The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-01
Disconsolate Over Her Death, Do
spondent Because Of Waning
Prestige
His Career a Striking Example Of
the Fickleness OF the French
.m People.
Exalted as a Hero Ono Day, De-
serted and Friendless the
Next.
IngubOrdinate and ueadstrong-Exi1eda ~
an Enemy OF the Repnblic-His
Eventful Career.


BnussELs, Sept. 30.-Gen. BouiangeY
committed suicide at the grave of Nine. do
Bonnemaine who died here recently, about
noon. Examination of the body showed
the dead man had placed the weapon TO his
right ear and fired the shot. The affair
caused great excitement here and some
commotion among the generals followers.
Tho police and the dead mans friends
here have taken possession Of his lodgings.
The generals position, financial and polit-
ical. has been getting blacksr and blacker
recently. He had no hopes for the future.
and his remaining friends we're few and be-
coming colder as the once famous general
dropped more and more out of public no.
tice. There is no doubt the general was
conscious of these facts, and they preyed
upon his mind. Coupled to this was
morbid love or infatuation which he had
for his dead MISTRESS to whom he was un-
doubtedly greatly attached.
This evening friends admit that recently
he frequently openly avowed desire for
death and it is even added that the general
several times of late made attempts to
take his own life. Tho consequence has
been that he was watched as closely as pos
sible by the friends who remained loyal.
Even they, however, appear to have grown
tired of their task and warned the generals
niece and the latter's husband. The
niece and husband arrived a few days ago
The first thing they did was to cause all
weapons to be taken away and hidden.
Gen. Boulanger must have noticed the pre-
cautions and managed to secure and hide
the pistol with which he shot himself.
Boulanger. according to stories told this
evening, made no secret of his WEAKNESS OF
life since the collapse of his party. and
particularly so since the death of Nine. dc
BonnemaiDe. His friends now recall the
fact that when the coffin lid finally closed
over the remains of his mistress. be kept
on repeating in heart-broken tones, "Au
revoir ct abientot." Every day, about four
o'clock in the afternoon. since her death
Boulanger has gone to the cemetery and
deposited handsome floral emblem upon
her grave. He would stay by the grave
sometimes for an hour, either engaged in
prayer or in deep thought. The family was
surprised when this morning they heard
him order landau much earlier than us
ual. Nobody, however. seems to have had
the slightest idea that he intended to COM
nit snicide.
stopping in Brussels at the present
time is one of Boulanger's most at
tached adherents. His name il Al
fred Dutins, and he came from
ger about week ago, announcing that he
intended to commit suicide at an early date.
Dutins came to Brussels for the express
purpose of endeavoring to persuade the
general to alter his mind. Dutna and the
leader had several long interviews, during
- -, $so Il hy pyts out kr
suade the general that he should abandon
such morbid ideas. The generals niece
becoming alarmed after his departure this
morning sent for Dustins, and together
they started for the cemetery. In the mean
time Gen. Boulanger had left the landau at
and calmly to the tomb of Nine. Bonne-
maine. He remained there some time in deep
thought aud was afterward seen slowly
walking around the cemetery, still think
ing deeply. Contrary to the first reports
received of the affair, the general must
have walked about the cemetery for nearly
an hour and half before he returned to
Nine. Bonnemaine's tomb. All reports
agree in the statement that as soon as he
reached the tomb the second time he imme-
diately placed the pistol to his head and
shot himself. The report Of the revolver
was heard by the coachman, who was driv-
ing the generals landau. and BY the valet
who accompanied the suicide to the ceme-
terry. They both rushed to Mime. Bonne-
maine's tomb and there found the general
quite dead, lying across the grave. Death
must have been instantaneous.
As the police We're bearing the Generals
body away from the tomb of his mistress with
the intention of placing it in the landau
for couveyance'to Brussels the dead mans
niece, accompanied by nj. Dutins reached
the cemetary. The niece tainted upon hear
ing the news and Dutin's grief at being too
late to save the life of his friend was excess
sive. The corpse has been prepared for
mate friends of the family. The latter un-
animously desire that the funeral be Of
most simple order. Some OF
the generals political friends are
in favor of public denomination.
The corpse reposes upon a table draped
with black cloth. The remains are Glad in
a black frock coat, upon the breast OF which
are several decorations. notably the CROSS
of the Legion of Honor, conferred upon tho
general after he had been wounded in 1868
at Turbigo in Algeria, when lieutenant.
The wounds in the temples caused by tho
fatal shot have been hidden by pieces Of
broad white silk ribbon SO pasted as to al
most completely conceal the cause OF death.
Relatives persistently decline to furnish
the public with any definite information Rs
to any written declarations which he may
have left behind him.
bOuluuReT l0Ip u WAlA duu pOilpANHA bohtts-
ment in his desk. IT il stated that the lat
ter declares unshnken confidence in his
party, enjoins his friends to prosecute the
great aims he always had in view, and
uscribes his own death solely to inconsolR-
BILE grief over the loss Of Mime. dc Bonne-
maine. The funeral will probably take
place Sunday afternoon. The generals
mother. aged S6, is still firm in the belief
that her son went to a fete and has not yet
returned.
shortly after Mime. do Bonnemaine's
death Gen. Boulanger's wife wrote, offering
to forgive the general and share his exile,
but the letter was unanswered. Towards
the end OF August. after violent parox--
ism of grief, Boulanger laboriously carved
on Nine. de Bonnemaine's tombstone, with
II penknife, "Abientot Marguerite" From
that day he was changed man. He b.
came emaciated and haggard almost be-