Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-01-17
Cause of Gambetta's Death.

OQQcO VI 0aAUOVS& . 0OotAf
What purports to be the true story
of the cause of the death of Gambet-
ia is now told. He seems to have
made the acquaintance of Nine. Leo
ME Leon, as she has of late been
known, about eleven years ago.
There had been preceding hasion
of some duration with some ons else,
OF which son, now at school in Ger
many, was the result. For many
years he maintained menage in the
Rue Bonaparte with Nine Leon, Wis
iting her at first with circumspection,
but later, when at the height OF his
success, disavowing ell cencealment
and appearing with her publicly.
Finally she became the partner of
his country life az Vile dAvray.
Mime. Leon was the wife of solici-
tor named Andre, and when Gambet-
Ia first met her was woman OF
great beauty and distinction of sp-
pcarance. At 81 she is SO yet. As
their intimacy advanced she grew de-
sirous of sharing him ambitions.
She was mistress at Vile dAvray,
she presided at Gambetta's dinners,
AMI was present at his informal coun-
els, and while his prosperity and &C
tivity continued she grstiied her
wishes in the political world of her
lover in no small degree.
About eighteen months ago the
solicitor died, and to Mime. Leon the
world Looked brighter than ever.
She thought Gambetta would certain
ly marry her She had visions of a
salon, OF brilliant republic of letters
and art, of which she would be the
absolute mistress, and to all this dis
tinction she saw the way clear before
her 1t WAS impossible, Gambette
said To the republic he owed his
first duty, and he could not afford to
imperil his position. He was inflex
ible and there wss no longer peace
at Vile d'Avray. Nine. Leris, his
sister, had long advised him to mar
~ as became his opportunities, and
it finally came to Nine. Icons ears
that he Was engaged to Mile. Dalton
shea. 8 niece OF that General Dulton-
shea who was one Of the peers OF
France, lady of beauty and fortune
This meant that he would shortly be
totally lost to her, and she at once
sought to establish its truth. He
admitted, it is said, that circum-
stances compelled him TO change his
mode of life; that the sooner she &C
cepted the inevitable the better; that
his position and responsibilities
made the proceeding imperative, and
so on. Frenzied with rage and dis
appointment, she drew a pistol.
which she says she intended for her
self, simed it at Gambetta, and fired.
At the first movement he rushed to-
ward her to wrest the weapon from
hor. He was to late The ball On
tered the palm of his hand, and,
ranging upward, came out of the up
per part of the forearm. 1t was q
painful, but not necessarily danger
Gus wound. To Gambetta, however,
it was fatal. He was already vic
tim TO diabetes, and the shock of his
nervous system and the mental dis
turbances which ensued were more
than he could sustain. His surgeons
and his friends were apprehensive OF
( the rusult from the first, but they
studiously concealed had they mis-
represented the case that the an
nouneement Of his death came upon
Paris on Monday ike thunder clap.
One paper, his own, appeared in
black, and with a single line only
made the announcement, ''Gambetts
is dead" In London nothing was
known OF it until the afternoon. His
! death agony was protraced. and was
of most fearful description, but to
the last he retained his fscuities.
| His last words were : 81 yield. 1t
| is useless to dissimulate, but / have
suffered so much that it viii be de-
liverance." st five minutes before
the New Year sounded all was over.
Bert, Spuller, Areni Armand and Et-
ienne were with him: also Leonie
( Leon.