The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-01

that Mr.. Hayes believed himself now TO be
In possession OF positive proof of DsFor's
being female. He called Mr.. LIE Goux, a.
surgeon, who stated that che had been ac-
quainted wife tie Chevalier D,Eon from the
time when the Due de Nivernois resided in
England as French ambassador, and that 10
bis certain knowledge the person called the
CneVsher D'Eon was woman. On cross
examination, Mr.. LIE Goux stated that he
mad arrived al this knowledge ~ the course
OF medical attendance on the Cheyalier-
1hen N. De Morande was called, who gave
equally strong evidence in support OF that
OF Mr.. LIE Goux. Lord Mansfield then
charged the jury: Gentlemen, this is a
gambling debt. I should be glad if your
verdict could so operate that neither party
should be the winner; but as one must lose
you have only TO consider which of them
ought to win. With respect to the
contract on which the action was founded,
tnere Is not anything illegal in. it. 1t Is
binding on both parties. The dis
covery OF the sex of certain person is to
give 1t operation. There was every external
proof that the defendant was right in his
conjecture. D'Eon dressed as a man. She
would have fought duels. She was captain
of dragons. Resided here as an smbassa-
dor. To all outward appearance therefore
the defendant bad the best OF the wager. ON
the part of the plaintiff there was consider
aole dithculty. Suppose him to have been
right, yet the proof was not easy. 1t was
| not In the power of any one to compel D,Eon
to disclose her or his sex. Was it known
the proof still rested on the plaintiff. It was
thrown out that he was sure of the fact at
tne tlme ne laid the wager. The contrary
| had appeared. He had
NO PROOFS IN HIS POWER
when the contract was made. The court of
France was not appraised of the fact. 1t re-
gsrded D'Eon as a man." The Jury gave for
plaintiff 9702. On the 18th of the same
month the Chevalier left England, declaring
| In the most solemn manner tnat she had no.
interest whatever in the policies opened re-
specting her sex, and that ''she left dear
England with grief, whore she thought to
| have found repOse and liberty" The case
was subsequently argued befcre Lord Mans
field on behalf of the defendant, and the
| defendant pleading that under the terms of
| a recent act OF Parliament payment was not
| binding ON him In such case, this was ad-
| mitted and the bets were lost. D'Eon ar
| rived at Versailles in I777 in the uniform of
the dragons, but to satisfy the curiosity of
| the queen assumed presently the dress of
woman. In 1884 he returned again to Lon
don, where the French revolution OF 1889
found him. 1t appears by the records of the
national assembly in May, 1892, that he pe-
titioned the assembly, as Madame Dion, to
be allowed TO serve IN the army. Madame
stated that Though she had worn the dress
OF woman tor 10 years, she was DESTROYS of
dofhDg cap and petticoat tor helmet and
saber." The petition was received with
great applause, but no other result, and as
the republican authorities had taken away
a pension granted him By Louis XIV, he re-
turned to England and gave lessons in fenc-
ing, an accomplishments in which he was adj
mirably proficient The previous year be had
advertised the sale OF his effects, which in
cluded various articles of female attire. He
died in London, in poverty, in 1910 al
though French authority states that he
| had q pension of GOO a year from George
Ill, His assumption OF female attire seems
to have arisen at first out OF an exigency,
and was probably continued for purposes of
| various kinds. A most ridiculous surrnise
is that it was adopted at one time to cover
an intrigue with poor Queen Charlotte, who
certainly never before had been suspected OF
such indiscretion, and a French commenta-
| tor observes: 1--WE may be permitted a
doubt on this point.n D'Eon seems to have
been a vain, excitable creature, who loved
notoriety and had a restless craving for ex-
element, to satisfy which he would have
done anything. A post norton exsmins-
| ton was made by eminent French and
| English surgeons which left no doubt of his
being OF the male sex.