Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-13
THE DEACON CASE AGAIN.

Crowds Try to Gain Admission Into the
Court Room.
GRAssE, FRANCE, Oct. 13.-The action Of Mr..
Edward Parker Deacon against his wife began
here today. The trial is taken to prove crimi-
nal adultery on the part of the defendant
in order that the plaintiff can apply
for divorce. The greatest interest is
manifested in the case here and at o'clock
this morning the doors Of the court house
were besieged bya large crowd Of people,
all eager to gain admission to the court
room. At $50 the doors of the court room
were opened and the crowd made a rush
for the seats. In few minutes every avail
able inch Of space was occupied and many of
the crowd of would-be listeners found that
they would not be able to obtain standing roo u
where they could hear any of the proceedings.
Their interest or curiosity was SO deep. however
that they did not give up the idea of gratifying
it and they waited outside the court house in
the hope that they would be admitted later in
the day. There was much discussion among
the people as to whether Mrs. Deacon would
appear In person to defend herself or whether
she would allow judgment to be entered against
her by default.
Maitre Somango, Mr.. Deacon's counsel, was
unavoidably absent and his place was taken by
Mr.. Frank PLATTE, an advocate from Nice.
Mr.. Deacon was present in the court, but
Mrs. Deacon was absent. She was represented
by counsel, however, who commended that the
court was incompetent to try the case. The
court, after listening to the arguments Of coun-
sci, decided that it was fully competent to try
the case.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
On The night of February II last Mr. Edward
Parker Deacon, resident Of Paris, who had for
a considerable time suspected his wife's rela-
tons with Frenchman named Abeille, found
the Frenchman in his wife's room at the Hotel
Splendid at Cannes and fired three shots at
him. Two of the bullets took effect and Abeille
died the next morning from the effects OF his
injuries. Mr.. Deacon is well known in New
York and Boston, and his wife, who is a daugh-
ter of the late Admiral Baldwin of the American
navy, was equally well known for her beauty
and accomplishments. Mr.. Deacon was ar
rested and though public sympathy was strongly
with him he was convicted and sentenced to
one years imprisonment for manslaughter
The evidence showed that Mrs. Deacon was
completely infatuated with Abeille, who is de-
scribed as having been repulsive looking OBJ
ject. and that she had repeatedly been detected
in situations that left little doubt as to her
criminal intimacy with him. When the French
man was lying dying on the floor outside her
room in the Hotel Splendide her thoughts were
not of the terrible disgrace she had brought
upon herself, her children and her family, but
of whether the scandal would affect her posi-
ton in society 1t is needless to say that 1t has
affected it. According to the law of
France married woman convicted Of
adultery is liable to imprisonment, and Mr.
Deacon refused at first to proceed against his
wife on this charge. as he did not wish her to
be confined with the inmates Of a common
prison. Mrs. Deacon did not appreciate the
consideration her husband showed her
and attempted by legal means to
get possession of their two chill
dren. Mr.. Deacon was finally forced
to bring the action that was begun today to
maintain possession of the children. On Sep
TENDER % last, the occasion of the celebration
Of the centenary of the establishment Of the
first French republic, Mr.. Deacon was pardoned
by President Carnot and as soon thereafter as
possible commenced the proceedings against
his wife for criminal adultery.