The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-07-16

death Of NJ. DelesSert, Inspector OF the
police dc st.rste, seem TO have made such
an impression upon the Partisan authori-
ties that they were recorded In unusual
detail. Onitting all particulars except
what are necessary TO explain matters, we
reproduce here the undoubtedly strange
history.
In the fall Of 1861 there came 10 Paris a
man who called himself Vic De LaSa, and
was so Inscribed upon his passports. He
came from Vienna. and said he was a
Hungarian. who owned estates on the 5or-
ders OF the Banat. not far from Zenta. He
was a snail man, aged thirty-hve, with
pale and mysterious face, long blonde hair.
a vague. wandering blue eve. and a mouth
Of singular firmnesS. He dressed care
lessly and inefecrively, and spoke and
talked without much enpressnneHf. His
companion. presumably his wife. on the
other hand. ten years younger than him.
was a strikingly beautiful woman. OF that
dark, rich. velvety. luscious. pure Hungari-
an ype which il so nigh akin TO the gypsy
blood. AT the theaters. on the Bots. at
the cafes, on the oouleyards. and every
where that idle Paris disports itself,
Madame Aimee De Lasa attracted great AT
tention and made q sensation.
They lodged in luxurious apartments
VII AIt ANAN hN11NAN&A NN% 49,
places, received good company, enter
tanned handsomely. and acted in every
way a. il possessed Of considerable wealth.
L2sa had always a good balance chez
Schneider, Ruier et Gle. the Austrian
bankers in Rue Rivoli, and Madame wore
diamonds Of conspicuous luster.
How did il happen. theh. that the Pre-
feet of Police saw fr 10 suspect Monsieur
snd Maoame de Lasa, and detailed Paul
Delessert. one of the most T1tse inspectors
Of the force. TO pipe - him: The fact is.
the Insignificant nan with the splendid
wife wa a ycrymysterious parsonage, and
il is the habit Of the police 10 imagine that
mystery always hides either the conspira-
tor. he adventurer. or the charlatan. The
conclusion 10 which the Project had come
in regard TO NJ. de Lasa was that he va:
an adyenturer and charlatan too. Ger
for he was singularly unob
trusive. and had in no way
trumpeted the wonders which it was hi
mission 70 perform. Yet in a few week
after he had established himself in Parii
the salon of NJ. de Lasa was the rage, anC
the number of persons who paid the fee o
loo francs for a single peep into his mari'
crystal. and a single message by his spirit
ual telegraph. was really astonishing. Tn
secret OF this was that Nj. de Lasa was
coniurer and diviner whose pretension
were omniscient and whose predictions al
ways canHe true.
Delessert did not lind il very difficult .
get an introduction and admission 10 ID
Lasa's salon. The receptions occurre
every other day-two hours in the fort
noon. three hours In the evening. 1t W.
evening when Inspector Delrssert callec
in his assumed character OF Nj. Flebry
virtuoso in jewels and a convert TO Spiritr
alism. He found the handsome parlor
brilliantly lighted, and a charming Assem-
blage gathered OF well-dressed guests
who did not At all seem to have come {
learn their fortunes and fates, while cor
tributing to the income of their host. br
rather To be there out OF c~omplaisance
his virtues and gifts. Mime. de Lasa pc
formed upon the piano or conversed frot
group Z group I'm a way that SCENE
to be delightful. while VI. de La-a wake
about or sat in his insignificant. uncoI
cerned wav. saying a word now n the
but seeming 10 shun every thing hal vi
conspicuous. Servants handed about r
freshments. ices. cordials. wines. etc, an
Delessert could have fancied himself drol
ped in upon a quite modest evening ente
faiument. altogether ~ regLS, but for OF
or two noticeable circumstances whic
his obs rvant eyes quickly took In.
Except when their host or hostess w
within hearing the guests conversed {
gether in low tones, rather mysteriousl,
and with not quite so much laughter a.
usual on such occasions. At intervals
very tall and dignified footman won
come to a guest, and. with a profouT
bow. present him a card on silver salvr
The guest would then go out, preceded
the solemn servant, and when he or a
returned "a the sal0n-some did not I
turn at all-ihey invariably wore a daz'
or puzzled look, were confused astoni-
ed, frightened. or amused. All this was
unmi-takably genuine. and DE Lasa al
his wife seemed so unconcerned amidst
all. not to say distinct from ii all, that II
lessert could rot avoid beingfacibly struI
and considerably puzzled.
Two or three little incidents. which car
under Delessert's own immediate obsery
ton. will suffice TO make plain the chars
ter Of the Impressions made upon tho
present. A couple Of gentlemen, DO
young. both OF good social condition, al
evidently very intimate friends. were co
versing together and tutoying one anot
or ats great rate, when the digDifed 70,
man summoned Alphonse. He laugh
gayly. "Iarry n moment, cher Auguste
said I've. "and thou shalt know all the D;
ticulars of this wonderful fortnne!" "E
bin n responded Augu-te; may the
acle's mood be propitious." A mini
had scarcely elapsed when Alphonse
turned to the salon. Ills face wa VIII
n bore an appearance of concrntrat
rage that was frightful to witness. ]