The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-20
THE DEATH GRIP.
TllE ROMANTIC SUICIDE or 4 vENE-
YIEEEAN.
The Maniac Claspea In the Islsid Arms nj
n Corpse.


a Corpse.
tFittsburg Dispatch
A year and q half ago the quiet cur
rent or life at the humdrum capital OF
Daxonv, Dresden. was rippled by the
dashing plunge into 1t Of stranger
from q strange land, whose name soon
found place on every tongue, This
name was Behrens. The bearer Of II.
a young man Of thirty, was the son Of
an old resident OF Dresden by an In
dian woman Of Venezuela, TO which
country the elder Behrens had emf
grated, and where, by the fortunate
development OF valuable gold claim
on the Yruari river, he had gained
fortune.
Young Behfens, born in lonely ranch
on the Orinoeo, bred among the half
savage dependents of the father, edit
Gated according to the narrow rules OF a
school where the sehoolmaster was a
priest. and the reading book cate
chisn, grew TO manhood without hav-
Ing ceased to be boy.
The death of his father, in 1851 left
him
MASTER or HIMSELF AND AN IMMENSE
FORTUNE.
without barrier to it's disposition. It
left him free as regarded his personal
movements, too, q thing which under
the stern rule of his father had been
impossible. The first use he made of
his new liberty was to go to Europe.
and. with a natural desire to zee the
birthplace of his parent, to Dresden.
At the time Of his appearance In the
Saxon capital Ella Seidlinger, one of
the most popular of German comic
opera primas, was performing q round
or her characters at the Court Theatre
In n very little time 1t became known
that the wealthy young South American
was smitten with the piquant charms Of
the fair singer. and that no inconsider-
able quantity of his gold found Its way
into her possession in the shape Of
Jewels, trinkets and other costly gifts.
AT one time he tossed her bouquet
In the heart of which reposed a case of
diamonds worth nearly twenty thou
sand dollars. At another his gift was
an artificial wreath, each flower In which
was coruscation OF flashing gems. One
morning when she descended to the
street for her journey to the theatre
she found, instead of her own modest
hired hack, q superb coupe, with liv-
cried eoachman to drive two handsome
white m ,ss s waiting ~ b for her nah s
lavish friend provided her with a beat
tiful establishment in an elegant cot
tage In the suburbs.
This last coup told. The singer was
AZ easy OF virtue rs she was beautiful,
and so princely friend was not to be
treated lightly.
SHE BECAME HIS MISTRESS.
This occurred In August, 1876. The
pair spent the summer In villa at
Trieste and the winter In all the mad
dissipation OF Paris. With the spring
they returned to Dresden, where the
woman began her annual engagement
at the theatre, to which she was con.
tracted. as q common custom OF the
German drama. for series Of years.
Her engagement began In April.
tion was an attdche Of the English EN-
bassy at Dresden, who had at one time
figured as the singers protector. but
who had been absent on diplomatic
business In Russia for some years.
The name OF this man was Feather
stone. He was handsome, clever
man, the cadet of a good family, with
very slender means and most extra
VACANT tastes. The actress was as mad
~ In love with him as her poor South
American dupe was with herself. The
consequences may readily be imagined.
Ihe sight OF him revived all her DOR
mant devotion. and their old amour
was quickly renewed. Not only that,
but constant and heavy demands were
made upon the wealthy lovers purse to
feed the extravagances of the attache.
Little by little these facts became
Known TO Behrens. Unwilling as he
was to believe them, he was finally
forced to do so. and all the hot jealous
blood Of the Indian in his veins turned
to fire at the discovery OF his idols
faithIessness. One night, at a recep.
ton at the British Minister'S, he met
his rival for the first time face to face.
Few words followed, succeeded by
blow. Next day there was duel In the
woods Of Arnheld, little pleasue re-
sort much affected by fashionable Dres-
den, some miles from the city. At the
first fire
THE ATrAcHE WAS SHOT BEAD.
Behrens, Of course, was compelled to
leo the country, and took refuge in