The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-28
PRIEST AND GIRL DIE TOGETHER.
Suicide Was Only Possible End of
Their IdyIIic Love Affair.
From de New York ]

From the New York Press.
Paris, Feb. 4,-Instances are compare
lively common in which young lovers
have elected to be joined in death be-
cause they could not be united in life,
but it is doubtful if such a tragedy
ever occurred under more romantic
circumstances than that which just
is reported in the village of Seth.
Maurice Wales, a good-looking young
Catholic priest, and Jeanne Gazane,
II years old, the genuinely beautiful
daughter of well-to-do land owner,
died together in the Seth parish
church on Monday night because the
fact that Wales was priest made it
impossible for them TO marry. Their
suicide came, not after a scandal. but
as the end of an idylic love affair, and
they died as two innocent children
might have done.
The Able Wales, who was a manly
young fellow of %, came to Seth as
rector of the district just two years
ago. He brought with him his grand
mother and two old aunts, who kept
house for him. 1t was soon after Wales
arrival that he met Jeanne, the pref
tiest girl in all the country around. The
sweetness OF her face, the abundance
of her raven hair and the grace of her
figure were renowned wherever she
was known. Jeanne sat with hercam-
lily every Sunday in the church where
the young able preached, and they fell
in love almost as soon as their eyes
first met.
They were often thrown together
and soon found an opportunity to con-
fess the state of their feelings toward
each other. For while their affection
was not suspected, but eventually
people came to know of it, and the
young lovers were called to account.
Both were penitent, both promised to
see each other no more, and for a long
time both kept their word. Then, how
ever, they weakened to the extent of
writing to each other, hiding their let
tiers in the good, old-fashion way in a
spot known only to themselves.
Finally, however, they could stand il
no longer and began meeting again.
They were detected almost imme-
diatly, and when the affair came to
the ears of the dioces authorities II
was decided that Wales should be trans
ferred to a distant parish. 1t was when
the lovers learned that they were to be
separated that they decided to die.
When Jeanne did not return home
on Monday night her parents were
alarmed. People were sent out to look
for the girl, and one of these called
at the house of Able Wales to ask If
the priest could give any tidings of
her. The enquirer g, however, was as
tonished to find that the young priest
also had failed to come home the night
before and that his relatives were
much disturbed. Then the whole VIII
lage became excited.
Presently it struck some one as
strange that the church should be lock-
ed, and the door was broke open. In
the dimly lighted little belfry under
meath the church bell lay the dead bodies
of the priest and his sweetheart. Both
were shot through the right temple,
and the revolver with which the thing
had been done was found beside them.
Evidently their religion had upheld
them in the hour of death, for the able
was in his cassock and held his cruc-
fix in his left hand, while the beauti-
full young girl who was dressed in
black, with her hair let down, had her
rosary grasped tightly in both hands.