
then occupying one of the wings. Madame
de Pontalba, having asked to see her hus-
band, waited for him in his private room.
After an interview which lasted till it was
near midnight, Madame de Pontalba dis
covered that she was powerless to effect the
coveted reconciliation. 1t being then too
late to return to Madame de Presle's, NJ de
Pontalba told his wife that a room would
be prepared for her. This room was at the
extremity of a corridor and completely lso-
lated. There Madame de Pontalba spent
the night, her waiting maid lying down on
a mattress upon the floor.
On the 10Th, at eight o'clock in the morn
ing, NJ. de Pontalba pere met the chamber
maid and asked her if her mistress was up.
''No, SIR" she replied to the old man. Re-
turning to her mistress, Madame de Pom
talba made her preparations to go, and,
when everything was ready, she sent her
servant to Madame Miro asking permission
to bid her goodbye before leaving The
servant went ont to deliver the message,
leaving Madame de Pontalba alone in the
room. Aware of this fact, the elder Pom
talba then went up, passed through the cor
ridOr leading to the room, after locking the
door behind him, and then entering noise
lessly the room in which his daughter in-law
stood, waiting for her maids return, he
walked towards her she was standing by
the fireplace, saying: "Say not word, or
you are a dead woman" at the same time
exhibiting two loaded pistols.
"What do you want of me-" said Madame
de Pontalba. "Slt upon this bed" said NJ
de Pontalba, cor in a moment you shall
cease to live" The fierce looks, the tone
and manner, and above all, the arms in the
hands of NJ. de Pontalba, left no choice to
the victim. She complied with his order,
and folding her arms, she said: "Well.
what do YOU want of me. - " Recommend
your soul to God" answered NJ. de Pontalba /;
" / allow you few minutes before dying"
He had scarcely uttered the words, when,
forgetting his own promise, he fired at her.
Madame de Pontalba, twice struck in the
left breast, rose and instinctively sought
refuge in closet adjoining the bedroom.
Therein the old man followed her. 81 will
consent to everything" gasped Madame de
Pontalba, whose blood was flowing copious-
ly. "No; you must die" Another pistol
shot was discharged, SCATTERING the hand
which Madame de Pontalba had placed over
her heart.
Still preserving her presence of mind,
that heroic woman, with the only hand she
could use, pushed back the enraged father
in-law and ran into the closet, where an
other shot was fired at her without effect.
Rushing ont, then, she succeeded H. opening
the door of the room and running into the
corridor, when fourth shot was aimed at
her, but the pistol fortunately missed fire.
Arriving at the door, she tried to open it,
but in her excited condition it took her some
time to do so. Succeeding at last,
she found her maid on the stairs, who had
run up the moment she heard the report Of
the pistol shots. Supported by her, Ma
dame de Pontalba arrived in the parlor
where she sank, crying piteously for help.
A moment after, NJ. de Pontalba, Senior,
came down, and finding that his intended
victim was still living, he rushed into his
room, locked himself up, and blew out his
brains. A physician was summoned, and
shortly after came the procurer du roi,
when Madame de Pontalba, after refusing
to answer, finally gave an account
of what had just occurred. Being carried
into another room, where no one but her
husband and her medical attendants called
upon her, she remained for many days in a
critical condition, the slightest noise about
the house throwing her into commissions.
AS a change of scene was absolutely re-
quired, she was removed to Paris as
soon as her condition allowed it. There she
slowly came to life, but with shattered
health and utterly deranged nerves.
To the astOnishment OF every one, no |
sooner had the horror created by this terrible
domestic tragedy subsidized, than M. de Pom
talba again endeavored to compel his wife to
come and live with him. In the trial that took
place before the Senlis tribunal three of
the most distinguished members of the
Faculty of Medicine testified that anything
which could revive the narrowing emotions
through which. Madame de Pontalba had
passed might be the cause of her death,
whereupon her husbands counsel declared
that his client contemplated selecting an
other dOmicile.
Viewing the question in its purely legal
aspect, the Judges allowed to M. de Pom
talba delay of four months to make choice
Of new domicile, and maintained their
previous embargo on Madame de Pontalba's
revenues until she complied with the order
Of the court by returning to her husbands
residence.
The litigation would probably have rested
there, had not NJ. de Pontalba taken an ill
advised step, which ultimately recoiled upon
him. Mr.. Leon Duval, his lawyer, without
positively attacking Madame de Pontalba's
reputation, had artfully grouped together
series of insinuatOns and inuendoes of the
most damaging nature to her character, and
had reproduced in an aggravated form the
loose talk aud ugly stories to which her
family discussions had given birth among
the scandai-lovng Partisan beau monde.
Not satisfied with the effect Of the bril-
liant but ill-natured and even slanderous
attack of his lawyer upon his wifes con-
duct, M. de Pontalba caused several
hundred copies of these pleadings to be
printed in pamphlet form, and sent copy
to every person WHO belonged to Madame
de Pontalbas circle The replies of Madame
de Pontalba's counsel, showing the utter
futillty and groundlessness of these charges
were not included in that publication, aud
by the advice of M. Philippe Dupin, Ma
dame de Pontalba instituted suit for a
separation based upon the insults and the
SANDERS which her husband had
made himself instrumental in spread
ing against her by the publication
and distribution OF that pamphlet Resting
his argument upon articles 23l and 3O6 Of
the Civil Code in which it is laid down that
"a separation may be asked and decreed