It's still one of the most bizarre murder cases in New Orleans history.
When the charismatic "Dr. Eugene Etienne" moved into the scenic rooming-house 714 St. Peter Street in New Orleans' French Quarter in 1884, the fact that he spoke no English hardly seemed a barrier. Since French was still widely spoken in the area, developing a clientele for his practice wasn't really a problem. Although Franz Mesmer had died in 1815, interest in "animal magnetism" or, as Dr. Etienne called it, "magnetic physiology" was still strong enough to attract curious clients. Advertising for new clients was largely restricted to Etienne distributing cards on street corners with the colourful slogan: "Let us look for the truth! Let us do good! Let us be magnetized! Dr. Eugene Etienne, 68 Rue St. Pierre".
Patients going to the rooming house where the good doctor lived quickly found his prominent shingle which read (in French): "Searching for truth? Doing it well? Dr. Etienne, professor of magnetic physiology of Paris. All maladies cured by magnetism. Treatment at domicile". His treatments often involved dosing his patients with chloroform to make them more susceptible to his "magnetic will". If the patients didn't get any particular benefit from the sessions with Etienne, he didn't really harm them either. Since his fees were quite reasonable, i.e., small, he had no shortage of clients who often returned for repeat sessions. Not only was he a refined gentleman whose manners impressed his, mostly female, clients but he was an attractive man as well. For male patients, he offered a cure for impotence and his virile appearance served as a testimonial to the cure's effectiveness.
While neighbours became used to his comings and goings, there was no indication that Dr. Etienne established any real roots in the community. That changed in 1888 when he became friends with Jules Deitsch. Deitsch, a carpenter who lived nearby, was similar to Etienne in many ways. As a Parisian immigrant who had only lived in the United States for a few years, Deitsch spoke little English and naturally gravitated towards the cultured doctor whom he first saw as a patient. As a firm believer in magnetic physiology and being homesick for Paris, Deitsch welcomed the chance to visit with Etienne and discuss French culture over a glass of wine. Since Deitsch was a widower, he was worried about his two young daughters, Laurence, aged nine, and Juliette, who was twelve years old. Juliette was a particular concern for him since she was extremely mature for her age and already attracting the interest of many of the local boys.
As his friendship with Dietsch grew, Etienne began sharing many of the details of his life. He confessed that his true name was Etienne Deschamps, that he had been part of a wealthy family, and that he had graduated from a Paris dental college. After being disinherited by his family over unspecified "youthful excesses", Deschamps served in the Crimean War and later went into politics. As a result of political pressure, he was forced to leave France for a while. When his attempt to start a new life in Brazil failed (he blamed it on politics again), he returned to Paris where he discovered his "magnetic powers" and became fascinated with the occult. Eventually forced out of France again (this time he blamed his family), he decided to resettle in New Orleans as part of a plan to make himself wealthy. This was when he made Jules Deitsch an interesting chance to become wealthy as well.
According to Deschamps, his magnetic powers could do far more than heal the sick. He was also hoping to find the lost treasure of the notorious pirate, Jean Lafitte. Stories of the enormous treasure that Lafitte had buried somewhere in what is now known as the Barataria Preserve near New Orleans had already become the stuff of legend. While Deschamps had been searching for the treasure, he couldn't find it alone. For the next part of his scheme, he needed a young virgin to act as a medium to help him locate the treasure using his magnetic powers. He suggested that Juliette would be perfect and that both he and her father could become wealthy after the treasure was located. Deitsch was intrigued by the plan and agreed to let Juliette participate. That the plan involved Deschamps dosing Juliette with liberal doses of chloroform while conducting private "mediumship" sessions with her didn't seem to set off any alarm bells for him (Deschamps was in his seventies, after all). While chloroform was still relatively new and stories of potential problems with its unregulated use were already circulating, Dietsch had no real concerns about Juliette. Deschamps was a doctor, wasn't he?
Over the next few weeks, Deschamps spent considerable time with Laurence and Juliette and even brought them to his room where he plied them with candy and fresh fruit. He also took Juliette on trips throughout the Barataria swamplands to prepare her for her role in finding Lafitte's treasure. Due to Deitsch's growing concern about Juliette becoming involved with the local boys, he encouraged her to spend as much time with Deschamps as possible. Neigbours seeing Deschamps with the two girls often thought that they were his daughters and Deschamps did nothing to correct them. In the meantime, the private sessions in Deschamps room at the boarding-house continued.
On January 30, 1889, Jules Deitsch was interrupted at work by his elderly mother. Laurence had come home and was crying hysterically. When Deitsch came home to investigate, he found a strange bundle on the floor next to her bed. The bundle contained books that belonged to Deschamps. When Deitsch pressed his daughter to tell him what had happened to Juliette, all that she could say was that, "The doctor told me that Juliette is asleep and that he is going to die". Hearing this, he grabbed Laurence's hand and half-carried her to the Peter Street rooming house. After banging on the door, he awakened one of Deschamps' neighbours, who also happened to be a night watchman. When neither of them got a response, they went to the Third Precinct Station and got three policemen to come back with them and they were finally able to enter Deschamps' room after obtaining a duplicate key from the landlady.
The scene that they found was certainly bizarre. The room looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in months with books and papers scattered all over. The fireplace was filled with charred papers that were still giving off smoke and there was a single lit candle on the mantle. On the bed were Deschamps and Juliette, both naked with her head on his chest. Although Juliette was dead, Deschamps was still alive although he had stabbed himself in the chest four times with a sharp dental instrument. When Deschamps opened his eyes, he told the police, in French, "I meant to die". He then lost consci0usness again. After calling for an ambulance, the police searched the room and found a series of letters in a neat pile. They were all addressed to Dr. Deschamps and had apparently been written by Juliette.
To be continued.
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