Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-11
THE MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE MURDER
AT THE FRENCH LEGATION.
THE SUICIDE OF MINISTER PARA
Dol.
PULLING DOWN THE OLD GRAHAM HOUSE TO
MAKE ROOM FOR THE NEW COLUMBIAN
UNIVERSITY BCILDING.

UNIVERSITY BUILDING.
''Murder does not always out. remarked an
old mechanic in conversation with u STAR re-
porter several days since and here is an instance
OF it. Indeed time has only served to thicken
the plot. In this house two men were muir
dered only fourteen years ago. and yet how few
there are who remember anything at all of it,
The speaker was at work removing the fodn-
datIon walls of the old Graham mansion, at the
southeast corner of 18th and I'll streets north
west the building once occupied by the Metro
po.itan Club, where the new building for the
Columbian College is now being erected
eff these old walls could speak they would
tale unfold that. While it might not make hairs
stand on end, it would make interesting read
ing. at least to those wine knew Of the occur
renee" The STAR reporter, finding that the
old man was in communicative mood sug-
gested that he would explain further, which he
proceeded to DO as follows
''Siores TO be Of full interest" he continued
'shcuid have prelude. So as to furnish those
who listen to or read them with proper IN
derstanding. For year preceding 1870. when
the tTanco-Prusslan war broke ont. there was
talk about the Taf. the French ere equally as
confident as the Germans as to the result In
this house Count }. BeftheIny the French min
lister 10 this country, then resided.
THE SUICIDE OF PROVOST PARADoL
He was succeeded by N. Lucien Anatoli
Provost Paradol. who committed suicide, three
days after his arrival in this city, ct his residence
on New York avenue. near 9th street, on July
20 1870 but that has nothing to do with the
story started out 10 tell. Baron Gerolt. the
German minister. lived on the opposite side of
18th street. in tie house adjoining Wormley's
hotel though their respective countries We're
IL.
tons between the French minister. Count Ber-
theuiy. and Baron GerOlt remained pleasant-at
least 70 all outward appearances. though they
were rather lively toward each other in an OIL
cial way, guess.
TWO DEAD MEN.
"And now for the crime On the morning of
January 5, 1869, two colored men, servants OF
Count Berthemy. we're found dead in their beds
They slept in the basement room at the north
east corner of the house. One of them was
named Sandy Diggs, who was messenger for
the French legation; aud the other was named
Lewis Tor. who was waiter. TAYLOR was
tall. robust and ABOUT tw ent flour years of age
The features OF Taylor We're placid, indicating
that he died without much pain: while Diggs
was found lying face dOwnWartis, his head
thrown back. his arms drawn up and his hands
clenched indicating death from violent poison
o. some kind, and great suffering. When word
was taken to Count Berthemy CwhO was in one
servants were found dead, he became very much
excited. The matter was reported TO the police
aud application was made to the state depart
n,elt 70 know what should BE- done about it for
under the international la" bearing on the sub
1ect foreign MINISTER'S house is closed TO the
police. as well as against every Ole else, unless
the minister chooses TO open ii. When Count
Bertheniy learned that application had been
made to the State department., and before Sec
Rotary Fish had cone down to his office he sent
Request to Major Richards then chief OF police
to hats tile matter fully investigated granting
fs'tsli perfect frsedGm to enter his house.
II was not long before Baron Gerolt heard
o. It al. ana he sent personal note over to
Count Bertheniy sympathizng with him. aud
stating that If lie could be fanny aid in the mat
ter he would gladly assist and regard it as
personal favor OF course. rumOr had begun to
tell its tales by this time. and it was not long
before there was a crowd of several hundred
persons gathered about the residence of the
French legation. among them many colored peo-
pie who We're relatives ard friends of the two
Men found dead.
THE INVESTIGATION.
DR.. ". ". Potter was then the coroner. and
., Count Berther,y requested him to be very thor
ough in his investigation. Messrs. John P. Hill
ton. p. 1. Ienn1hn. Il. c. Plant, William Micheal,
g. T. Tune, William Loring, P. OHare. John
Myers. \. NJ. Brook. Charles Birch A. A. Fowler
and Peter Welcker We're summoned as cOro-
ners jury. When the jury was sworn. Count
Berthemy called them together in his parlOr
and said: Gentlemen. surrender my house to
your control. Please be as thorough as you can
In this work. l demand it as q resident and as
representative of the French government. My
legation will assist you in every way it can
Theories? Plenty of them; hut none Of them
amounted to anything. The one that got the
most circulation was that some one in the inter-
est OF the German legation had poisoned wine.
WHICH 1t was thought the French minister would
drink ;anf that ms servants got the poisoned bottle
by mistake Many thought that the then coming
Franco-Prussian war had something to do with
II. but exactly how 10 one seemed to know.
Then. some had theory that there was foul
al in the basement: that the hues from the fur
mace leaked, and that they were suffOcated.
Now. suiocatiOn would have produced death
which would be marked, as was the case with
one OF the men. Diggs-cieuched fists and
general contortiOn of the muscles. Until to-
day the theory OF SHttocation could never have
been successfully denied. | took particular
pains In taxing down the walls to examine the
hueS and pipes which ran up from the range and
i found, notwithstanding the lapse OF time
that they were in a Perfect condition: that is, as
far a. the absence of LEAKS is concerned
The contents " the stoEIachs Of both men
were sent TO DR. AHtiseil. then chemist at the
Agricultural bureau. for an analysis He COM
peted it in about week, in the meantime the
coroners jury taking a recess to await the re-
suit heard Lis testimony at the inquest He
found Undiges.cd potatoes i'm both stomachs.
q
eating that they had both drank wine In one
stomach he found strychnine but none in the
stomach OF Diggs. He sad there was great diff
hculty in ascertaining exactly what the poison
was. and he only decided 1t was strychnine BY
The color tests he applied The contents yielded
no crystals of strychnine. He vas confident
however. that death was not caused by any
n0NiOus gas or chorofofni. which some had sus-
pected. and vas satisfied that the death of both
was caused by poison
Dr. Bentiy, an army surgeon. who made the
post inOrtem, testified that though he was con-
nient death was caused by narcotic poison.
There was nothing about the organs to positively
disclose the cause
COUNT BERTHEMY'S TESTIMONY
Count Berthemy testified that he saw both
men about six o'clock the evening before. and
had heard that Diggs had remained out till late
at night He said that about a week before. his
court uniform hrd been stolen fro, his chamber
as also his valuable decorations though there
was Hatcn and money left untouched on the
same table MEN the lol.,eIy took place both
coiorcd men were wait .ug on him. These were
afterwards. rttFT1|l--,or t,rou,,,,