The Cecil Whig., 1883-01-06
FRANCE IN MOURNING,
IETA1Ls OF THE DEATH OF THE GREAT
FRENCH STATESMAN, NJ. LEON
GAMBETTA.

GAMBETTA.
PARIS. Jan. IN. Gambetta died at
his residence at Vile d Array at mid
night. The death agony began before
midnight and lasted two hours. He was
quite conscious to the last. NJ. Spuuer,
NJ. E: enne and DR.. Fienzal were present
at the last moment. The physicians who
attended NJ. Gambetta state that his
death was due to pyamia. caused by
suppressed erysipelas. A clot Of blood
which had formed in the heart sutfocated
him. The face of the dead statesman is
peaceful and his lips wear smile.
plaster cast of his face was taken this
morning The Repu6lque FrancoiSe. of
which he was the proprietor, appears in
black, but gives no details of the final
scene. There is some idea of postpon
ing NJ. Gambetta' funeral until the 10th
instant, so that the Senate and Chamber
of Deputies may attend in a body. 1t IL
estimated that 1900 persons visited his
house yesterday. The people were ad
mitted by groups of five or ten into
passage, whence they ascended to the
small bed room where the body is lying.
The visitors included ministers, senators
and other functionaries. The room is
poorly furnished. The body lies on q
small iron bedstead completely covered
by sheets. except the head, which rests
| on two pillows. The face is pale. the
hair grayer than formerly and the beard
entirely gray. NJ. Gambetta appears
! fifty years older than he really was. His
! friends seemed utterly beside themselves,
some aged men even weeping. There
were few flowers on the foot OF the
/ bed. Otherwise there were none of the
emblems used in France on such occa-
! sions. \ painter was seated at the foot
of the bed sketching the scene.
The New York Times contains spe-
i cal dispatch from Paris giving the fol-
| lowing details of Gambetta's S death: AT
| a little before / o'clock DR.. Lahnelon
que thinking his pat ent might last till
morning. lett with MN. Arene and Ar
maud. Almost Immediately afterward
! the death agony commenced. His tor
lures exceeded description. Asthma im-
peded his respiration, and it was accom-
! panied by intolerable thirst, bearing
pains in the side, followed by syncope,
| from which the patient never rallied.
| Among those present was lady, who,
when his last breath had been drawn,
embraced the corpse frantically. The
other assistants, overwhelmed with grief,
wept silently. The corpse reposes on a
| bed The eyes, which are wide open.
preserve their customary expression,
| while the mouth seems mobile. The
hair is thrown back from the forehead.
There is no distortion of the features.
| Death has not disiigEred his countenance.
| Perhaps had he been like ordinary NOR
tails he might have recovered, but high
/ all nd
br,uu ht on dia hrtes, " hich WAS compi
Gated with either disorders. The parlent
| being a>thmatic. the nse of autsthttics
was prescribed. Without anestne'i;. il
was feared he would die during an "per
alton Besides. in the condition ot his
bnod. gapsrtne WAS the inevitable con.
sequence OF an incision. He would as
surely have died from the result of AL
operation as he did die of the disease
wherefore it was judged unwise to at
tempt what could only have increased
his suffrrings. This was the decision oI
his medical attendants.
Another complication. not generally
| known was that of varicose veins on the
lett leg. the existence of which explains
certain attitudes often severely comment
ed upon as undlgnitied. He was ply 81.
cally incapacitated from sitting straight
in chair. 1t is impossible to affirm un
til alter the autopsy. which takes place
to day. that, as asserted by some persons
| he had received bullet in the abdomen
Still, without doubt, the wound in the
arm was the primary cause of death. anc
necessitated immobilitv. depriving hin
of the exercise prescribed as indispensa
BILE to one of his constitution and temper
ament and continually threatened py GER
ebral congestion. 1t is whispered alst
that he disub eyed the medical order of 6
strict diet of milk and eggs. Through
out his ill ess his friends have sought tt
conceal the gravity of the situation, and
above all the agency OF woman in the
tragedy. Nevertheless, no doubt is per
missible that the shot which directly ol
| indirectly caused his death was fired by
a lady who is well known in Paris, anc
whose pseudonym. Leonie Leon, conceals
the patrony mic of one OF the most hon
orable Israeltish families of Bordeaux
She left her husband. the conseiller gen
eral of the Gironde Department, to tol
| low the fortunes Of him by whose elo
auence in the Baudin subscription and
trial she was completely fascinated. and
uniting with him in 1865 she deserted hsl
family. Their connection has lasted evel
since. He was impatient of the chair
he could not break, especially as chile
was born the succeeding year, whose pa
ternitv he refused to acknowledge. These
refusals caused scenes of recriminatior
and often of positive violence between
the lovers. The man wearied of the con
nectior, and the woman clung devotedly
to him for whom she had sacrificed hel
honor. Gambetta disliked the child. who
was sickly, but intelligent, and lived a.
his nephew. He resembled Gambetta il
character and features.
Two years ago Leonie's husband died
and she summoned Gambetta to fulfill his
promise Of marriage. but received an
other refusal He made an agreement
however, to provide for young Leon, OF
the condition that he should be educated
in Germany. The mother hesitated, but
finally consented. and accompanied the
child and his father to Dresden: this wa!
the Journey SO much commented upon
last year by the European press. which
ascribed political motives to the presence
of Leon Ma>sable ct la dame at thu
German hotels. The connection Wal
continued after th.ir return, Leonit
going every Saturda, evening to his villa
Wnere Sue as dccep't'i d. nlSlIt"o W
the servants. and returning NJ ndaN
morning iu his carriage. Their quarrel
al>.. continued. Within week thre,
discharged domssrics revealed thu
my s,eriesnf the i'll l-starred establishment
Finally the di>sensinns eliminated il
the scene of the unhappy pistol shot
Gamhetta lost his temper. giving vent
10 abuse and cuars language such as HI
was wont to employ IN moments o
of passion. She Was exasperated, seizeo
"A revolver and fired He raised his hant
to turn aside the weapon, receiving hi
death wound. Everything else is con
conj-cture; none but they know th
truth, and Gambetta died. yet made nj
sign. | can vouch for the authenticit
of this version of the unhappy story
and assume the entire responsibility
far it, no matter how different it may b
from the others which may obtain pub
licity.
Nothing Short of Unmistakable