Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-12-04
a Double Suicide.

A Double Suicide.
The suicide ofMrs. Edward L. Caron
and Victor Cyrier at the Virginia Ho-
tel, at Chicago, has aroused great deal
of interest. The Virginia is probably
the most exclusive of all the family no.
tells in Chicago, and Cyrier chose it, it
is suspected, because he and Mrs. Caron
would be safe from the searchers there.
Caron was married five years ago to
Hcdwige Boisvert, of Bourbonnais, near
Kankakee Both belonged TO good
French Canadian families. Little did
the people Of Bourbonnais think that
Victor Cyrier, the black eyed youth of
twenty-one, who was at the wedding,
would wreck the life of Edward Caron
and die with the bride who was led to
the altar on that dav.
Caron brought his wife to Chicago
and started housekeeping above his
drug store, at No. 100 Blue Island ave-
nue.. DIR. Charles f. Cyrier, another
Frenchman from Bourbonnais, lived at
No. l01 Blue Island avenue, and be-
tween the two families there was q
warm friendship. Business prospered
with Caron and there came a
time when he needed an as
siStant. DR.. Cyrier recommended his
| second cousin in BourbonnpiS, Victor
Cyrier, who was drug clerk, and about
lGree years ago Victor was installed as
clerk. Caron could not afford to pay
big wages, and he offered to board
Cyrer and let him sleep in the store.
This was satisfactory to the young man,
who was handsome fellow, and he
soon became popular in the neighbor-
hood and intimate with his employers
family.
Victor paid such attention to the
wife as to arouse the suspicious of his
cousin, Dr. Cyrier, who demonstrated
with him. The young man swore that
his attentions were those of man OF
honor.
Caron was furious, and attempted to
kick Cyrier out of the house. Mrs. Ca
ron restrained him and begged forgive
ness. She knelt at his feet and i'm
plored him to pardon her for the sake
Of their child The emotional French
man burst into tears and forgave. They
knelt together at the little altar in the
bedroom, she praying for strength TO
withstand temptation, he thai he might
forgive the man who had wronged him.
Young Cyrier left the Caron house at
once and never entered 1t again, al
though that did not prevent him from
meeting ne infatuated wife.
She sent the baby to her husband in
the store last Tuesday morning, kissing
the child repeatedly before handing
her over TO the nurse. \ few
minutes later she fled from her
home. Yet the mother was strong
withia her. and she passed the store
to gaze once more on her child. The
little girl waved her hand to her moth b.
er through the window. The looh OF
determination on the wom0a 5 face
softened, she hesitated, seemed as If
about to enter the store, but stopped,
turned, and passed ont of sight.
She and Victor went to the Virginia,
and, being stylishly dressed and well
behaved, were received. They regis
tered as Mr.. and Mrs. Charles d. La
Pointe, from st. Paul. They never
left their rooms except for meals.
What arguments they advanced for
committing suicide together will never
be known. Both knew that they could
never be united in marriage. Both
were Catholics, and that church does
not recognize divorces. Perhaps this
made the guilty lovers depair. Nor.
phine was chosen by which they could
end their lives.
TIev made contract that whoever
should find the other dead would use
the revolver which was placed on the
table near the chair where they botn
sat. In the early morning Cyrier pre-
pared the drug Before taking the
poison, however, each wrote letters.
Hers was to her husband and babe. 1t
read as follows:
To all "A last farewell to our
dear friends. Life is No more a happl-
ness to us. Vic is not to blame. We
die here together tonight as true
friends. Farewell husband and dear
little child. Hope you will remember
your mother. A kiss to my little one
who has no mother tonight. o, home
without mother. What will she 90?
The writing was unsteady, and it is
thought she penned the letter, after
she had taken the poison One of Cy-
rier's letters read thus:
To FRIENDs-I bid You all farewell
forever. O, sad it is, but | cannot
help it, With my sorrows | cannot
bear, | die happy here tonight, be-
cause die with dear friend. At all
all times | can say that l have done
my duty. Hope you will all forgive
me. Hope to meet you all in better
world. o, dear forgive me. l am no
longer able to write. My strength is
falling. o, good night for ever.
Another was short note, which
said:
can't write any more. l can't open my
What was evidently his last letter
was as follows
We die together on the same chair:
Same both find. Who find us dead
take revol shoot self.
This referred to the agreement that
the survivor should use q revolver TO
hasten death. Cyrier wrote more, but
he forgot to dip his pen in the ink oc-
casionally. Some of the words were
blurred and some were mere struggling
marks. A few words deciphered were,
"hope, forgiveness" Il am crazy
sref deliv letrs," ''declar faithful and
bonest.n There was no connection be-
tween these expressions, and it was ev-