The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23


bread of an almshouse menu, seems {
far cry. If a corpse that lies in an un-
..-.-...ou grave III the potter's field OF
the City cemetery could be galvanized
into life; if the spirit that once breathed
within it could again kindle the light in
the Wondering eyes, a tale might be
told that would cause a wave OF horror
and sympathy throughout the fair land
of France. Within the Weed-grown.
unmarked grave in the potters field
lies the body of one whom the records
show to be Count MaSSena, son of the
great Napoleon's favorite field marshal.
This son of the 'favorite child of
victory as Napoleon named the mar
shall, was born in 1917. He died in a
Salt Lake poorhouse in January, 1880,
after a few years of miserable existence
in and around Salt Lake City. Count
Massena came into existence at a time
when his father was possessed OF I'M
mense wealth. His birth gave him the
enree into the most exclusive of the
aristocratic solons of the French CAPT
tai. While still a youth Massena'S peo-
pie lost their high position and he was
compelled to become the architect of
his own fortune.
He acquired an education such as few
men possess, and entered a monastery.
Later he was placed at the head of the
inquisition Of Rome. Here blood told,
for the count displayed the cruel in
stincts inherited from his illustrious
father. The elder Massena is stated by
historians to have been diabolical in his
severity toward any who fell under his
power. He was so rapacious that Ma
poleon called him q ''robber,' and was
finally compelled to break him.
Count Massena after a time grew
weary with Roman Catholicism He
\
turing tour through England There
he was described as being one of the
most fastidious of mortals. His tour in
England not proving successful, Mas
sena came to America. Misfortunes
continued to befall him, and he became
extremely morose. He arrived in Utah
in the late '70s. Massena was a Mason
of high degree, and at first he was rec
ognized by his brethren of the frater-
nifty.
Subsequently, however, his actions
were such as to compel the Masonic or
ganiZation to refuse him further recog-
milton. From that time his career was
full of misery, such as falls to the lot
of few men. At last he became a beg
gar. and finally. being attacked with
heart disease, he sought refuge in the
poOrhouse, where death put a period TO
his unhappy existence.
Interest in his career and death has
been revived by an inquiry recently re5
ceived by The city health department
from W. D. Weaver of F. West Twen-
ty-sixth street, New York City. asking
for the facts of his death, and OF his
history in this city.
Count MasSena' is still remembered
by the older residents of Salt Lake. He
died Jan. IS. 1880. and was buried Jan.
90 at the expense of the city, in the
section of the cemetery devoted TO the
burial of friendless and moneyless dead.
His Remarkable Story.
The story he told here was a remark
able one, and impressed many with its
truth. Some few, however, had their
doubts about the fun truth of his state |
ments, but were firmly impressed with |
the correctness of many of them, and |
doubted entirely some of them.
He was a shabby genteel on arrival !
in Salt Lake. He was beyond doubt a |
man of the best ancestry and he pos |
sessed a remarkably fine education. He /
impressed everyone by his noble bear
ing, and no one doubted that the blu
est of blood flowed in his veins.
One who remembers Mossena well is
Joseph +. Taylor, the undertaken, who
knew him in life and who buried him
after his death.
Yes. / remember the man we'll" said 4
Mr.. Taylor. He called himself Count
Massena, Andree Baron de Canon, and
that his father was Andre Massena.
prince of Nesting and duke of Rivoli
and the record of his death shows those
names.
Told His History.
"He was a remarkable man and edu-
Gated to a high degree. He was also
a Mason, who had undoubtedly at
tanned TO the highest branches of the
order, and he delivered several lectures
TO Masonic bodies after coming to this ,
city. / knew him and often conversed
with him and he told me remarkable
history of himself. of his relations to
the most distinguished of French aris-
tocracy.
Immense estates AID great wealth, ,
he said, belonged to him and had been /
confiscated from him because of po-
Iitical differences, but he always MAIN |
tanned that he would some day recover J
them and be restored to the former
high social position of which he had
been robbed.
Il never could make up my mind
whether he was an impostor or not,
ana even yet am not sure. His stories
IF himself always impressed me as be- {
ng in large degree the truth, but still
always doubted and always shall
ioubt much that he claimed for him
self. There is no question with me
rider of the nobility of France. but I :
always had an idea that he was not the
rue parsonage he described himself to
'e. He may have been the natural
on" of the great field marshal. or he
nay have been an adventurer, but that
lie was from aristocratic stock his bear
ng and education seemed to make GER O
ain. 7
He never had a family here In Salt ;,
AXE that l ever heard of and / am II
ure he did not. There was a young q
nan that it was claimed was his son. V
ut do not believe this was true At n
rs funeral there was no mourners but
he late George G. Bywater delivered
n GRAFTON over his remains and eulo-
lied him as 2 man of the highest at f
ailments. Mr.. Bywater was probably n
lore intimately acquainted with him h
han any other person in Salt Lake
Since the mans death / have re- II
eived dozens of letters, one from a W
rench consul, whose name j now for y
ct, asking for information of his ca
eer and death in this city. l always "
nswered and gave such information as fl
knew, but would never receive any Il
formation from the inquirers.'' d
What Record Shows. u u
The records of the health department ii
Salt Lake show that Count Mas
ma. Andree Baron de Canon. aged GO | ia
ears, died at the city infirmary. Jan. al
. 1880, of heart disease and dropsy" w
The record entry mentions the fact d;
lat deceased was born in France in
IL, his father being Andre Massena. eli
-ince of Hosting and dnka Of Rivolo de