Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-04-24
An international Episode.

An TnternafiOnal Episode.
A PARTISAN SCANDAL WHICH HAS
ITS RAM1FICATIoNs IN PHILA-
DELPHIA.
From the Partisan.
In the Mouth of May, 1913,
young man of twenty-five, named
Picault, clerk Ia u ready-made
clothes shop, married Mile. Celes-
tine Handoz, the only daughter
of honest bourgeois parents. In
the month of May, 1870, there
died at Sienna, in a sumptuous
villa, a rich stranger, who had
been for years an invalid, and who
had been seen travelling in Italy
in company with a young and
beautiful woman. The newspaper
of Sienna, in announcing his de-
cease, described him as "Sir Will
liam Guthry d'Arusmont, an
English subject, son of Robert
Guthry and Margaret Courtenay."
Eugene Plcault and William
Guthry were one and the same
man. The history OF the trans
formation of the humble clerk into
splendid Englishman is a whole
romance. Eugene Picault was
born with an ardent and adven-
turous spirit, and no sooner had
he become possessed OF the modest
dowry of his wife than he began
! TO speculate. Toe result was not
satisfactory, aud In 1854 he was
ruined aud completely disquaii-
fled in Partisan commercial cir
Giles. Ii was then that he met o
young American lady, daughter
of some Spanish planter, whose
name is given as sylvia Phiquepal
d'Arusmont. This lady was look
ing out for man to superinlend
the management of her property
in America. Eugene Picault had
retired to one of the popular quar-
tiers Of Paris and opened little
office where he offered to buy and
sell property, manage estates.
carry on litigation, etc. Mile.
d'Arusmont entered Picault's of
flee one day, explained her wishes,
aud Picault offered himself, for he
saw his fortune before him. Pic
ault was, by the way, a very
handsome man. "A few weeks
later Eugene Picault and Mile.
d'Arusmont embarked together
for America. Picaut refused to
accept anything but q temporary
mission and for that reason he
left his wife and his two young
children at Paris. A regularand
affectionate correspondence ensued
between Picault and his wife, but
little by little he began to express
desire TO settle in America,
AMI begged his wife to come,and
join him. Mime. Picault embarked
In 1857, and found her husband
established in a handsome house
near Philadelphia, In the center
of the estate the management of
which had been entrusted to him.
Picault received his wife with
transports OF Joy. She was aston
ished, for her husband, when he
left her, was an Indifferent and
hcartless debauche. Suddenly
everything changed, and Picault
again became naughty and cruel.
1t became evident that he had
sent for his wife only in order to
excite the jealousy Of Sylvia
d'Arusmont, and so to conquer
her resistance. His strategem
succeeded; Sylvia yielded, and
Nine. Picault left America and
returned to France alone, for the
husband had placed one OF the
children In convent in America
and had kapt the other with him.
Five years passed; Sylvia and
Picault led luxurious and rest
less existence; three children were
born to them. Poor aud aban-
doned, Nine. Picault did not lose
courage, and she succeeded in
finding the convent where her
daughter was and In paying her
passage home, for her father had
neglected to pay her board for two
years, SO much had he been
wrapped up in his mistress. In
1864 the other child died, at the
age OF eighteen. Nine. Picault
only heard of her death last year,
at the same time that the judicial
examination proved Sir William
Guthry 10 be no other than Eu-
gene Picault. The unfortunate
woman applied last week to the
Court of Paris to obtain the annul-
ment of Eugene Picault's second
and the declaration of
The children by il as adulterine.
There was no opposition, for
Sylvia d'Afusmont, after q few
u anka of Mourning at Sienna dis