New-York tribune., 1879-04-25
DETAILS OF THE TRAGEDY.

Deffarge, Frenchman by birth, about thirty-iye
years of age and druggist by occupation. being
Jealous Of his wife, whom he accused of improper
intimacy with other men, administered poison to
himself his son, four years Of age, and mis- little
daughter two years old. His efforts resulted in the
death of himself and his son. The little girl was
carried to the New-York Hospital, and is in far
way to recover.
Albert DefIarge came from Bordeaux France, to
Ncv-York several years ago. and pursued his occu-
patton a druggist. He was partner III the firm
of Albert & Mitchell, druggists, on Ninth-aye, and
used his christian name instead of his surname III
the firm title. Eleven years ago he became ac-
quainted with his wife, Clara A. Deilarge, who prac-
tised the business of clairyOyant, physician aud
fortune teller under the name Of Madame Raphael.
They have we'd together as husband and wife dur
ing the eleven years. but marriage ceremony took
place only three years ago. Deft1rge has not been
III business for a long time aId 1t is said that he
lived on the earnings of clairyOyance and The in
come Of a three-st0iy house IN which they were iv-
ing, his " ifc renting the building and subletting
the second door to family. and the third story to
dodgers. For several months they have not lived
harmoniously together, owing to sjeaousy. About
a week ago he left the house, taking with him $o7,
which, his wife afiins, she intended TO use to pay
the rent On Saturday last he sent to his wife this
letter in English:
DEAR AND BELOVED CLARA: Nv life is fast going
to he ended. Take care of my poor unfortunate
| children. YOu drive me away from my home ana
from all that love 10y your scOrn and your con-
tempt, but remember you are and you VIII be my
ONLY love- hope God will forgive YOU, as do, but
TO live far from those who are everything to me Is
not n life I'm fit of rage have done what have
done, but last night when alone III my room, what
bitter tears were streaming from my eyes. On, my
| wife OH my chldrenl will ever see you again
| Your poor father will be broken-hearted man.
Nav God protect you. may He have you III HIS holy
keeping. Oh! God, what terrible lot Is mlne, what
terrible suffering will be NINE! Away from home l
| cannot live. Death will be my only consolation.
Aud you, Clara; what have done TO YOU for you to
treat me as you did Nothing. Everything nave
| Will be sent back TO you. Good-Dye, dearest
ALBERT DEFFARGE.
Deffarge called at the house two or three times
since Saturday but his wife refused to see him.
Then, apparently, he determined to take the life of
his children as well as to destroy himself and went
TO work deliberately to accomplish his purpose
| Yesterday morning he called at the house a few
| moments after g. and was admitted by the servant
Catherine Murphy. He appeared cheerful, and
| there was nothing unusual about his manner He
asked the servant to go upstairs and bring down
the little girl for him to dress, and she complied
He seated himself in a chair, and received the child
in most aiectionate manner fondllng and kissing
her. and began putting on her clothes Tie told the
servant to return upstairs and bring down his little
| boy She dressed the child upstairs and brought
him down, when he was also received Dy the father
| with marks of affection. Once again Deiiarge re-
quested the servant to upstairs this time to tell
his wife that he wanted very much to see her, His
wife was in bed and said she did not want to get
| mn then and moreover would not see him anyway.
| After about fifteen minutes the servant returned
down stars with this message, and was hor1hed to
find the fa' her and his two children stretched out
ON the floor of the kitchen, the children i'll conyul-
tl,., nd Il.tf 4rnnf not
| and apparently dead.
The wife was at once summoned by the servant,
| and paying no heed to her husband. did all she
could for the relief of the children. In a few min
utes the little boy was dead. About Z o'clock an
officer on his beat near by was summoned by the
| excited servant. He found the mother with the
| little girl IN her arms, and father and son lying
| where tney had died on the kitchen floor. Word
was sent To the Twentieth Street Station, whence
| CAPTAIN RYAN summoned an ambulance, which con
yeyed the little girl 10 tine New-lOrk Hospital tie
servant being sent along TO care for the child, who
was frightened 10y the sight OF strangers
SCENES Al THE INQUEST.
Retyeen / and o'clock Coroner Ellinger, with
Deputy-Coroner Goldschmidt, arrived and held an
inquest IN the small dark kitchen in the basement.
| where the bodies lay. Several memoranda and
long letter i'm French left by the dead man were
read by the Coroner. In the letter, dated a. IN.
Monday, and evidently written for the eye Of the
| Coroner he charges his wife with improper rela-
tions with three different men, whom he names,
| and mentions the places where lhey nad Deeh III
| the habit of meeting In part he says: ne con-
duct of my wife having become more and mole dis
graceful rom day to day, the tortures nave Deen
| made suffer thereby for the past three months
have become so great that wish to live no longer.
She had the intention or carrying Oh my
two children, and to 90 with him. 10 avoid TINS
took from her the money she had, anu "illcll hau
gwen her 10 pay the rent thing when she did not
do, aud left the house. Vas forced to do this, as
| She no longer wished To 1--we with me.
This being the conduct OF my WliG Whom
| loved as much as ever man could love what could
| | do? What sort of a life woud lead apart from
| her and nv poor children, after having lived ten
1T mca Viii her. and whom have loved SO much
No III is impossible 1t Is better 10 dIc ana take
my children along with me. Whatever m!eery sue
may endure she must Dl.me ielhel Tor a. Ter own
conscience will punish her. and the I'lseran e cGlet
| cause of all ms misery will punish her. May God
visit with terrible afhcnOn the villain ana may my
! nalrdictIon follow hlm 10 the end oi ms Gays;
| ON a scrap OF paper he had written IN french
that his wIfes practice OF fortunc,ut!Hig had Deen
Tie remote cause OF all has trouble, ana that sac
| had prevented him from SEEKING employment nc
co.es with more feryent prOtestatlOns OF i0Ve Tor
ms wfr and saws " Ii destroyed your dresses 1t
| Was for your own pood, 10 he'P SUu iiV'' D'e w
| proud and so selfish" =, =, ~
Hr,ng questioned by the Coroner, Mrs. Denarge,
| who showed few symptoms OF grle1 ana TOOK the
tragedy very stoicaiy sara she was i noin III I IN
| gina that her husband was very Jealous hhd
made her life miserable that his suspicious were
| unfouudcd, aud that Iic had taken IRON her 3sI
and had refused To work. She s ab0ut tlrty years
| Of are a rather small, dark eyed woman OF saLO"
complexion not at all prep0ssessIng ID appearance,
| Int eyIncing much shrewdness. Almost her lrst
act after the little grl was taken 10 tht husPiih
| ms IN send n teegraphc dispatch to Thomas Kelly,
| of Contest. Brooklyn young man twenty-three
years of age asking him to come III haste and sign
Inc herself Raphael" Mr.. Kelly was present at
! Tho ,uoue.t and IN answer to the COrOnels III
nnirirs said he had known Mrs. Deitarge for seven
Veare but declared that there had been 10 improper
! Intimacy between them. He admitted that DeIarge
| had told hlm not To visit at the house. but II was
| because they had quarrcled in discussion about
| Communism. Ii was so long since lac was last at
the house that he had forgotten Wheh II was was
Nevertheless Captain Ryan said that few days be.
fnr nllu had heen at the statIOn-hOnse ~ see II