MAIL NEWS

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 508, 22 August 1902, Page 1

MAIL NEWS

Paris, Juno 2S. The tragic suicide of two Americans, Mr and Mrs Vaugn, formerly of North Carolina, at Ouehy, on Lake Genova, last week, is tho talk of tho American colony here. A long letter written by Vaugn, explaining the motive of the double suicide, was found on a table of the room in which the couple sought death. It was a pitiful story of hard luck, intermingled with tragic romance. Thirty years ago tho couple wero married in Switzerland, and rented the same cottago in which they wero found dead. Their bodies wero discovered in their former bridal chamber.

After their marriage, both being well off, they spent two yetyrs in Europe, and later returned home. Though natives of North Carolina, they removed to Portland, Ore., and there Vaugn embarked in various business enterprises, which prospered. After twenty-fivo years of married happiness, in which eight children were born to them, troubles came thick and fast. Their eight children died within three years. The youngest son, after accidentally shooting his oldest brother, himself mot doath in a mill explosion. Six months lator a favorito daughter died of typhoid fever contracted while nursing her husband, who also succumbed Ito the disease. Tho husband of another daughter embezzled funds entrusted to his care, and in order to save him Vaugn was obliged to make over most of his property. Finally, broken in health and spirit, the aged couple, left without a relative in the world, and with just euough money to keep them from starving, came to Europe. They sought rest in Switzerland, tho scene of their romantic courtship, The modest ivy-clad cottage which they had occupied as bride and bridegroom was by chance empty. They rented it, hoping to find there solace from their many griefs. Rut instead, Vaugn’s letter said, the memories of the past became uncndurablo and they determined to end everything. Husband and wife were found hanging side by side from the same door which they had passed through thirty years before as brido and bridegroom. Paris, June 28.

Miss Lizzie Van Enron, the daughter of a wealthy New Orleans merchant, got herself into serious trouble, the result of her ownership of a bob-tailed donkoy named Czar, which under peculiarly laughable circumstances resisted arrest, knocking out two policemen, one of whom is now in hospital as a result of the encounter. Miss Van Burcn and her maid had gone to market driving tho donkey in a little cart. Whilo his mistress was engaged among tho stalls, Czar helped himself to a copious assortment of carrots, lettuce, asparagus and strawberries. Despite tho rumpus raised by tho despoiled market-woman Miss Van Buren refused to pay for her donkey’s meal, asserting that the owner of the stall should have guarded against such depredation. Two policemen summoned to the sceno said that pending adjustment by tho courts they would be obliged to remove the guilty animal to the pound. Then the policemen got into tho cart and whipped the donkey, while Miss Van Buren stood by shouting “ Whoa, Czar ! Whoa ! ” until sho was threatened with arrest.

The donkey absolutely refused to be driven. Unhitched from tho car, he declined to budge, in spite of the two vigorous policemen tugging at tho bridle. When police reinforcements tried to push him from behind he became exceedingly belligerent. Indeed, the first touch caused such a pyrotechnic display of kicking that no policeman was courageous enough to make a second attempt. After an uproarious secno lasting over an hour a strong roustabout lifted tho donkey bodily into his cart, where ho was strapped with harness, and tho police pushed tho novel perambulator to tho pound. Miss Van Buron’s father was compelled to deposit security of £SO before the animal was released.