Mohave County miner., 1889-03-02
MAN OR DEMON

IL ~ nearly forty years since all Paris
was aocking 10 see Frederic L3maitre In
certain grisly nelodrama bearing the
above title. Partisan dramatists have
always had leaning to tho gliastly In
melodrama, and Partisan audiences have
encouraged that inclination, as witness
la Tour do Nesle." al Hotel de la Tete
Soire," and q good many other plays 0f
the grisly order: but this psychological
mystery called Man or Demon" WAS q
new departure In the morbid and the
ghastly. and the auditorium OF the Am.
bigu Comiqiac thrilled end shEddered rs
one man at the performance Of the great
Frederic. There was touch Of the su.
pernatural In the play, The damstist
and the actor had adapted the old ma,
chinery of les Piluies du Diablo" 10
tragical uses
The story Of the play was simple; tho
plot turned upon one ghastly pivot--de.
tnonIac possession. A physician. man
Of science and enligbtcnmcnt. refined. In.
teliectuai. of blaniciess life a:la gracious
bearing. beloved ai.d respected by the
world he adorned. wag possessed by dev
lis. In the broad light Of day, In the ex
ercise Of bis profession. in society, las was
his own rlan, al wcAt well with BIN;
but with night and solitude the demon
caIBo and took possession Of his victim.
and impeliea him 10 deeds Of blood.
Throngh tie dari.cgcd theatre there
thrilled silent horror that held the
crowded GgGicnea EielisscaMd. as tho man
Of science ilniIg handful Of powder into
bis cruciblo. ard. In the igTId light that
rose arouEd him. was seen tho awful
change from rIan % monster The tall,
slim Gguru of the physician, graceful aud
cieta,g. ~ Ids fE'Gt evening dress. gwelled
- Ei1yu.gtc tc GislEHSjC::I ltlwny, muscu
lar. the form Gi q bstga~o Hercules, while
tic fashionable gtodesgl dress changed TO
the blue b.ouse and Liogl red cap Of the
sanseal0t's Tie faec cliatgci too. the
pale, refined features thickencd, the
brows grew penthouse like abovo the
luFid CLEAN Of tho malignant eyes; while,
with cry that had nothing In 1t Of
| humanity, the transformed creature rush.
ed forth To revcl in rapine and murder.
Needless 10 expatiate upon the action
Of the play. Tie later scenes reeked with
blood, the whole scheme Of the drama was
basciess aud Wild, but the glamour Of
| Lemaitre's genius held the audience In a
| state Of breathless interest, which tagged
not till the fall Of the curtain. The play
was the greatest success the Ambigu had
known for many years.
Ono fact gave al additional and ex.
| traneous interest TO the performance
| Thoao who knew the celebrities of the
city were ablo to recognize the curious
| and startling likeness which Lemaitre, In
| his make up as the physician. had con.
| triyed TO present TO one Of the princes OF
modern science, Mare Avalon, the cele.
| brntcd chemist--a raan who, at something
| less than 40 years Of age, had reached the
very pinnacle Of professional success. who
| had given laws to science, and had made
| discoveries which had advanced the prog.
ress Of chemical experiment further In
his twenty years of labor than his pre-
decessors had done within century. So
striking was the resemblance as to be at
once perceived and remarked upon, both
| at the FIRST performance Of the play and
! in the public press. 1t was even thought
! that Marc Avalon would take offense at
| this appropriation Of his outward sem.
blance, aud possibly make 1t the subject
| Of lawsuit; but the great chemist
seemed amused, and even fattered, when
ho read tho comments Of the critics upon
this particular feature Of Lemaitre's char.
acterization. He went 60 see the play
was interested: went again--saw Lcrnai.
| tire In his dressing room, and made various
suggestions, which intensified the grim
realism Of the scene In the laboratory.
It was observed By and by that Avalon
was present nearly every night during
some period Of the performance. He
generally occupied ons particular avant
scene and kept himself perdu, but those
! few persons who were able TO see bis face,
! as he sat In tho shadow Of the curtain,
remarked upon its intent expression and
the keen delight he seemed to derive
from the actors mastery embodiment Of
o most unreal character.
| Ii was during the run of this play that
Paris was startled by series of murders
| more hideous than any crime that had
shocked society during the reign Of the
citizen king; murders which boro hor-
rible resemblance in being TO oil appear.
nuco motivcless, and the work Of mon.
| Bter whose sole desire was TO steep himself
In the blood Of On unofsending victim.
Once, twice, thrice, within period OF
less than three months was the city horri.
fed by q revolving act Of butchery; once
| In the Rue Ste. Marguerite, where O
| wrctched inhabitant Of that human sham.
| bles was found stretched In the gutter,
wcltering In her blood; another in the
Rue de Ia Vieille I.anterne; third In the
Rue des Feves.
Paris and the police Of Paris were On
the alert, looking for the Chourineur. 1t
was by that grim name the murderer was
talked of In those circles where slang Is
the only language. Day after day The
journalists of tho gutter announced that
tho Chour.neur had been heard Of and
converscd with hero or there; had eaten
or drank in this or that restaurant, from
the Eochcr DC Cancale to tho Chat Noir.
The whole flight Of canards were on the
| wing and every morning and evening
there was a new one lot fly upon Paris;
but those who knew anything at eli
about tho matter knew that, 50 far. the
police were at fault. No trace. 10 clew,
no hint Of the Chourineur had yet been
obtained. Cauler, the chief OF the secret
guardians Of tho public safety, had
worked till he was weary: weary Of his
own false lights end failures; wcarier OF
other peoples futilo and sometimes idiotic
suggestions. 10 ves sitting IN tho April
twilight before sscaio ca tic boulevard
des italiens. not many doors from the
Ambigu theatre, sitt.se. alono ct one 0!
the little marble tales, taking his demi.
tassc after temperate dinner, end Listen.
Ing idly to the conversations cgoucd end
about him Ho was of duty. resting O
faded brain. ye. tho old habit Of listening
and putting two and two together ut all
times and In all places was 80 strong
upon him that his car was Oh tho alert
unconscloualy, aud his brain soon awak.
encd TO interest In tho talk OF two laen ct
table near Lis own. $780,. ..
They were Of tlse fane.r species both,
ono young, cue middle ngcd--mea who