The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-02

struse scientific theories to account for
them, but grouped they seem to point
Enthusiastically to what Nordau calls de-
generation.
The decadent literature Of France has
been discussed fully; now critics are
turning their attention TO the fact that
that literature only typifies the orin-
airy life of a large proportion of the
people. Thus the popular clamor evok-
ed last spring by the attempt 10 suppress
bull fighting in the south OF France
might be attributed merely to devotion
to what had been for centuries an in
Stftution of the land, but studied in
connection with the wave of suicide
and murder that is sweeping over
France. it may be taken to point to a
love Of bioodshed, to a revival of fierce
instincts no longer restrained by the
discipline of civiliza ton.
DOUBLE SUICIDES.
In Paris it is 50 common for man and
woman to die together by the revolver
that the newspa pers take small notice
OF such occurrences and sometimes
group several of them under the head
ing of Dramas of Passion" 1t is
quite the thing for a woman TO kill her
unfahhful lover, or a husband his err
ring wife, and this is. so well recognized
that the acquittal of the slayer, after
a sensational trial. is the rule.
The hysteria which impels men and
women to shoot rules in the jury box,
and even on the bench. The other day
a young woman who killed her lover
was convicted at Lyons, but that was
because she insisted, against the pro-
tests of the court, that she was guilty
and deserved no mercy. Under the cir
cumstances the jury were obliged to
find her guilty, but they added that
there were extenuating circumstances.
and so she got off with a sentence of
ten years Imprisonment for deliberate
murder. II would be easy to trace this
same hysteria into THE chamber of
deputies and the councils that govern.
LEBAUDY'S EXTRAVAGANCE.
Max Lebaudy, who died this week,
has been set down as young man with
unlimited means, love of pleasure
equally unlimited and absolute free
dom of action; but reasons are easily
found for believing that he was suffer
ing from forms of this same psychical
faint His follies were more extrava-
CANT, more bizarre than the pranks
and disSipations of other rich young
men who apply themselves to spending
the millions accumulated by their faith
ers.- There seems to have been an ele-
ment of madness in his career, and this
idea derives support from the perform
ances of another member of his family.
a cousin. This cousin until recently led
the life OF the ordinary rich young man
and was attentive to the sugar refining
business, which brought the family its
millions. One day he walked into the
works and, without warning, threw
himself upon some of the workmen and
tried to eject and beat them. Then
other stories came out about him. A
fortnight before, it was stated, he invit-
ed large party to a hunt and present
ed himself to his guests disguised as a
priest. 1t was with difficulty that he
was persuaded TO abandon his costume
and behave himself properly
SCRUBS THE FLOORS.
Later he took the notion of reducing
his domestic establishment, discharged
servants right and left and refused to
pay them their wages, obliging them TO
sue. He undertook TO take care of his
house himself, even to scrubbing the
floors Stories were also told of wild
speculation on the bourse. Finally, he
began suit against twelve Paris news
papers that had published accounts OF
his cccantricities. His action altogether
had the result Of producing a change
Of punlic sentiment toward Max Lee
baudy. and there arose a suspicion that
the latter was not entirely responsible
for his f0llies. 1t seems tolera'bly GER
tain that Max Lebaudy would be still
living had not the opposition news
papers compelled the war office to order
ilin to serve with his -'egiment instead
of letting him enjoy unlimited leave of
absence. At any rate, his career is be
ing used now TO support the theories
Of the believers in degeneration.
\ more curious example of French
moral alteration is presented by a suit
brought here by a Mile. Lucie Claraz,
of Freiburg. Switzerland. Mile. Claraz
Is pious Catholic. and has received the
decora ton of the Order of the Holy
Sepulcher from the pope. Neverthe-
less. one Sunday in 1898, priest refus-
ed to administer the communion 10 her.
The refusal caused a scandal
Among other stories circulated to eX-
plain it. was one 10 the effect that her
piety was only mask; that she was
really a high prieStesS of the worship of
the devil, and that her object in going
TO communion was 10 obtain sacred
waters with which to celebrate the
black mass in honor Of his satanic ma
iesty with obscene ceremonies. II hap
pened that Paris has one paper devoted
TO The interests Of the devil and 10 the
propogation of his worship. and an
other. The Devil in the Nineteenth Cen
fury. whose object is 70 fight the devil.
The latter published the story about
Mile. Claraz, and she is now suing IT
for damages. The most interesting
a., fa-- ,
1he argument of her lawyers 10 show
that the devil is actually worshiped
nowadays in France. He declared
that the black mass was said in four
or five places in Paris before a srucifix
upside down and accompanied by the
proclamation Of the saCHd host. He
summarized the history OF the black
mass, and described one at which Nine.
de MonteSpan assisted and held in her
arme child while il was being Sacri-
feed in order 10 make & philter by
which she could recover the love Of
King Louis XIV.
In our own times. the lawyer said.
the spread Of satanic worship has occu-
MED the attention Of the church. and ne
referred 10 prayers against il compos-
cd by Pope Leo MIL and other pre-
dates The lawyer on the other side has
Yet 10 pe ned4d II '-.i' N''' Ss ne paper
he represents seeks its support IN fight
ing the devil and his wo-shipers, he
must necessarily admit that satan has
votarjes in France. That this is the
case has not been doubted since Hugs
mans published his book. La-Bas. -
and Jules Bois wrote ''Satanism and
Magic" In both books facts in abund-
ance are presented to prove that ignor-
ance ard deprivation have reached 81