The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-08
A HUMAN VAMPIRE.
A Remarkable Story Of voodooism
in New York.
a Mere Child's Attempt to Murder
Three Persons in Order to Get
Their Property and Jewels,
and Afterward Admitting
It in Court.
IN. X. Herald

seventh street police court, is reviewed the
old fiction OF the vampire which runs through
30 many tales Of romance and mysticism,
and the belief In the dreaded Broucolacque
which haunts the gloomy superstitions Of the
Breton peasants receives In 1t an illustration.
The narrative comes from the mouth OF Mile.
Elfrida de Vaily, a professor Of the French
language OF the Normal College, and 1t re-
ceived confirmation in the confession of the
child who figures in 1t. To give an idea Of
the Iatter's history the following statement
was made to Justice Kilbreth:
In the early part OF the present century the
De Vaily family were large proprietors in the
West Indies. They had plantations In Janai-
ca and carried on other enterprises with
profit in the neighboring islands. Much OF
their wealth consisted OF slaves, and the lat
ter were widely scattered through the ter
ritory. Acknowledgement and other reverses
due to governmental changes greatly reduced
the family and when Mile. Elfrida and her
sister were young girls In Paris the remnants
Of the fortune dWindled away with the last Of
OF years before was q tawny little fellow
called Alfred Burton for whom they con-
ceived q liking and whom they had attached
to the family. They were not forgetful of
him In their reduced condition, and the young
mulattp received an excellent training.
longed for early scenes, left them and went
back to the Indies, where he married native
woman who had received some such educa-
Monal advantages as himself. He kept the
De Vailys familiar with hts career, and when
q little girl was born him he called the child
Dora, In honor Of some OF his patrons, and
aeuuainted them with 1t. Soon after came
word that Burton had expired and left the
little one and its mother In extreme poverty.
The De Vailys, still willing to BIZ Of service,
offered to take the child and adopt it, and
opened q correspondence with the mother to
that end. She eagerly accepted the PROPOSE
tion, and little Dora was sent to New York,
where the family had In the meanwhile set
tied She became their care at once and has
grown up to be q very amiable little girl OF
twelve.
THE LITTLE MONSTERS FIRST APPEARANCE.
After the expiration OF many years the De
Vailys were surprised to hear from the child's
mother again. She was still in the Indies and
again a mother. This time she wrote her
daughter was a lovely little girl, so light In
color that she was q marvel in that region,
and she asked that the little girl be taken
in charge by the family as the other had been
Her proposal was cody received, but she was
not to be satisfied with denials. Letter after
letter came from her, describing the little
creatures PROJECTIONS and her fitness for q bet
LeF IaIe lnaH sne couiu ever nope IOt ~ nome
She even inclosed locks OF reddish hair to at
test the lightness OF the ehild's complexion,
and In other ways tried to win her q reception
In New York. To get rid of the woman's Inn
portunities the De Vailys yielded at last, and
S35 IN gold was sent to her TO pay the little
1877 they went to the vessel to receive the lit
tie West Indian paragon. and we're tri1e
taken aback at what awaited them. A child
Of seven years was there-a puny little crea-
ture, with . pretty face, strange black eyes
and dark hair, which retained III Its ripples a
quadroon, differing In no respect from other
mongrel children except In its extreme dim-
dence. Not word could be got out Of the
little stranger by, questions Or caresses, OK,
pout Of the lips. 1t took some time for them
to assure themselves that she was not actu-
ally dumb.
BEGINS TO SHOW HER TRUE CHARACTER
Once at home they set about training her,
and in some things Eugene Eliza Burton
was an apt pupil. She learned to read and
write and proved herself cunning enough at
times. But there her good qualities ceased
and the De Vailys came to understand that
they had introduced veritable enfn7at terrible
to their hearth. Eugene was sullen, she was
self-willed, she was mischievous as a kitten,
she could storm like termagant, scratch
and bite like a little tigress, and deal blow
with her tiny, yellow fist that one could feel.
II there was one thing she could use with
better address than another it was her teeth.
That little semicircle Of molars was imprint
ed in all sorts OF improbable places about the
less susceptible material it left Its mark, and
that tiny row of worries would rend auedquilt,
tear piece OF mating and dig big holes In
q mattress with ease. She was FESTIVE one
night, and they put q couple Of chairs beside
the bed to keep her In. She BIT through the
t1cyri tang md tnrn fhn 1nt fx1Y
other time they chided her, and she put the
end OF an embroidered piano cover In her
mouth and had 1t In twain In q jiffy. She was
interrupted while consuming potfuI of rhu-
barb, and she recaptured the vessel and
smeared herself witt the contents from top
to toe. When discovered In any mischief she
would either fatty deny it or fatty admit and
sullenly submit to the consequences. M lie.
de Vaily caught her tearing to pieces fifty
dollar floral present she had received from her
vixen scattered them before her eyes, These
little peculiarities the family would no longer
have endured; but within the last month they
made discovery which revealed what a
strange little monster they had beneath their
roof.
THE VIXEN TURNED VAMPIRE.
The De Vailys are residing on a flat at No.
343 East Fiftieth street, and Eugene and her
half-sister, Dora, slept In rooms close to Mile.
Elfrida's. For some time the latter has been
awakened at night by a strange sensation In
her throat and an oppression on the lungs
which she could not account for. One night
she awoke to discover Eugene moving about
and she sent her to sleep with the other little
girl Some time passed and then M lie De Vaily
was aroused by creaking OF the bed il the
childrens room. She turned about and saw
reflected in the mirror there sight that for
awhile puzzled her. Eugene was crouching
on the. other child's body, her fingers were
pressed about her throat and her own lips
touching the mouth were sucking In Dora's
breath In way that seemed to cause her
painful effort. The little creature was trying
to smother her sister. When Mile.
De Vaily appeared she stoutly de
MED she had been doing anything and
maintained this 80 persistently that they
lost sight OF it. A short time since, how
ever; Mile Efrida, who has by fits and starts
awakened ada with the same ,unaccountable sen
die OF the night to find Eugenie coiled like a
serpent Sc; over her, her fingers squeezing her
Wlndplpe and engaged In blowing into her
throat; When she moved. the child, with
peevlsn pinch relinquished her hold, bounded
to the floor and made off to bed. They aroused
her there and questioned her for long time