Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-03-02
The ROD spectre of the rullerles


Are the contractors engaged in pull
ling down the burnt Palace Of the Tuil-
cries aware that they are also laying u
ghosti IL Is doubtful, for the legend OF
the Red Spectre, who haunted and may
still haunt the building, Is almost forgot.
ten. Yet il is not 80 long ago that the
goblin, who showed himself on the eve
OF great disasters, was mentioned with
batod breath, not only in the Palace but
to many of the inhabitants Of tho Louvre
Quarter. There is no record to show
when he first took up his lodging at the
Tuileries. 1t is affirmed that he dis.
closed his existence there most unmis-
takably during the great revolutionary
10th OF August, l793-so the story goes
Marie Antoinette's women were sitting
In the Sale des Cards when they became
suddenly aware Of the presence of a
small man clothed from crown to heel in
scarlet, who looked at them with such
unearthly eyes that they were frozen
with terror. They rushed to the apart
ment OF Madame La Dauphine and rela-
ted their adventure.
The next apparition Of the Red Man
was in 1914, ia the presence Of the little
King Of Rome and his ATTENDANTS; and
the red figure was again seen, according
to report, little before the death OF
Louis XVIII--this time in the Gallerie
du Louvre. In 1916, however, much
discredit was thrown upon the ghosts
existence by the practical joking OF some
art students attached to Gross studio at
Il. 4 ..t LA 4 -.
apartments had been placed at the dis.
posal Of ruined immigrants who had re-
turned to France and found protectress
in the Duchesse d'Angouleme. Among
these were two old maiden ladies and a
Knight of st. Louis, who were dining
together one evening-when to their as
constituent "grand diable rouge" came
down the chimney, and snatching leg
of mutton from the table, disappeared
with ii by the way he came. The incl
dent unsupported to the Duchess, who
sought the presence of the King and with
tears pouring down her face declared
her conviction that some great misfor-
tune was impending. The King laughed
at his nicce's fears and sent for chin
ney-sweeper. "A boy who went up the
thttintJ W HUM thc TOuRt
did not return. A man was then sent
up, but nothing more was seen or heard
of him. The greatest excitement reigned
in the palace, and at length fireman
undertook to explore tho haunted chin.
ney. He returned and explained the
mystery. 1t appeared that the chimney
passed by Gross studio, and that his
pupils, by making hole in the wall,
were enabled to play these pranks upon
illustrious personages. They had made
the two sweeps their confederates, but
the fireman was not To be bribed. A
writer in one OF the Paris papers who
recalls this anecdote relates in all seri-
BUSINESS the circumstances under which
the genuine goblin of the Tuileries made
his final APPEARANCE 1t was in 1871,
during the last days of the Commune
The journalist had the story, he says,
from the lips OF the witness, who
trembled while he told it. He was n
concierge at the Louvre, and while max
ing his accustomed round one night,
lantern in hand, through the silent gal
leries, he observed in the Gallerie d, Apol
Ion human form standing against n
window, with crossed arms and dropping
head, in an attitude OF profound aillic.
ton. Believing he had surprised rob.
Der, the concierge made toward the in.
truder, who thereupon disappeared in
most mysterious fashion. He tried to
persuade himself that his senses had de-
ceived him, when on reaching the
Grande Gallerie he saw the same figure
again, in the same melancholy posture.
On being challenged the form vanished.
The official then remembered the legend
OF the "Homme Rouge" and lost no
time in regaining the street. Presently
he returned with some of his comrades,
to whom he related what he had seen;
but this time the search for the goblin
was fruitless and was cut short by an.
other kind of apparition-a lurid glare
in the sky. The Communists had begun
their incendiary work, and the next day
the flames shot out of every window of
the Tuileries. 1t will be seen that the
Red Man not only haunts the palace
with which his name is associated, but
also the adjoining buildings of the
Louvre. SO it is doubtful if he will
quit the precincts to which he is linked
by so many associations, even when
there is not stone left to tell where the
Tuileries once stood.-St. James Gazette.