The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-10
A PARTISAN cnrnr.
The Horrible Murder er Ra.asn.,.
First Wife.


But lew OF the present generation
arr aware that the widow of the late
ex-Marshal Baxaine. who died ifaavx
ago in exile at Madrid. was only The
second wife OF the disgraced French
general. His first wife, who was one
OF the most fascinating Of the beyy OF
beautiful women who constituted the
enfourage Of the Empress Eurenie.
died under terrible trarical rircum.
stances in 1854. Her husband was
away IN Mexico at the time command
ing the French troops, who were en-
gagged IN tho hopeless task of maintain.
ing the Inflated MaximiRan ON his
tottering throne. sad 10 relate.
Nme le Marcchale. who Was CON
sadeFahlv younger than her husband.
who had fought his way up from
tne lowest ranks Of the armv 10 the
highest, was rs frail rs she was fair.
ana took advantage of her spouse's
absence To misconduct herself in the
most aagrant manner. Her escapadeS
brought her into eontacs with men az
toe type OF the notorious pranxlni
aud one morning IN the summer al
lebt her dead body was discovered in
house2i questionable ropute in one
OF the suburbs of Paris. The head
was almost severed from the trunk nv
. essk Arr0Ss the throat. and fhe
corpse had been subjected 10 scrrshle
mutations. while the aspect of the
room left no doubt as 10 the orgies
which had preceded the crime. Every
enort was .made by the government
20 keep the matter from becoming
pubic, but TO no effect, for the news
soon leaked ont. and ia an Incredible
snort TIME the newspapers were filled
VITA the most revoltinw details about
the whole affair.
haxalne was pasSionatelv attached
20 has lovely vile. and his devotion Ia
her AMI blind confidence in her vir.
tue were wei known AZ the Tulleries.
Both on public aud personal grounds
Napoleon was detcrfained that, AZ an
costs, the news should he gently
broken 10 tho marshal. Accordingly
he dispatched one of his iavorite aides.
de-camp 20 Mexico. mtrnsting him
with long autograph letter and with
the task OF communicating Nine. na-
zines death 10 her husband. AZ the
same time he adopted the extraordi-
nary measure Of laying an embargo
on all ships about to sail Tor Mexican
ports. aud prevented the dispatch of
any OF the ordinary letter or news.
paper mail by the steamer which bore
his messenger to Baaane.
Unfortunately the vessel was great.
ly delayed by bad weather. and Il was
not until week after the dav on which
he ought to have arrived that Ma
poleon's aide-de-camp reached the
French headquarters and executed
his mission. BaEaine appeared almost
broken-hearted and utterly crushed by
the news Of his wite's death. But Oh
the following day he happened 10
light on , Paris paper which had found
its way into Mexico via the United
States, and the iirst thing which met
his eyes was the heading of para.
graph entitled "Assassinate de Ia Mare
chale Baxaine.n No detail was spared
in The account given OF her
murder. and OF al the attend
ant circumstances. Haxaine never ut
uttered a word. but became terribly
pale and withdrew 10 hts tent, taking
the newspaper With him. For the
space Of three days he remained insis-
ible 70 all, refusing either 70 eat or
drink. Then he issned forth again
among his troops, and went about his
hasiness as il nothing had happened.
&Wnns~ ~siRglc word or act. re-