The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-19
ALEXANDER DUMAS Fills.
Nice FreDchmnn To Take a Stand for Moral
ity and Such.

New York Recorder.
There seems TO be infinitely more feeling
In Europe than In America in connection
with the sentence mon Mr.. Parker Deacon.
seems To be regarded with comparative in
difference here. bis pun lshmentis denounced
in the salons and clubs of almost every
capital of the old world as most unjustiy
severe. Some of the very steady-go-
ing English, German and Italian papers
even 20 so lar as TO express surprise that
the United States government should have
failed TO interfere In his behalf, since IL is
openly and universally admitted by French
men themselves that had no not been
foreigner he would certainly have been
acquitted.
Had ADeille been the husband and Dea-
con the lover and victim, the same judge
who condemned Deacon to q years impris-
onment would have ailo wed Abeilie to leave
the prisoners dock free man. without
stain on his character. as the saying goes.
The main responsibility for the severity
OF Mr.. Deacons sentence seems TO lie with
VI. Alexandra Dumas. fact which his
American admirers will do we'll to bear in
mind. For several days previous to the
trial he had filled the Partisan newspapers
with vIruient attacks upon the prisoner,
and, instituting himself as the high priest
of prOpriety and as the defender of
morality. insisted that 10 leniency should
be shown toward the brutal American"
To any one Who is acquainted with the
history of Alexandra Dumas this new in
carnatiOn of his in tho role of an arbItcr
of the moral code, is intensely amnsIng. for
there Is no Fronchman living to-day who
possesses a more infamous record than
Alexandra Dumas. Ills and there are few
more horrible stories In existence than
than that of his intrigue with the beauti-
full Russian Countess DE Nesselrode. who,
coming To Paris n comparatively pure,
vIrtuOus and respectable woman, was de-
PRAYED by him 10 such an extent that from
sheer viciOusness she adopted the life of
cOnrtesan. he acting the while as her conn.,
selor, her enide and her mentor In this
lgnoble pursuit.
AT last the scandal became so great that
the Emperor of Russia invoked tho assist
ance of Napoleon ILL. The Countess was ar
rested as insane, and sent back to Russia,
where she was placed under restraint.
This was II fresh source of dismay to Alex
andre Dumas. for the Countess, who was
the daugnter-ln-law of the famous Russian
Chancellor De NesselrOde. possessed In her
own rlght a large income, amounting to
over $4,000 u year. which had enabled
Dumas to live oil the fat of the land during
his Intimacy with her.
Moreover. 1t should not be forgotten that
DuInns Is indebted for his present name
and fortune mainly to his morbid and fan
tastic idealizatiOn and slorifcation of tho
courtesan in La Dame aux Camelias"
This work has always appeared TO me as
viclous In the extreme, and 1t Is certainly
difficult To find any thing more blasphemons
than the use OF the words. Much wou.d be
pariOned To her because she had loved
much" over the tomb of the dcmi- mond-
aine. Marguerite Gauthier.
Alexandra Dumas is the Rreat-grandson
of the Marquis De 10 Paillererie and of q
san Domingo negro. He Is not, however a
legitimate descendant; on the contrary,
the noble blood of the De la Pailleterie
reaches him through three illegItimate
unions, and / suppose. inherited vice of
this kind tells IN the long run, for mott &C
that NJ. Dumas's daughter, Nine. Lipp-
mann. ono of the hest known amateur
actresses in France. has just been divorced
from her husband after barely five years
marriage for reasons which il is best not
to enter into here.
Alexandra Dumas himself, as | have inst
mentioned, was not his fathers legitina ate
son. as he was already well IN his Coy hood
when the famous author of Monte Cristo"
married the popular variety actress Ida
Domange. of the Porte Saint Martin The
alter. She was a daughter of the enterprIs-
ing individual who had secured the priyi-
lege of removing in carts. falsely described
as 'Inodorcs." the contents of the cesspOols
which. In those days constituted an indus
pensable feature of every ParIsian house.
may add that previous-and. l regret to
say, subsequently-to her marriage with
NJ. Dumas the fair but frail Ida, who evil
IDENTITY had O fondness for literary men, d.
vided her favors between himself and his
most intimate friend. the COmte Roger de
Beauvor.