Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-11
DIES WITH MIND VOID.
Life Flickers Out from the Wasted
Body of Edward Parker Deacon.

man VIM uiHe years ago SnOt ana XIII
ed Emile Abeille in the reception room
OF his wife at Cannes. France, is dead.
His last months of life were free of
all recollection of the great tragedy
which wrecked three lives and blasted
the fair name of his four young chill
dren, for paresis in most violent
form had almost entirely DESTROYED
his memory.
His wife of former years. now known
by the name of Baldwin. with the chill
dren of the couple, is now in Paris.
MIR. Deacon's death came with great
agony. and was FASTENED beyond a
doubt by the extreme prevailing heat.
For many months. however, his de
mise had been expected at any time.
During the last two years the pare.
sis had progressed very rapidly, and
he had become as irresponsible as
baby. DIR. Little of the Mclean asy-
lum says his case was one of the mo
distressing he ever observed.
He came from one of the oldest and
wealthiest of Boston families. and.
possessing great fortune even to the
end of his life, he enjoyed every privi-
lege while in the asylum except lib
erty and health. He lived in a su.
perb suite of apartments and had
number OF attendants.
1t is a question which the world
has never solved whether Mrs. Dea-
con was really at fault in the days
preceding the tragedy or whether the
early stages of the husbands insanity
led him to cruelty and jealousy and
eliminated in the murder of n man
who was in no way guilty. despite his
sympathetic friendship for the wife.
The case was an international epi.
sode for years. with public opinion
cruel to the woman until after the
known facts which turned the tide of
opinion.
The young couple lived partly at
Newport, where Mrs. Deacon was n
reigning beauty, and partly in Paris.
where Mr.. Deacon had banking inter.
ests But the husband was cruel to
the wife His anger famed on tri-
Hing grounds. = 'rhey had many quar-
rels, many separations and many rec.
onciliations.
| He it was who himself introduced
to her his friend. NJ Abeille. club.
man. wealthy and with good connec-
tions in society. The sympathy be.
tween wife and friend became strong.
and 1t was the ground for further
quarrels.
Then came the beginning of the
end. Another woman entered the
drama, French woman, young and
beautiful. who madly loved NJ. Abe.
lille and believed herself deprived of
his love by the charms of her Amer
ican rival. She wrote to Mr. Deacon
She did all she could to stir his jeal-
ousy. She made charges of unfaith-
rulness which in the light OF later
knowledge may well have been un.
founded.
In February. 1892, the Deacons were
living at Cannes, near Nice. Mr.
Deacon's apartments in the Hotel
Splehdlde were on the floor above
those of his wife. On the evening of
February II he listened outside of her
door, and heard voice which he rec.
ognized as that of NJ Abeille.
He returned to his room, drank sew
eral glasses of brandy. and got his re-
volver. Then he got the clerk OF the
hotel to go with him and went back
to his wife's door.
"Open! he cried.
There was silence for moment.
Then the door opened.
The husbands eye ranged the room.
He saw a head behind sofa, and
fired three quick shots. Then he
drew the sofa away. NJ Abeille lay
dying on the floor, two of the shots
having penetrated his brain. The po-
self up
NJ. Abeille's body was buried with
much pomp at Paris, and the time for
Deacons trial at Nice came Every
body thought he would be acquitted.
The trial excited much Interest, and
the court was crowded The Abeille
family took no part in the case. save
to employ n Nice barristcr TO watch
the proceedings In Its behalf.
On May 20. however Mr.. Deacon
was convicted of manslaughter and
sentenced to imprisonment for year.
His plea of defense that his honor as a
husband entitled him 10 take his own
vengeance was not given the weight
which In that country that plea almost
invariably has, and the fact Is one OF
those which points to Mrs. Deacon's
probable innocence.
Mr.. Deacon served Just two days
longer than four months and then was
pardoned by President Sadi Carnot
| and released.
Years later the clerk who was with
Mr.. Deacon when he fired the shots
admitted that he had perjured him
self at the instance OF the woman
who had forced on the tragedy. Mr..
Deacon himself afterwards admitted
that NJ. Abeille was his wlfe's guest
| nm hie OWn in vitatinu