The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-04-18
READS LIKE A ROMANCE.


READS LIKE a ROMANCE.
A Frenchman's Career as q Priest, Mar
rled Man and Lunat
One Of the most extraordinary careers
has just been brought to q close by the
death of NJ. Artaud Haussmann, the
only nephew Of Napoleon HIS famous
perfect of Paris, says q Paris cores
pondent of the New York Times. Born
five and forty years ago, he devel-
oped strong religious sentiments at an
carly age, and determined to adopt an
ecclesiastical career. The intention
was, however, 2ost strongly opposed by
his widowed mother, who, besides being
exceedingly wealthy, was of a most
masterful disposition. AS Artaud was
her only child. and tho heir to all her
fortune, she would not hear of his join
ing the church, and after much
difficulty prevailed upon him to con-
tract a marriage with a young girl
whom She had selected for him.
Previous to the ceremonv he, however,
came TO an understanding with his
wife. lie explained to her that he was
about to be married solely for the pur-
pose of giving satisfaction to his
mothers wishes, and that as he felt
convinced that the church was his true
and only vocation their union must be
Of a purely platonic nature. The young
lady consented to this proposal, being
impellod thereto partly by the knowl-
edge of the vast fortune which her hus-
band would in due course of time in
herit from his mother, and partly by
49, FOOD t1,,t lo. 1,A s,,k ~ A..
convent in which she had spent her
of the world and the religious senti-
ments Intoxicated into her by the nuns,
all combined to cause her to regard
Artaud rather in the light of u saint
h a crank.
Two years after the wedding young
Haussmann travelled to Rome, where,
during the course of a private audience,
he threw himself at the feet of Plus
IN. and entreatcd him to grant the wish
Of his lifetime, and to consent to his
ordination as 4 priest. He explained
to tho holy father the true nature of his
marriage aud the reasons which had led
him to contract 1t, AND promised that
as soon as ever his bedridden mothers
death took place he would deAnitively
separate from the woman who was HIS
wife but in name. Vastly interested in
the young mans story, and realizing
that his marriage was not o legal union
either in tho eyes of the church or in
the eyes of the law, the pope yielded to
his wishes and consecrated him both as
deacon and priest. Any objections
Which might have been raised at the
vatican against his ordination were
silenced by the prospect Of the eventual
acquisition by the church of his moth
er's vast estate.
Eighteen months later, on the &C.
casion of q second visit to Rome, the
pope created him a prelate Of his house
hold with the rank Of bishop and the
title of monsignor. For ten years Mon
signor Haussmann continued to reside
in Paris with his wife and bis mother at
the lstter's magnificent mansion in tho
Rue d'Amsterdam, and although young
Madame Artaud Hausamann was per-
fectly cognizant OF her husbands sacer-
dotal rank, and even privately received
mother was kept in entire ignorance of
the matter. Indeed, she constantly be-
walled the fact that her sons marriage
had remained childless and that she had
no grandchildren to brighten tho even
ing of her life.
One Of the rare visitors admitted to
her bedside was NJ. dc X, who was
Artaud's most infinite friend and coh-
tident. During one of hts visits he was
led by a slip Of the tongue to reveal to
the old lady the p~riestly character OF
her son. The shock was so terrible that
she was seized with a fit Of apoplexy
and expired without resuming full
consciousness d few hours later. Be-
side himself with grief, Artaud, who
had learned from his mothers nurse the
cause of herseizure, rushed to the Hotel
du Louvre, where his friend was stop
ping, and, with q mantacal glitter in
his eye, accused him of betraying his
most sacred confidence and of bringing
about his mothers death. NJ. de Y.
tried in vain to sootbe him and to Ok.
plain matters, but this only seemed tc
render him the more Infatuated.
Finally, with a yell of you have
murdered her! you have murdered herr
he seized a heavy bronze clock that was
on the mantle piece and hurled it q
the head OF NJ. dc X. Tho latter sue
! ceeded in lodging the missile only t.
, find himself confronted by the muzzle o
: q revolver, the first bullet of which
however, owing 10 the agitation o
) Ailadu> llSN .NAuS VI VAC U1hkh. 4ClOIt
: a second shot could be fred the servant!
of the hotel, who had been attracted b,
the noise, rushed into the room ant
spiaaa tbs p%relate. Arrested and con
veyed to the depot, he was examined by
a board of physicians, who pronounced
, him insane, and ordered that he should
i, be placed under restraint in the grea
state lunatic asylum Of Clarendon.
= A few years ago, almost immediatel,
{ after the enactment Of the above divorc,
law, / think it was in 1888, Nine
: Artaud Haussmann applied for and OBJ
tanned a divorce from her husband OF
t, tho ground of insanity. Tho cour
awarded her one-third OF his income a
I alimony, and was, it is hardly necessar
to state, kept in complete ignorance a
c to tho peculiar circumstances of tn
e marriage. Some six months late
Artaud succeeded in effecting his es
cape from Clarendon and took refuge i
c Switzerland. From there he CON
menced to correspond with his divorce
\ wife, who finally consented to join hir
at Thun, when they were one
moro united in the bonds of matri
mony. By this time, however, Artau
had become tired of tho episcopal purpl
and laid aside his ecclesiastical chara,
ter. His relations with his wife wer
no longer of the piatonic character {
= y yore, and the remaining three years {
: his life were spent in relative happines
and quietude. He was permitted to re
g turn to Paris and to take up his res
dence here without any molestation 0
q the part of the authorities. He died
e few days ago of pneumonia, brought O
by an attack Of influenza, and has le
his entire fortune to his wife. II
a funeral was of a 4oh-religious chsract'
and he was buried in unconsecfate
h ground.
"A Baltimorenn who Event 1t blind
l nm auction sale OF unclaimed freight, ba
ing for 81 a barrel that had not bee4 openo,
thought he had a barrel Of lamp black, b,
found that he had about $40 worth Of fiji
II whisky.