The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-27
MAN OR DEMON. "


lematre in a certain grisly melo
drama hearing he above title. Par
islam dramatists have always had q
leaning to the CHASTITY in melodrama.
. and Partisan audiences have encour-
aged that inclination, as witness ''Ld
Tour de Nesle,' - 81 Hotel de la Tete
Noire' and good many other plays
of the grisly order; but this psyche
logical mystery "Man or Demon
was new departure in the morbid
and the CHASTITY, and the auditorium
of the Ambign Comique thrilled and
shuddered as one man at the perform
ance of the great Frederic There
was touch of the supernatural in
the play. The dramatist and the
actor had adapted the old machinery
of ''Ies Pilule du Diable' to tragical
uses.
The story OF the play was simple;
the plot turned upon one CHASTITY
piygt-demonilc possession. Apply
sician, q man of science and enlieht-
eminent, refined, intellectual, ofblame-
less life and gracious bearing, below
ed and respected by the world lie
adorned, was possessed by devils
In the broad light of day, in the ex-
ercise of his profession, in society, he
was his own man, all went well with
him; but with night and solit ude the
demon came and took possession of
his victim, and impelled him to deeds
! of blood.
Through the darkened theatre there
thrilled a silent horror that held the
crowded audience spellbound, as
the man OF science flung a handful of
powder into his crucible, and, in the
lurid light that rose around him,
was seen the awful change from man
to minister. The tall, slim figure of
the physician, graceful and elegant
in his neat evening dress, swelled to
gigantic dimensions, brawny, mus
cular, the form of a savage Hercules,
while the fashionable modern dress
changed to the blue blouse and
blood-red cap of the sansculotte.
The face changed, too; the pale, re-
fined features thickened, the brows
grew penthouse-like above the lurid
CLEAN of the malignant eyes; while
with a cry that had nothing in it of
humanity, the transformed creature
rushed forth to revcl in rapine and
murder.
Needless to expatiate upon the ac-
ton of the play. The later scenes
reeked with blood, the whole scheme
ofthe drama was baseless and wild;
but the glamor of Lemaitre's genius
held the audience in state ofbreath-
less interest, which tagged not till
the fall of the curtain. The play was
the greatest success the Ambigu had
known for many years.
One fact gave an additional and
extraneous interest to the perform.
ance. Those who knew the celebrities
of the city were able to recognize the
curious and startling likeness which
Lemaitre, in his make-upas the ply
stefan, had contrived to present to
one of the princes of modern science,
Marc Avalon, the celebrated chemist
"a man who, at something less
than 40 years of age, had reached
the very pinnacle of professional sue
cess, who had given laws to science, !
and had made disc. .veries which had
advanced the progress of chemical
experiment farther in his twenty
years of labor than his predecessors
had done within a century. So strik-
ing 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 appropri-
alton of his outward semblance, and
possibly make it the subject ola law
suit; but the great chemist seemed
amused, ande flattered, when he
read the comments of the critics up
on this particular feature of Lemai-
tres characterization He went to
see the play-was interested; went
again-saw Lemaitre in his dressing
room, and made various suggestions
which intensified the grim realism of
the scene in the laboratory.
1t was observed by and by that
Avalon was present nearly every
night during some period of the per-
Torrance. He generally occupied
one particular avant-scene and kept
perou. but those few persons
who were able to see his face, as he
sat in the shadow of the curtain,
upon it's intent expression
and the keen delight he seemed to \
derive from the actors ma sterly EN-
bodiment of n most unreal character
1t was during the run of this play
that Paris was startled by series
of murders more hideous than any
crime that had schocked society dur
ing the reign of the Citizen-King;
murders which bore aresemblance in
being to all appearance motiyeless,
and the worked of a monster whose
sole desire was to steep himself in the
blood of an unoffending victim. {
Once, twice, thrice, within a period ,
of less than three months was the
city Mortified by revolving act of
once in the Rue Ste. Mar '
guerite, where q wretched inhabit-
ant of that human shambles was
found stretched i'll the gutter,
weltering in her blood; another in
the Ruedela Vieillie Lantern; third
in the Rue, DIES Feves. I
Paris and the police of Paris were
On the alert, looking for the Chourin- !
eur. 1t was by. that grim name the {
murderer was talked of in those cir