Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1883-01-08
GAMRETTA'S DEATH.
Special Dispatch to The BxB. .
A PROPH ECY.

ia M OK \ "A . LIZ "A kIts
Special Dispatch to The BxH.
PROPHECY.
PARIs, January 7.-Gambetta wa
not above the superstitlons of hi
family. "Twice, said the fortune tel
ler to his mother, "will your son con
troll the dsstinies of France, and ther
he will die by the hand of woman
The effect which this had upon he
mind was shown in her eagerness tt
give her son an education far beyond
his standing as the son of an humble
grocer. Gambstta affected to laugh a
such superstitions, but not alway s
He eeems to have made the acquain
tance of the woman, Lsoni Leon, q,
she has of late been known, abou
eleven years ago. There had been ,
preceding liasson of soma duration
with some one else, If which a son
now at school In Germany, vas tho re
suit. For many years he maintained
a menage in Rue Bonaparte with
Nine Leon, visiting her at first with
circumspection, but later, when g.
the height of his success, dis
avowing all concealment, ano
APPEARING WITH PUBLICLY.
She became a partaer of his country
house at Vile Dsvray. Nine Leor
was the wife of a solicitor named An
drea, and when G4mbetta first me-
her she woman of great beauty and
distinction of appearance at 81 She
Is 30 yet. As their intimacy advanced
she grew desirous of sharing his am
bitions. She was mistress at Vile
Dsvray; she presided at Gambet'a
dinneas and was present at his infor
NAL councils, and while his prosperity
and activity continued she grstitiec
her wishes in the political world of hel
lover In no small way. He became
morbid, a prey to fits of depression
and sought to seclude himself among
his books. He saw no friends, ano
both physically and mentally showed 4
determination to rest.
HE WAS DISAPPOINTED.
His patience did not accord with
M years. About eighteen months
ago the solicitor died, and to Nine
Leon the world looked brighter thar
ever. She thought Gsmbetta would
certainly marry her. She had visions
of satin, of an infant republic, of let.
ters, of art, of which she should be
absolute mistress, and to all this dis.
tirction she saw her way clear before
her. 'It was impossible" Gambetts
said; to the republic he owed his first
duty and he could not afford to imperil
his position. He waa infaxible and
there was no longer peace at the villa
Davry. His sister had long advised
him TO marry as became his oppor
tunittes, and it finally came to Nine
Icons ears that hs was engaged &c
Mile. Dsttonshes, neice of Dattonsh ea
who was one OF the piers of France, 6
lady of beauty and fortune. Thil
meant that he would shortly he
TOTALLY LOST To HER,
and she at once sought to establish it!
truth. He admitted it; said that cir
cumstances compelled him to change
his mode of life; that the sooner sht
accepted the inevitable the better
that his position and responsibilitie,
made the proceeding imperative ant
soon. Frenzied with rage and disap
pointment she drew pistol which ak
said she intended for herself, aimee
it at Gambetta and fred. At the frs
movement he had rushed toward hel
to wrsst the weapon from her. HI
Was too late; the ball entered the palm
of his hand and ranging upward came
out of the under part of the forearm
1t was painful but not necessarily
dangerous wound. To Gsmbetta, no v
ever,
IT WAS FATAL.
He was already a victim to diabetes
and the shock to his nervous system
and mental disturbance which ensuec
were more than he could sustain
His surgeons and his friends were ap
prehepsive of the result from the first
but they studiously concealed his con
dition until the end. So effectively
did they misrepresent the case thai
the announcement of his death cam,
upon Paris on Monday like a thunder
clap. One paper, his own, appeared
In black and with a single line only
made the announcement, "Gambettl
is dead"
In London nothing was known of 4
until the afternoon. HIS death agon.
was protracted and was of
TIE MOST FEARFUL DESCRIPTION,
but to the last he retained his facul
ties. The excitement in Paris sine
has been indescribable. The who'll
community has been feverish, hysteri
cal and irrational, The comp lrativel,
fine weather brought every one int
the streets. Every seat in front 0
the cafes on the boulevards was occu
pied, Newspapers, filled with tn
widest extravagances, were sold a
fast as they could be printed. In tn
Gates the resctionsry and royalls
journals were torn to pieces, nun
upon the floor and stamped upon
Everywhere there was the most in
tense feeling on The part of every elias
among the enemies OF republican.
among it's friends, among religion