The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-26
AN OLD STORY REVIVED,
The Queer Adventures Of the Chew
alier D'Eon.
Incidents in the Life Of Man Who
Passed as q Woman--His Trial
for the 0Henee.
From the New York Times.

n lew WScAS dRO tueT6 was pIlntcu i'll
these columns an account of a woman who
had for years been drying cab in Lon
don, without any suspicion arising as to
her sex. There have been many remark
able instances of similar concealment-not-
ably one which came to light in England
few years ago at the death of an assis
taht Inspectors general of army hospitals,
by name Barry. The history of that ex-
traordinary person, will in all probability,
never be known, and the causes and early
circumstances of her extraordinary career
are almost beyond conjecture. One fact,
however, about her was beyond question
that she continuously had friends in very
high places
Barry, who had always shown herself
ready to fight duel, and permitted no
jokes as to her feminine appearance, dis
played the utmost anxiety up to the last
to conceal her sex, and made the attend
ant on her last hours promise to bury her
just as she then was But an examination
was insisted on. These, however, are
cases Of women personating men. Let us
turn to one more remarkable, that of
man personating woman-the Chevalier
D'Eon.
Charles D'Eon de Beaumont, advocate
Of the parliament of Paris, and censor gen.
eral of Bellies Lettres and history in that
city, was born In Burgundy in 1927, Of
highly respectable parentage, received
superior education, and was called to the
Partisan bar, In 1855 he was introduced
to Louis XIV, by the Prince de Cont, and
it is said that thenceforward he maintained
a secret correspondence with that sover,
eign. On this mission he went for the first
time in female attire The object Of the
visit was to approach the Empress Eliza
beth with the view of putting an end to
the illfeeling between the French and Rus
sian courts, and more especially to pro-
mote the private interests of his patron,
the prince de Cont, with the empress
The next year he went to st. Petersburg
as secretary of embassy. During the next
two years he was actively employed in IN
trigue and negotiation. Meanwhile he
had been appoint ed lieutenant of dra-
goons; in 1853 he was made captain;
and few years later distinguished him
self in several engagements. - =
In l76l he was appointed secretary Of
embassy to the due de Nivernois, who
came to England as ambassador extraordi
nary,1to conclude peace, and certainly
brought an extraordinary secretary. The
cheYalier's troubles. which he attributed to
the jealousy of Madame de Pompadour
when she discovered his secret correspon-
dence with the king, now began. Walpole
mentions Dion coming to breakfast at
Strawberry hill with a large party of
French people in May, 1863. Not long af-
ter this Nivernois was recalled, and count
de Guerchy appointed in his place. Il.
the interval between the departure of
the one and the arrival of the other,
DEon, who was appointed plenipo-
Tertiary meanwhile, conducted him
self in a surprising manner. The tenn
4. porary position of ambassador seemed to
entirely turn his head. "D'Eon." writes
Walpole to Lord Hartford, III November,
1868. lis still here; l know nothing more
of him but that the honor of having hand
in the peace overset his poor brain This
was evident on that fatal night at Lord
Halifaxs." Where he had behaved in 9
most violent manner in the presence of M
de Guerchy.) When they told him his
behavior was breach Of the peace, he was
quite distracted, thinking it was the peace
between this country and his" Wher
count de Guerchy arrived and brought
letters of recall told Eon he declined t.
accept them, alleging them to be forged
and refused TO vacate the office. Present
ly, to crafty his rage, he published
pamphlet rejecting on various eminen
Frenchmen, more especially the count d,
Guerchy, and this nobleman, in July, 1894
prosecuted him for libel, and obtained
conviction. Walpole comments amusing
ingly on this to Mann: 'DEon's bool
will divert you extremely. He told PEG
pie in the park the Others day Nine d.
Guerchy, (who is remarkably plain,) i
going to Paris to take Nine. de Pompa
w. 4 IL -
seriously filed up; | mean in the cabinet
for in the bed chamber it has long BEEF
executed by deputies"
D'Eon's next move to obtain notoriet
was to assert that the French government
intended to carry him off privately b.
force, and he wrote to complain of this b
Chief Justice Mansfield, Lords Butte an,
Temple, and Mr.. Pitt, and in March, l 764
bill of indictment was, on his allegation
found against the count de Guerchy for
conspiracy against the case of an embas
sador, much 6perplexed the government
Further proceedings were evaded. Il
June, l765, as he had failed to come u
for judgment in the libel suit, he was de
clared outlawed, and on May 20, I'LL,
caveat was entered at doctors common
against bis goods. he being supposed to b.
dead, as he had been advertised for il
vain. But not long after the chevalie
turned up. refreshed himself with a due
or two, and 1t was wound received in on,
of these which led to serious suspicion
that he was 4 woman Out of this arose
trial which amazed all London.
The cause came on before Lord Mans
field on July !, l777. The plaintiff wa
Mr.. Hayes, surgeon, who brought th'
suit, for the recovery OF 200, against Mr.
jacques, broker, the said Jacques hav
ing, about six years before, received Ger
tain premiums of fifteen guincas per cent.
for every one of which he stood engaged
to return one hundred gaiaeas whenever j
should be proved that the Cheyalier ID Eol
was actually woman.
The counsel for the plaintiff was Mr.
Buffers, afterward famous as Judge, VIII
said that Mr.. Hayes believed himself nov
to be in possession of positive proof O
D'Eon's being afemale He called Mr.
lie Goux, surgeon, who stated that III
had been acquainted with the Chevalie
D'Eon from the time when the due d
Nivernois resided in England as Frencl
ambassador, and that to mis- certain know
edge the person called the ChevaIie
ID EOn was u woman. On cross-examipa
ton, Mr.. lie Goux stated that be had ar
rived at this knowledge in the course of
medical attendance on the chevalier. The
NJ. DE Moraude was called, who raw
equally strong evidence in support Of tina
OF Mr.. LIE Goux.
Lord Mansfield then charged the jury
Gentlemen, this is gambling debt.
should be glad if your verdict could S
Al. IL. II