The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-28
THE FATAL SISTERS.
A Strange Story Of a yOudOO Curse.

old residents OF LOUISIANA III was one
Of the wealthiest and most influential
before the war. DE Courcy was the
owner of the famous Magnolia planta-
ton, rs well as two other almost rs
notable and expensive plantations in
the Opelousls parish.
This afiluent Creole, while young
and wild and sowing his wild oats
took for his mistress the favorite
grandchild of Marie Lavon, the
famous Voudoo Queen, who died in
Louisiana about two years ago. In
her rage and Indignation the voudoo
queen uttered terrible curse, and at
the annual voudoo orgies and incanta-
tons held by the negroes on the banks
of Lake POnchartraln winth solemn
rites and diabolical ceremony, record
ed the anathemas against the white
in true voudOo fashion. lie was To
have no male heir, and his line should
die with his daughters.
or course, the curse of the old ne
Gress was laughed ut and ridiculed
but it became a familiar household
story among the first families on the
Gull coast.
DE Courcy married and had three
daughters, who were atterward
known as the fatal sisters. The last
Of these ladies died here in San Fran
cisco, under an assumed name, early
last month, as the following brief an
nouncement in the New Orleans
Picayune indicates: died, in San
Francisco, Madame Joan Maria
Bienveuu, the last of the fatal sis
ters."
-But why are they termed the fatal
sistersY
That am about to explain. At the
beginning OF the war De Courcy
owned three of the largest sugar plan
tations in Louisiana. His three
daughters, Louise, Celeste and Joan,
were the bellies OF Mobile and New
>.0rleans, and held undisputed sway
Ter the hearts of many of the gal
mt and lordly young planters of the
delta. On the death of their father,
who left his three daughters immense
wealth in real estate, money and
slaves, these three orphans became the
rage, so TO speak, OF the gulf coast
society.
Possessing unbounded wealth, raw
ishingly beautiful, accomplished and
gay, these three girls reigned like a
trio of queens among the bon ton OF
New Orleans and Mobile. Unre-
strained and wild, these three south
fern beauties enjoyed license which
WOULD have been denied by society IL
others less wealthy than they. Gossip
was free with their names but nc
faint of improperly was carried in
I the comments and conversation, which
was general.
>Thoir lives were free and bright
1 ka xsr.1rlI 10 thpftt a frur on
of pleasure, through which they wan
dered, plucldng the brightest of flow.
ers at will. The fatality which had
Mready carried off their father, hung
unseen over the lives of these three
Innocent Creole girls.
The Voudoo Queens curse was al
most forgotten when Louise, the eld
est, married DIR. Hunt, of Alabama
While the honeymoon was still bright
her husband. excited by jealousy at 1
ball In Mobile, challenged Il gentleman
who had been one of their old suitors
The duel came off and DIR. Hunt wa:
killed. This was tragedy number
two.
The year following this tragic cpl
sode the second daughter, Celeste DE-
'0urcy, was married to Chas. Forsyth
bn of the noted journalist anC
iitor of the Mobile Register. This
Nlnarriage proved to be even more un
4 fortunate than that of the elder sister
Young Forsyth was proud, brave
and rather exacting. His wife, on the
other hand, was ~ born CO
Quette. She was gay, beautiful anG
careless of public criticism. What
cared the proud young lady for what
the world saidp She deiied public
scandal, and Notwithstanding the pro
testations of her proud, revengefu
and even jealous husband, continued
to furnish food for scandal. In his
grief and desperation. Col. Forsyth
committed suicide in Mobile.
His father, in the grief and bitter
ness of a father bereft of fayoritt
p son, headed his editorial obituary il
y the Mobile Register with the signifi.
cant but bitter title, KILLED by his
Wife," and denounced the fashionable
sirens through whose influence two
men had gone to untimely graves. In
this article the elder Forsyth pre-
dicted-the same fatal destiny for the
third sister.
was an eyewitness to The tragedy
which consummated the fearful curse
Of the Voudoo Queen. / heard the
challenge, saw the duel, and remember
well the details of the sanguinary af
fair which led to the flight of the thirt
Of the fatal sisters" to San Francisco
The fairest of the three sisters wa:
Joan Marie, the youngest of them all
She was one of those brilliant beauties
who make men mad in their alteration
Her eyes were like flashing stars, he
hair black as the night and luXurian
In its profusioh. She was one of thos,
fascinating brunettes so aptiy de
scribed by Byron.
AT last she surrendered to the WOO
ing of rich young Creole of New Or
leans named Edouard Bienvenu, wht
led the last of this fatal trio To tn
hymenial altar. Like her sisters, sh,
cared nothing for what Mrs. Grund.
might say, and after her marriage
with Bienvenu continued her tlirta
tions with her old time admirers.
was the social editor of the New Or
leans Picayune at the time this last
tragic episode in the De Courcy fami
~ history occurred.
1t was in the month of February
1874. and our Mardi Gras festivitie
were in full blast. l was standing II
the conservatory of the ballroom o
the Mystic Krewe, one of our promi
nent social organizations of New Or
leans, and talking with brothe
! iourEalist, when Nine. Beinevu en-
tered the conservatory with a tint
Young man, a lawyer named Phillips
as her escort. They took seats upol
the tete-a-tete in a corner, and wer
enjoying pleasant and almost loving
Irritation when Edouard Bienvenu en-
tered the place
As her husband approached, hi
|n~syes flashed with rage and Jealousy
his wife half rose to her feet, and
heard her say in tone of alarm an
dismay, "C'est Dieu /" and then sh
sank back in her seat in confusion
I Her husband, a tall, handsome Creol,
with black mustache and imperial, tn
very beau ideal of a FrenchmaI
waved his right hand deprecatingly a
he smiled grimly upon his wife, bi
I0r}<eep her seat, that he had no dt
sire to disturb her; he had merel
come out to smoke cigarette.
-By the way. Phillips, l am goin
tomorrow on a little excursion to Ba
st. Louis (the famous dueling ground
/ shall take friend with me, and
: shall be happy to have your compan
on the trip. Bring a friend wit
you"
II shall take pleasure in joinin
your party" replied Phillips, gravel,
-.IIrI - &~..tr, IL, Won o., IN, ~