Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-14
DECIDEDLY PARTISAN.

Strange Suicide Of Two Lovers.
4 remarkable duel has just taken place
which for its novelty and fearful termina-
ton has set Parisians asoy.
Two brothers, Augustc and Andre
Berni, the former age. 10, the latter 80,
both employed in the great glass manutac-
tory at Saint Denis. became enamorcd of
Adele Verseri, a cook at La Fillette. Adele
VcrSeri is described as young woman of
plain, simple habits, who had, by dint Of
hard work and economy, managed to save
1 few hundred francs. In appearance
Adele is but humble representative OF
France, but she is modest and retiring,
and not given to resOrt!ng to balls and the
atres. She formed the acquaintance OF
the brothers at baptism. Both, it ap-
pears from the very first, began paying her
attentions.
Adele Verger received the visits Of the
| brothers with much sang froid. To her 1t
| was amusing TO sec first one, then the
other, come putting and blowing in his de-
sire to be the first to greet her. Neither
| would give i'll to the other, and Adele had
to escort them both out, rs neither would
leave the other alone with her. 50 terri
bic became the jealousy between the
brothers that they would not speak with
|
ut last, as Adele Vergcri threatened that
unless her courtship ceased to be mixed
| with hatred she would have to ask the
brothers to dcsist from calling upon her.
The brothers met. They had parted with
Adele Ncrsori, and both confronted each
other in one Of the great wine shops of the
Saint Denis quarter, SO appropriately
called by lola, "Assommoir.' They
glarcd at each other, and their friends saw
at once that mischief Was brewing. They
finally mOtiOned to each other to withdraw
to a table. They spoke low, but texcitcdly,
smoked quickly, ard the blue smoke OF
their pipes was hot.
"a duel! Yes, duclr' This was dis,
tinctly heard, and then the brothers beck
oned to Jules Remi and Alfred Poulier,
friends of theirs. They had decided upon
fighting duel, but not with swords Oh
pistols. 1t was to be a duel to the death.
Two bottles of rum. brought from the
cellars of Jacques Barbicr's Assommoir dc
Saint Denis, were put on the table. Two
tumblcrs were set by the side of the
bottles, and then this contract was made
by the brothers in the presence Of wit
nesscs:
'It is agreed between the brothers
Auguste and Andre Bcrni to drink run
until neither is unable to drink any more
) The first who sucsumbs will consider him
self beaten, and surrender all claim tc
Adele Vergcri.'
The contract was signed, the bottle:
tipped. and the tumblcr filled. At first th'
men drank slowly, but rs the liquor began
to excite their brains they fairly poured il
, down their throats. AT the ninth glas:
Augus:e, the younger Of the brothers
gave yell Of pain, and sank senseless to
the floor Andre Bcrni then arose, and
with a smile OH his face, turned to
leave. Hardly hal he reached the doc
| of the cabaret when he threw III
? his hands and fell scnscless. lie wa
, quickly carried to the hospital TenOn
but died shortly after reaching it, Of con
cussion of the brain and paralysis Of the
| heart. Augustc Berni, cr;lzed BY the run
he had drank, recovering from his faint
ran madly through the Streets and ha
not been seen since.
Adele Vergeri, the humble cook o: l.;
ViIlctte, when she ilcart! OF the death o
Andre and the Disappearance OF Auguste
! merely shrugged her si,ou lders.