Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-02-09
The Deschamps Case.

ASoA oihlhH PVNNA NNSS ASS
In the explanation Of the leading
facts we will state that this old man
and child had been lovers for months
when finally the child visited his
room and willing, it seems, permitted
him to kill her with chloroform, with
which he Intellectually tried to kill
himself. The man was from Paris
but resident of New Orleans for
some years the girl also was French,
more recently arrived in this country.
The Times-Democrat has told the
horrible and revolving story and told
il well in its local columns and thus
comments editorially:
From the Times-Democrat of 2nd
inst:
THE singular crime about which
the whole city has been wondering
and specializing for the last few
days, and which will probably be
remembered in the future as the ST.
Peter Street Tragedy, has few
parallels in criminal annals. This
statement is made with confidence,
but not without a certain hesitation (;
it is certain, from what has revealed
itself of the character of the pheno-
menally depravcd scoundrel who has
played the leading part in this fear
full and hideous drama, that an
acknowledgement of prominence in
villainy will be highly hattering to
his diseased vanity. 1t is not our
desire to tickle the vanity of Mr..
Deschamps; and if onr remarks have
that effect we connot help it.
All the features of this case are
so excep honal, so astounding, Sc
abnormal, that in the material which
it furnishes for psychological study
Of human nature in its most per
verified and most vicious develop
ment, it transcends any case of which
we have personal knowledge. The
story merits more elaborate setting
than can be afforded to it either in
the editorial or local columns of 8
daily newspaper, There is matter in
it from which great literary artist
might at his leisure build up a
tale of thrilling interest and great
power, of incidents almost wholly
new, and fraught with profound
and impressive moral. We have one
or two writer's in mind who are well
fitted for the task.
When we consider the two princi.
pal actors as they were, the abnor-
NAL character of the tragedy cannot
but strike us forcibly. There were
the man Deschamps and the CIR
Juliette Deitsh; and these two were
lovers. Now, what manner of mar
is Deschamps, and what is known OF
Juliette? DeschampS is a nam well
advanced in years-nearcr sixty
than fifty-of mean and unattractlve
exterior, and apparently deeply sunk
in poverty. Juliette was little CIR
of twelve years, young enough to be
Deschamps' granddaughter, excep-
tionally beautiful and intelligent
Is it necessary to insist that under
ordinary circumstances it would be
impossible for this child to become
fanatically enamored of man like
Desehamps, or, for that matter, Of
any man? Yet is practically certain
that Deschamps did in some way
obtain such an influence over the
girl as to enable him to effect he1
moral ruin, and finally induce her tc
give up her life because he himself
had, as he alleges, determined to enc
his miserable and criminal existence.
How was this possible?
Deschamps claims to be "mag.
netic Doctor" Given certain condi.
tons, he asserts that he can cure
any malady by his mere touch. o.
course, this claim proves him to he &
quack of the most shameless anC
rmpudent kind But it is by nc
means improbable that he may have
acquired some knowledge of mesme
rism and hypnotic powers, to thu
influence of which the young anC
immature may be subjected will
comparative ease. That in any
natural and legitimate way the little
girl Juliette could be brought to low,
The grizzied old quack is, as has beef
remarked, incredible. The mos
probable explanation IS that hi
worked upon her by means of suel
mesmeric powers as he may possess
until he had completely subjected
her will to his own.
Deschamps entered the humbl,
Deitsh household as a seducer, anC
: the uncommon blindness of the girlt
father aided him well in his project
though it is easy to understand tina
to an honest, supplemented man til,
thought that his little daughter rar
any danger in the company of her ell
derby acquaintance may never have
suggested itself. The magnet,
doctor played part which, in I
vulgar and out-at- elbows fashion
the characters of Mephistopheles anC
Faust were combind.
These two ill-assorted "lovers'
had only one resemblance between
them: both were poor. The Dietsl
family is far removed from opulence
and the magnetic doctor lived in ,
fashion that indicated something