The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-11-14
MAN OR DEM0N.'

was focling to see Frederic Lemaitre IN
a certain grisly melodrama bearing the
above title Partisan dramatists have
always had leaning TO the CHASTITY in
melodrama. and Partisan audiences have
encouraged that inclination, as witness
La Tour de Nesle. IL Hotel de Ia Tete
Noire. and good many other PLAYS of
the grisly order; but this psychological
mystery called Man or Demon" was a
new departure in the morbid and the
CHASTITY, and the auditorium of the Am
oigu Comique thrilled and shuddered as
one man at the performance of the great
Frederic. There was touch of the SUI
pernatural in the play. The damatist
and the actor had adapted the old ma
chlnery OF Les Pilules du Disble" to
tragical uses
The Story OF the play was simple; the
I plot turned upon one ghastly pivot-de
] snoniac possession a physician, a man
OF science and enlightenment, refined IN
tellectual. Of blameiess life and gracious
bearing, beloved and respected bv the
world he adorned, was possessed by dev
lls. In the broad Eight of day, in the ex
erclse OF his profession, in society, he was
his own man, oil went well with him
cut with night and solitude 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 hunga handful, of powder into
his crucible, and. in the lulid light that
rose around him, was seen the awful
change from man TO monster The tall
slim hgureo the physician, graceful and
'eiegant IN mis- neat evening dress, swelled
TO gigantic dimensions, brawny, muscu
lar, the form of a savage Hercules, while
the iashlonable modern dress changed TO
the blue blouse and blood red cap of tbe
l'sansculotte. The face changed too. fhe
pale. refined features thickened The
brows grew penthouse-l like above the
lurld CLEAN of the malignant eyes; while.
with cry that had nothing in it of
humanity, the transformed creature rush
I ed Iorth 'tolrevel in rapine and murder
Needless TO expatlate upon the action
OF the play. The later scenes reelSed with
blood, the whole scheme of the drama was
Daseless and Wild; but the glamour Of
Lemaitres genius held the audience in a
state ofibreathless inaerest. which fapged
not till the fall of the curtain The piav
was the greatest success the Ambipu Lad
known for many years
One TACT gave an add ional and ey
traneous interest TO the performance
Those who knew the celebrities of the
clty were able to recognize the curious
and startling likeness which Lemaitre. IN
ms make up as the physician, had con.
tflved to present to one of the princes Of
modern science, Marc Avalon. the ce1a,
GRATED chemlst-=a man who, at somethino
less than 4Oyears of age, had reached tie
very pinnacle of professional success. who
mad. given laws to science, and had made
discoveries which had advanced the prog
fess OF chemical experiment further IN
hls'twenty years of labor than his pre-.
aecessors had done within q century So
stflklng' was the resem bIance as to he Of
once perceived and remarked upon hotb
at the hrst performance of the play and
IN the public press 1t was even tbonrb+ !
that Marc Avalon would take offepse at |
TINS appropriation of his outward Sem. |
blance, and possibly make it the subiect
OF lawsuit; but the great chemist
seemed amused, and even fattered wben
ne read the comments of the critics upon
Chls particular feature of Lemaitre's char.
He went to see the play-
was interested; went again--saw Lemai.
ire IN ms dressing room, and made various
which intensified the grim
realism of the scene in the laboratory
IL was observed by and by that Avalon
Was present nearly every night during
some period of the performance Ne
occupied one particuIa, o,,o,,t
cene and kept himself perdu. but those
ew persons who were able to see his foca
IS he sat in the shadow of the cnrtoin
emarked upon its intent expression and
he Keen delight he seemed TO derive
rom the actors mastery embodiment Of
most unreal character. '
~ was during the run of this plav tbot ]
arms was startled by series of lnnrders
iore mucous than any crime that had !
hocked society during the reign of fbe 1
ltizen-klng; murders which bore q hon
bile resemblance in being to all anneer. I
nee motiveless, and the work of I ino,, {
Ter whose sole desire was to steen bimsoIf t
the blood of an unoffendinr victim q
nee, twice. thrice, within period ~ Q
SIS than three months was the citv bor,i, Il
20 by revolving act of butcherv. once r
Inc hue Ste. Marguerite, where a
retehed nhabitantof that human sham G
es was found stretched in the gntter D
elterng in her blood; another In The d
no de ia FleilIe Lanterne; third in the p
ne DIES Feves VIC
Paris and the police OF Paris were on s.
e alert, looking for the Chourine,,r II 81
!, ..ANp Z LII utiut the murderer was A.
liked of in those circles where slang i
e only language. Day after dav ebe el
OF the gutter announced that W
Chourineur had been heard of and IL
nVersed with here or there; had eaten
drank IN this or that restaurant. from en-
boeher de Cancale to the Chat Noir of
10 whole fight of canards were ON fba tb
ng' ana every morning and EVENING st
ere was new one let hv uDon po,,o WI
t those who knew ANYTHING ~ III nj
0ut fba roo4tor I-,.a.-- !. 1 q " 60 b,-