Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-21
RECALLED BY A CARD.
The Romance and Tragedy in the Career
Ofa French Doctor.
Port Jervis pa } Special.

fort JEWS (fa-J opeciAiI
The quaint stone Court House In Mil.
ford, Pike County, Pa, seven miles from
this place, is, with one exception, the old
est building of the kind in the State 1t
was built of cobblestones hewn square on
one side, in 1914. The jail is in the build
ing. The cells were recently condemned
by the Grand Jury as insecure and un-
wholesome, and have been replaced by
cells Of modern construction. A resident
of Port Jervis was present one day while
From the debris -, ae--: .5p old walls.
stained card, on which was printed from a
steel plate the words: &C. Bonneville, N.
D., de Paris" The finding of this card re-
calls long forgotten romance and tragedy
in the aristocratio little Delaware Valley
village.
Twenty years ago DR.. Charles
Bonneville, a member OF an old and influ-
entail family in France, opened an Office
in Milford at what was then known IS the
Pike County House. He was young and
handsome, fine artist and musician, q
thorough linguist and dashing eques-
trian. He became popular at once, and
soon had large practice among the
wealthy old families of the place. Within
year he was tho accepted suitor of one
of Milford's most accomplished young la
dies
DR.. Bonneville lived at the Pike County
House. Among the servants OF the house
was handsome quadroon, the daughter
Of worthy and much-respected parents
who lived in the village The dashing
French physician had been In Milford a
little over year when tho young quad
room confessed To her parents that
she had been betrayed by DIR. Bonne-
vile, and would soon become
mother. But for the girls mother her
father would have killed tho Doctor
at once. IA 1t was, he visited him at his
Office and demanded that he make amends
to the girl by marrying her. The Doctor
acknowledged his guilt, but sought 10 ap-
pease the anger OF the father 10y offers Of
money. Although very poor, the father
rejected all pecuniary consider ations, de-
claring that the honor OF his dau ghter and
the future OF her child were more to him
than all the money the Frenchmsn could
command. DR.. Bonneville refused to
marry the girl, and the father sought the
rested. His friends besought the parents of
the girl to accept an offer that would have
made them rich, but they refused II. They
We're firm in their determination TO have
the Doctor marry their daughter or 20 TO
Jail. lie persisted IN his refusal and was
lodged In Jail. He remained there one
week. when he sent word 20 the girl's pa
rents that ne would marry ner. The cers-
mony was performed in his cell and the
marriage published in all the local papers.
DR.. Bonnev lie was then released from
jail. snd. ordering his horse brou ght 20 the
jail door. he mounted and rode wildly out
OF town, without seeing or speaking to
person in the place. A few weeks later q
stranger on horseback entered the village
Of Hawley, in Wayne County. He stayed
in the village dav or 20, and then rode
away again. The next day his horse vas
found tied ~ tree near the Middle Creek
Falls. mile OF two out Of Ha-ley. In the
deep p0oi At the foot OF the falls the dead
body Of the stranger was discovered. In
one II his pockets was a card, counter
part. doubtless. Of the one found in the old
jail cell in Milford the ofhsr day. ca which
was the inscription. &C. Bonnsvtls. NJ. D..
De Paris."
Tbs Young lsdv - ~hon th. Young
phy sic AZ wss ~ have bean married il nov
a resident ~ New York. and never mar
riss. The qusiroon Who became nj. vile
married vel l-to-do uslstto socu sfser
Hoaneviile's d~ath. Her soa. Chsries
Bonneville. - prosperous hlu s-ssous
qnarfynssa and the som- Irw af = ~asi.
<~r-- sssIls-en coua*v fzrmw