The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-05-13
Romance OF a Poor Young Man.

The sensation caused by the trial of
Mile. Biere for attempting to shoot her
lover has barely begun to suhside before
another case, equally extraordinary, but
far more painful, is on the point of COM
ing before the Paris Assizes. The origin
of the story dates as far back as the Sum-
mer of 1869. In that year a young man
named Alfred Gilbert fell in love with
young girl of the name of Gabrielle Co
ran. They both belonged to poor fami.
lies, and both lived in the neighborhood
Of Palais Royal.
After courting in secret for some
months, the young man demanded the
hand ofhis sweetheart, but her father, who
was an ardent Bonapartist, and occupied
a stall in one of the public offices, refused
his consent on tt , ground Of the Repub-
lican opinions held by Gilbert. The
young couple then resolved to run away
together, and one night the girl disap-
peared from home. After weeks search,
the father found them living together in
a suburban retreat. On the promise Of
forgiveness and consent to their marriage,
the girl returned home to her parents,
but the father declined to keep his word,
and began to look out for another son-in-
law.
Driven to despair, Gabrielle Coran
again eloped with her lover, and the two
determined to commit suicide. For this
purpose they hired a room in small inn
at Plessis Piquet. The young man bought
revolver, and the young woman pack
ct of lucifer matches. Gabrielle Coran
first of all tried to poison herself with
decoction of the matches. This failing,
she told her lover to fire bullet into her
heart. Alfred Gilbert fired, and without
waiting to see the effect of the shot, dis
charged second bullet into his own
head. Neither wound was, however, IA
tai. Both were taken to the hospital,
where they remained two months. The
bullet in the girls body was extracted,
but the other bullet still remained in the
skull of the young man, where it has ever
since been.
Gilbert was about to be tried for at
tempting to shoot his mistress, when the
war broke out and put stop to the sit.
ting of the Assizes. AS the Germans
marched into Paris, and the seige became
imminent, the authorities, wanting all
the able. bodied men possible to defend
the city, consented to let him out of pris.
on for the moment, on the condition of
his enrolling himself in some active corps,
and promising not to seek after Gabrielle
Coran. He joined the sharp-shooters of
the Ternes Quarter. and distinguished
himself so much in the Buzenval sortie
that he was mentioned on the military
order of the day. The war over and
peace proclaimed, he returned to the
hands ofjustice to undergo his trial, but
once more fate stepped in and postponed
it. The Commune arose, and all the
public powers having withdrawn to Yer
sailles, the city was left in the hands Of
the Insurrectionists, who opened the pris.
on.doors and enrolled the inmates, among
them Alfred Gilbert.
The young man does not appear to
have taken conspicuous part in the in
surrection. However, he was tried by
court. martial in 1871, and sentenced to
transportation to New Caledonia, where
he remained until few months ago,
when be was amnestied. He has just ar
rived in Paris and given himself up to
the legal authorities to 20 through his
trial for the deed committed at Plessis
Piquet ten years ago. But the pain
full part of the story remains to be told.
Gabrielle Coran is now the wife of a we'll.
to.do merchant, with several children,
highly respected and of irreproachable
character.
Forgetting the folly of her tender years,
and believing Gilbert dead and buried,
she married, but kept the tragic love-
drama of1S70 secret from her husband.
The sad consequences of this unexpected
resurrection of the young man can be
more easily conceived than described
Paris Dispatck to the London Standard.