The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-10-05
IVAN OR DEMON."

always hai II leaning 10 the ~,llnStly In
uclodrauia and i%'urisinn audiences have
encouraged that inclination ns witness
LA Tour DC Ncslc. "l.lloisl de la I'cte
Noirc. and IA good many Other PLAYS Of
the grisly order but thi. psychological
ilvstery called Man az Demon" was a
BOW DEPART IRE IN the morbid and the
gliastly. and the auditorium Of the an
bigu touiq,c thrilled ugl s%luddtrcd as
otie man at tie peri rriaacc Of the great
Frederic There was 4 touch Of tho su
pcrnatural ia the play Tho damatist
and the rctoi had adapted TIC old ma
chincry of les rilulcs du Diublc'' to
ira .ical urcs
The story Of tho play was simple. the
plot turned upon one ghnstly rivot-do
rlo;iac luSscs ion \ physician. II man
Of science and ,nliyhtenIlcni. refined. in
tcllcctuGl. OF bianrlcss life and gracious
bearing. beloved and respected by the
world he adorned. was possessed by dow
lis In Tic broad light Of day. in the ex.
ercise Of his profession. in society. lie was
his own llgn. ali went well with him;
but with night and solitude tic demon
came n took possession OF his victim.
aud iNpcllcd lin TO deeds of blood
Through the Caricned theatre there
thrilled IL silent horror that held the
crowdcd Audience spc!lbouad. as the man
OF science flung II handful of powder into
lis crucib!c. nud. in the lurid light that
rose around him. was seen the awful
change frotI rlan TO monster. Tho tall.
slim figure Of the physician. graceful and
elegant in his neat evening dress, swcllcd
10 gigantic Dimensions. brawnv, muscu.
lar. tie form of IA savage Hercules. whilo
tho fashionable modern dress changed TO
the blue blouse and blood red cap Of tho
sansculottc. The facc changed. TOO. the
pale, refined features thiclcncd. tie
broUs grew penthouse like above the
lurid gloom If tie malignant eyes. willie,
With II rly iha, led nothing in it of
humanity, tire Transformed creature rush
cl fori- 70 rcvol "a rapinc and murder.
Needless TO c|Nla,mic upon the action
- the lay The later scenes rcci;cd with
liood. iIc whole r~cio.,c OF the drama YVES
l~lsolcss and Wild, hll tho glamour of
l.tmaitrc's Ccn,ls held he audience in u
ttltc Of brcu;ilcss interest. which Jagged
not till the iali of the CERTAIN Tire rlay
was tho greatest success tie Ambigu had
known for many yc,rs.
One fact gave III additional and OK.
tTancous interest to the performance.
Those who knew the celebrities of the
city were able 10 recognize the curious
startling likeness which l.cmaitrc. in
his mako UP rs tine physician, had ron
trIvcd TO present to one Of the princes of
modern science. Marc Avalon. tho cclc-
bratcd chctllst-a nan who. /. something
less than 80 years If age. bad reached tho
very pinnacle of professional success, who
had given laws to science, and had made
discoveries which lad advanced tho prog.
ress OF chemical experiment further in
his twenty years of laLor than his pre-.
decessors had done VIII iin Il century. So
striking WIS the resemblance as to he at
once perceived and remarked upon. both
at the first performance of the play and
il the public press it was evcn thought
that Marc Avalon would take ~oiTcnse at
this appropriation Of his ont ward sem
blance. and possibly make it tie subject
OF n lawsuit; but tho great chemist
seemed amused, and even iattcrcd. when
lac c the comments of the critics upon
this particular feature Of lrmuitres char.
actcrization lie went to see the play
was Interested. went Ggain--saw Lcmai-
tire in his dressing room. and made various
suggestions, Which intensified the grim
realism of the scene in the laboratory,
1t was observed By and ty that Avalon
was present nearly every night during
oChho INV VI AhN Pa iOI liId.s'c. l4N
generally occupied one particular nvant
scene and kept himself rordu. but those
few persons who were able to sec lis face.
as he sat in tho shadow of tho curtain,
remarked upon Its intent expression ana
tho keen delight he seemed to derive
from the actors mastery embodiment Of
n most unreal character.
1t was during the run of this play that
Paris was startled by L series Of murders
moro EiIcous than any crime that had
shocked society during The reign Of tho
citizen king; murders which boro Il Lor-
rible resemblance in being to ell appear
ancc M0tivclcss, and tic work Of q mon.
ster whose sole desire was to atcephimself
il the blood If an unoEcnding victim.
Once, twice. thrice. within a period of
less than three months "a the city Lorri
fed 10y Il rcyJltinc uct Of butcherv. once
n the Rae SIC. ~Mar~ucritc. whore a
wretcncd inhabitur! Of that human sham.
Ilos was found stretched IN Tie guttcr,
TVltering in her blood. another in the
Rue &c In Nicilic l.2uterue. 4 third in the
Rue dcs Eevcs
Paris and tho police Of Paris wcro on
the alert, looking for the CAougiucur 1t
was by that Erim name The murderer was
talked of in those circles where slang is
TIC OILY language lay ulinr CAY tne
journalists 81 the gutter announced that
the Chou,incur ha has lcard Of and
conversed With hc 81 .c. had eaten
or drank IN this OF O. lGlant. from
the Bochei dc Can, t.. .ac Chat Eoir.
The whole eight al canards were on the
wing, and every morning and evening
there was a now ono let ly upon Paris;
but those who knew ANYTHING at all
Dbout the matter Euow that. so far. the
olice were at fault No trace. 10 Glow,
10 Lint of tho CaoUrincur had vet been
obtained Carier, the chief Of the secret
gnarGians of lie public safety. had
worked TN he was s,ary. yoary Of his
own false Res ,.1 .~-i.ugcs. N.oa.ic- OF
othor peoyioa ,dtu- Ill cume,irics idio.ic
sugEcat.oHs he Ct, citing ia tho Arril
twillslt lcf1ra C. elo on tie Boulevard
oes ltalIons. 40. .1uy coos from tho
AmbiGu tAcatrc ii...Gg done Il GRO Of
to little riarule tales. fcl.ing his Cclni
tAssc after 4 te.alefGls C.ilncr. and listen
Ing IDLY to the COMBINATIONS cgoa.d and
about him He was OF dat. rlctimr a
! .dcd brain. yet tie Old Ecbll OF Listening
enl putting two end two together at ali
tlihes ind In all places was so strong
1 rnfl him flt.t Lie frs ,-s.. ~. 49,, -.