The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-07-03

had been acquainted with the Chevalier
D'Eon from the time when the Due de Niv-
ernois resided iu England as French Am
bassador, and that to his certain knowledge
the person called the Chevalier D'Eon was
woman" On cross-examinntion, Mr..
lie Goux stated that he had arrived at this
knowledge in the course of medical at
tendance on the Chevalier. Then M. 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 q gambling debt.
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 is founded, there is not anything
illegal 10 1t. II is binding on both parties.
| The discovery of the sex of certain per-
| son is to give it operation. There was ev-
cry external proof that the defendant was
rieht in his conjecture. DEon dressed as
a man. She would have fought duels.
She was a captain of Dragons. Resided
here as an ambassador. To all outward
appearance, the defendant had the best of
the wager. On the part of the plaintiff
there was considerable difficulty. Sup.
pose 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 1t known, the proof still
rested on the plaintiff. 1t was thrown out
that he was sure of the fact at the time he
laid the wager. The contrary has appear
ed. He had no proofs in his power when
the contract was made. The Court Of
France was not apprised of the fact. 1t
regarded D'Eon as man" The jury gave
Az .x(N l,n
same month the chevalier left England, de-
claring in the most solemn manner that she
had no interest whatever 10 the policies
opened respecting her sex, and that "she
left dear England with grief, where she
thought to have found repose and liberty"
The case was subsequently argued before
Lord Mansfield on hehalf Of the defendant
and the defendant pleading that under the
terms of a recent act of Parliament, pay
ment was not binding on him in such a
case, this was admitted and the case was
lost. D'Eon arrived at Versailles in 1777
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 London,
where the French revolution of 1889 found
him. 1t appears by the records of the ma
tional assembly in May, 1892, that he Pc
titiOhSu thS aoSSho'yt 90 -
to be allowed to serve in the army. Mad
anne stated that .'though she had worn the
! dress of woman for fifteen years, she was
} DESTROYS of dofing cap and petticoats for
! helmet and sabre" The petition was re
ceived with great applause, but no other
result, and as the republican authorities
: had taken away pension granted him by
: Louis XIV, he returned to England and
gave lessons in fencing, an accomplishment
, in which he was admirably proficient. The
; previous year he had advertised the sale of
; his effects, which included various articles
of female attire. He died in London, in
poverty, in 1910, although French
authority states that he hac a pension
of 1900 a year from George Ill.
| His assumption of female attire seems to
have arisen at first out of an exigency, and
f was probably continued for purposes of va
} rious kinds. A most ridiculous surmise is
that it was adopted at one time to cover an
: intrigue with poor Queen Charlotte, who
certainly never beforehad been suspected of
: such an indiscretion, and, French COM
mentator observes, 1--WE may be permitted
, a doubt on this point D'Eon seems to
, have been vain, eXcitable creature who
! loved notorety, and had restless craving
r for excitement, to satisfy which he would
have done anything. A post-mortem ex.
, animation was made by eminent French
r and English surgeons, which left no doubt
t as to his being OF the male sex.