The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-04-20
Was 1t Murder 3
A Sensation in the Parish of St. John.
St. Charles Mirror.

IA ROu0oUIOl III Ul1O Il eb1lGA VI Rbs Uunus
st. Charles Mirror.
A startling and highly sensa-
tional story from the Bonnet Care
region, in the parish of st. John,
comes to us this week through the
agency of one of our oldest and most
respected citizens. The particulars
aie as follows:
Several years ago there lived in
the parish of st. John planter by
the name of Cambon, with his family,
which consisted of his wife and
grown-up niece, a beautiful young
lady of about eighteen. Between
Cambon and his better half there ap-
pears to lave been no e0ngeniality or
reciprocity of affection, and their life
was one long series of quarrels aud
matrimonial disturbances. There was
no peace or happiness for either, and
their chickering's and disputes were
the talk of the neighborhood in
which they lived. This state of af-
fairs lasted until about eighteen
months ago, when the wife mysteri-
.ously disappeared, and the rumor
was circulated that she had commit
ted suicide by drowning in the Mis-
sissippi. The distracted husband
for it is said he really gfieved oyer
the supposed fate of his wife-made
every effort to recover the body. The
river was dragged and watched for
many days, couriers sent down the
coast to notify the residents, and
| Cambon even went SO far as TO order
an elegant coffin from the city in
which to inter the remains when
found. After many days the search
was given up, the general supposi-
tion being that the body had foated
into the Bonnet Care crevasse and
became buried under the debris and
drift. Things resumed. their usual
course, and the event passed from
the memory of the residents.
A few months after Cambon's niece,
who had been living with the un-
friendly couple, was discovered to be
enciente. To cover up the disgrace
and scandal Cambon married her,
acknowledging the condition of the
girl to be his own work. They lived
quietly together until two weeks ago,
when Cambon died. His body was
enclosed in the same coffin he had
purchased eighteen months before for
his wife. !
Now comes the sensation. A few
days after his death, while workmen
were repairing the dwelling and other
houses attached to the place, a bone.
having the appearance of belonging
toa human body was discovered pro-
truding from the ground underneath
the chicken house. The laaerer WIN
first discovered it, examined and
showed it to his assistants. A discus
sion ensued and it was proposed to
spade up the earth. This was accord
ingly done, and the skeleton of hn-
man body-a woman's, as was evident
from the shape and size--was un-
earthed. The news spread like wild
fire, and many rumors and specula-
tions are rife. Some contend the re-
mains to be those of Cambon's unfor-
tunate wife, and that he murdered her
to get rid OF her. Others maintain
that they belong to some party buried
there fifty or sixty years ago, before
a dwelling was erected on that imme-
diate spot.
Whatever the truth may be, the
chain of circumstances which tends to
cast shadow of horrible crime up
| on the deceased mans memory is very
strong. We refrain from comment
until further light is thrown upon the
mysterious affair. Aside from his do
mestic troubles, we have always heard
Cambon spoken of as an intelligent
and honest man, square dealing with
bis business friends and ever ready to
lend a helping hand to a needy and
deserving neighbor. Were it not for
the grave suspicious the above facts
give rise to, we would feel it impos-
sible to believe that he was capable
of committing such an infamous crime.