The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-07
BAZAINE's FIRST WIFE.
How She Met . Most Horrible and Mys-
FERROUS Death.

New York World
But few persons Of the present generation are
aware that the widow Of the late ex-Marshal
Bazaine, who died ten days ago in exile at Mad
rid, was only the second wife of the disgraced
French general. His first wife. who was one Of
the most facinstine of the bevy of beautiful wom-
en- who constituted the encourage Of the En-
press Eugene, died under terribly tradeical cir
cumstances in 1854. Her husband was away in
Mexico at the time commanding the French
troops who were engaged in the hopeless task of
maintaining the Inflated Macmillan on his tot
tering throne. Sad to relate Mime. Ia Marechale,
who was considerably younger than her
soldier husband, who had fought his way up
from the lowest ranks of the army to the high
est. was IS frail as she was fair, and took ad.
vantage OF her spouses absence to misconduct
herself in the most fragrant manner. Her esca-
pades brought her into contact with mon Of the
type of the notorious Pranzini. and one morning
in the summer Of 1864 her dead body was dis
covered in a house of questionable repute in one
severed from the trunk by q cash across the
throat and the corpse had been subjected to
terrible mutilations. while the aspect of the
room left no doubt 10 TO the orgies which bad
preceded the crime. Every effort was made by
the government to keep the matter from becom-
ing public, but to no effect. for the news soon
leaked out, and in an incredibly short time the
newspapers were filled with the most reeolting
details about the whole affair.
Bazaine was passionately attached to his love-
ly wife. and his devotion to her and blind conf
dence 10 her virtue we're well known at the Tuil.
leries. Both on public and personal grounds,
Napoleon was determined that, at all costs, the
news should be gently broken to the marshal
Accordingly he despatched one OF his favorite
aids-de-camp to Mexico, intrustiuR him with q
long autograph letter, and with the task Of
communicating Mime. Bazaineis death TO her
husband. At the same time he adopted the ex-
traordinary measure of laying al embargo on
all ships about to sail for Mexican ports. and
prevented the dispatch OF any of the ordinary
letter or newspaper mail by the steamer which
bore his messenger TO Bazaine.
Unfortunately the vessel was greatly delayed
by bad weather. and it was not until a week
after the day on which he ought to have arrived
that Nspoieonis aid-de-camp reached tho
French headquarters in person and executed his
mission. Bazaine appeared almost broken heart
cd and utterly crushed by the news of his wifss
death. But on the following day he happened to
light on . Paris paper, which bad found it's way
into Mexico via the United States, and the first
thing which met bis eyes was the heading of .
paragraph entitled. "AssassiEat de Ia Marechale
Bazaine." No detail was spared 10 the account
given of her murder and Of all the attendant
circumstances. BaZaiue never uttered a word,
but became terribly pale. and withdrew to his
tent. taking the newspaper with him. For the
space of three days he remained invisible TO all.
refusing to eat or drink. Then he issued forth
again among his troops, and went about his bus
mess as If nothing had happened, never by one
single word or act referring to his murdered
months later he met q beautiful Mexican girl,
few weeks afterwards, and who now survives
him