The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-07-15
Ghl Bn!l4tin.
PAUL MoRPHYs PLIGHT.
Declining Years Of the Worlds
Champion Chess Player.
Thc story OF his Inyciglement Into an
Insane A-yiRn.
New York Wo ID, July 81

Of chess. He has meanwhile almost
altogether dropped out of public notice
except for various newspaper reports
touching the condition Of his mind, and
from the following details, which have
been gathered fropl prominent cotton
merclisn' just returned from Ne%Orleans
it would appear that the ex.champ'on's
views on certain subjects are far from
| sane.
I'm the first place." said Mr.. W
Paul who is very short man. cut the
most ridiculous figure in the ludicruus
way in which he dresses. He il 10 be- seen
daily prOmenading up aud down Canal
street, attired in the most tight.iltIiug gar
ments, his knee brooches appearing as il
glued TO his lower eXtrcmities, winch are
very much otthe spider order, His hand,
are encascd inyariabl in the lightest
shade OF KIDS, and he sports in the most
superciliOus manner an elaborate pair of
gold 'lorgncltes,' which he makes use of
on every possible occasion.
at was thought that after his return
from Europe he would resume his legal
studies, and ne was very willingly receiy-
cd into the office OF one OF our principal
lawyers, who allowed him the use Of his
library; but Paul Invariably preferred to
read some pamphlet Oh chess to working
up the points of any simple cases his
friend ventured to ln,rust to his care. At
one time it was hoped he might devote
his time to writing Il valuable treatise on
chess, bur after composing preliminary
chapter he gave up the project in disgust.
Il will tell you what think i tho mat
ter with MOrphy. lie was made to mach
OF in Europe ; played too many bIindlolded
games. thus taxing his memory too much,
so that when he returned to lazy life in
10 the South he became morose. and allow
ed his mind TO wander off to The most triy-
a. things, so that any intellectual occupa-
sion was burden to him. You would be
surprised were TO tel yOu that he imag-
ines himself an AdOnjs, and that all the
ladies are desperately IN love wit bin. Ii
was only the other day that gentleman
from 81. Louis on visit to New orleans
was walking along Canal street when he
heard lord peals OF laughter behind nim
on turning round 10 see what was the mat
ter he served diminutiyt figure pir1uet.
ting Ikea dancing master in front OF two
ladies', oging them in the most oiien'vs
way with his lorg tte-. Naturally the
Western swain was perfectly in 'ignant
aud thought it was high time he should go
to the rescue 80 interc pting The vile in
iruder, he saluted the ladies. and asked
them if he should protler his assistance,
upon which they laughe m 70 heartily
and said oh, no. thank you we sre not
afraid it, only Pau NJ rphy.'
zone Sunday morning. crnlinI Mr..
W. "a, was pas Ing hrlst church,
ju,t efre the MGR ing service, 40 iced
Two persons IN stormy alteration outside
the trance, and gong to see VIII Was
the oc aston II 80 much dl turbanec, r. c.
ognized Paul Nor ny abusing the sexton
Ia the severo.t terms what is the
trouble] sail / addressing Nj Morphy
why, sir. this man here will not tell me
name. OF the two ladies who have just gone
mo church ! Perhaps he does not KNOW
| mi dly SUI sgested. wnich seemed to iniu-
riate Paul, VINO replied, Eyes he and
sh II lind out who tney are II ] have to ask
the rector himself Seeing thai Paul might
carry out his threat, | endeayvred to paci-
fy him by telling hin that ! would give
him letter OF introduction to them, and so
advise him to indite a compl Int to the
the rector. and If he (the sexton) had mi
behaved himself he would undoubtedly he
discharged. This seemed TO lease Nor
pay, and he went away but fearing that |
had unwittiDgly have got the poor sexton
into hot water, turned to him and said
Now Ihave advised tie gentleman to write
to the rector complaining of your conduct.
so YOU had better state the Gaze before
hand, and If the reverend do tor doubts
your statement refer him to me- That's
all right, Mr.. W. replied the .extoD, Il
think can fight my own battle; for that
is only poor Paul Morphy. and | have
heard of his tricks h, fore
"But If you have rot heard how Paul
Morphy was on the point OF fighting aduel,
will give you the proper version IT 1t.
He is accustomed to take queer notions in
his head, and one of his last Authorizations
was that all the BARRIERS IN New Orleans
had been bribed to use some ingredient in
the lalher, with which they shaved him, 10
bring out an eruption on his skin. So
! thoroughly was he imbucd with this idea
that he would sit for hours in one hop,
waiting for one par,icu ar man, in whom,
| as he said he could have confidence, oper-
" stating that all the Others were conspir.
ators. TIE next thing was to determine
who the insiigator of this dastardly plot
could be, aud one day he got it into hit
head that broker on CarOndolet street
J was the arch conspirator, and nothing
would do but that he must chastse thu
cu'prit at once. The broker was standing
OIL side his office when Paul rushed up Il
him In the most excited and tire atenini
way, thr'a tening vengeance for h VIM
bribed all thu BARRIERS to injure his .kin
M "a n, M, All mn ,rInh az, .,nan a.