The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-03-11
Still CARRYING the Signs.

Virgile Dubouroue, a Frenchman sew.
enty-hve wears old, died suddenly in a
lodging house at 78 Wooster street, on
Monday. from natural causes. Coroner
Brady learned that the only relative of
the dead man in this city was his SON..
Ernest, forty wears old, who was his
fathers constant companion. and min
istered to the best of his ability to his
wants. Nightly for years he had I'M
dressed his aged father and put him to
bed in the poorly furnished attic room.
The son was disposed to be silent about
his fathers history. The neighbors think
that both were deranged. u fIH..
1t appears that they came to this city
together about twenty years ago. The
father said that they came from Lor-
raine. where he had been q schoolmas-
ter, and that he had come here to OBJ
tain a large sum of money left to him by
a brother, who was '49er in California.
Soon after they got here Ernest disap-
peared His father told some friends
that he had taken with him several
thousand francs, and had gone to Lon
don. The old man seemed to be much
broken down by this desertion After
All absence of year the son returned,
and was much shocked at finding his
father, who, when he left the city had
been hale and hearty, sick and de-
ranged Ernest worked hard as paint
er, and supported his father with his
earnings, but after while he too began
to act queerly, became morose, and neg
lected his appearance,
Finally the elder Dubourgue had -four
tin signs, with white letters on dark
ground made, and one morning father
and son left the house, carrying on their
backs and breasts the tin signs On the
signs was printed the announcement
that they had been defrauded by the
United States Government of a large
sum of money left them by relative,
and demanded reparation. The placards
denounced bishops. priests. and all civil
officers of the Government. Father
and son spent the day walking up and
down the principal streets of the city
with their placards. Day after day
they renewed this curious promenade.
Complaints were made to the police by
persons who had had their clothes torn
by brushing against the sharp edges of
the tin. placards. Thepair were arrested,
but were discharged after promising to
use less obtrusive signs. A week later
they were equipped with wooden signs,
bearing the same Inscription. With
these they marched daily along Broad
way, from Fourteenth street to the Bat
terry. How they lived was a mystery.
M, Dubourgue, the elder. frequently
visited the rooms of the Societe Fran
caise de BienfaiSancein West Fourteenth
street, and received from them small
sums of money and other assistance.
The President Mr.. Charles Renauld,
made several Intellectual attempts to
prevail on him to abandon his life in the
street, but he refused to listen. When
the son awoke on Monday morning his
father was dead by his side in the bed.
The son went down stairs and coolly in
formed, the neighborS, and disappeared
for the day.
The society buried the old Frenchman
on Tuesday. The son was not at the
funeral. Later in the day he was seen
by the police in upper Broadway, with
his own signs on his back and his faith
er's in his hand. He looked pale and
haggard, and had been crying. A po-
liceman asked him where his father was,
He replied simply, q He is dead" There
is no later report of the sons where
abouts. Y. Sun.