Ascension County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Deocurro, Paul - July 8, 1878
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary K. Creamer marykcreamer.00@gmail.com March 16, 2023, 1:03 am


source: The Donaldsonville Chief. (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current,
June 15, 1878, page 3


SUICIDE. - Last Saturday evening, Mr. Paul Deocurro, residing on the right bank 
of Bayou Lafourche, in Assumption near the line of this parish, committed 
suicide by deliberately walking into the bayou and drowning himself. Deceased 
was interested as partner in a country store in the vicinity, and owing to dull 
times became involved to the extent of several hundred dollars, which is 
believed to have so preyed upon his mind as to produce temporary aberration. The 
bayou bed was thoroughly dragged in the vicinity, under the direction of 
Captains Dalferes and Aucoin of the St. Mary and Henry Tete, and Capt. Landry of 
the Cannoneers ordered a gun squad down to fire their six pounder over the 
water, but no trace of the body was discovered until Tuesday morning, when it 
came to the surface and was found among some drift wood about two miles below 
the point where Mr. Deocurro entered the bayou. Deceased was about thirty years 
of age, and leaves a wife and two children to mourn the sad ending of his life.


source: The Pioneer of Assumption. (Napoleonville, Louisiana) Saturday, June 15, 
1878, page 2

Suicide of Mr. Paul. - On Saturday, the 8th inst., Mr. Paul Deocurro, a well-
known and highly esteemed citizen of this parish, committed self-destruction by 
casting himself into Bayou Lafourche, at a point nearly opposite his late 
residence, situated at the extreme upper line of Assumption parish. Mr.Deocurro, 
although at the age of discretion, was, we are assured not of sound mind at the 
time he caused his own death, therefore is not supposed to have been capable of 
deliberately committing the crime of "felo de se", or self-murder, within the 
meaning of the law. The laws have considered voluntary suicide a crime, and, as 
they could not reach the actor himself, have inflicted punishment upon his 
friends and relatives by order that his body should have ignominious burial. But 
as the punishment in such cases was strongly repugnant to the feelings of 
humanity, men were more disposed to compassionate the relatives of a person who 
committed such an act of desperation than to inflict an additional misfortune 
upon them, they most frequently, and, indeed, almost uniformly pronounced the 
suicide insane, so that it has become a very general sentiment that the act of 
deliberate suicide is of itself proof of an unsound mind. Former laws were 
accordingly inoperative as well as inhuman and unjust, and legislators have 
expunged them from modern codes. That Mr. Deocurro's mental organization was 
seriously impaired, can be easily deduced from all the facts which have come to 
our knowledge. The following note, addressed to his friend, Kempton Dugas, Esq., 
is inconsistent with every act of his honorable life. It reads as follows:

"Assumption, June 8, 1878.-
I am not guilty of the crime of which I would be charged if I lived. I die 
innocent. Dr. Materre will explain for my family's sake and for my wife's sake.
P. DEOCURRO."

Taking into consideration that the deceased was a quite, inoffensive and upright 
gentleman in all his personal and business relations; that not the slightest 
breath of suspicion of wrong was ever cast upon him by either friend or foe in 
the community in which he was born and reared, it is hardly reasonable to 
conjecture that the self-accusations conveyed in his last note to Mr. Dugas had 
any foundation in truth and proceeded solely from a diseased mind. An 
intelligent friend of the deceased thus enumerates some of the causes, which, 
doubtless, led to the sad occurrence. It will be remembered by most of our 
readers that the father of Mr. Deocurro was wickedly murdered, about the year 
1865, by P. Vegas, the trial and prosecution of whom excited intense interest in 
the parish. The importance of this case, together with the eminence of counsel 
employed (the prosecution being represented by Hiram H. Carver, Esq., the then 
District Attorney, assisted by ex-Supreme Judge James L. Cole and the late 
Alphonse Gentile, and the defense by Gov. F. T. Nicholls and the late Judge 
LeBlanc,) attracted considerable notice at the time. In the prosecution of the 
slayer of his father, young Deocurro displayed unusual zeal, energy and the most 
affectionate paternal devotion in the vindication of the memory of his father 
and in the furtherance of even handed justice to him who had violently deprived 
his venerable parent of life.

The escape of Vegas from the punishment he so richly merited created a profound 
impression in the mind of the son, which was plainly visible to his intimate 
friends long after the tragical (sic) event was forgotten by others. Lately, he 
has met with pecuniary misfortunes, resulting from extraordinary depression in 
his commercial affairs, and so great was his despondency, at times, that the 
reason was seen to totter, and all hopes as to his sanity were put at rest, and 
medical advice was invoked in vain. On Saturday the 8th, he handed the note 
herein reproduced to Mr. Dugas, soon after which he cautiously proceeded to the 
bayou in which he made his watery grave, to the bewildering astonishment of 
friends and relatives. The officers of the steamers St. Mary, Assumption and 
Henry Tete, in passing the fatal spot, on being informed of the suicide, dragged 
the bayou in search of the body, without success. Capt. Landry, of the 
Donaldsonville Cannoneers, ordered his battery to move down to the place where 
it was supposed the body was sunk. After several hours firing the cannoneers 
(sic) failed to bring the corpse to the surface, and returned to their quarters.

Tuesday morning it was found on the surface of the stream in front of the store 
of Mr. Rodrigues, lodged in the drift wood. Notice of its discovery was 
immediately given and the lifeless remains of poor Deocurro were prepared for 
interment, at the family vault, in the St. Elizabeth Church Cemetery.

The lamented young man was aged 30 years, and leaves a wife and two children to 
mourn his untimely demise. Mr. Deocurro married the daughter of our prominent 
and respected fellow-citizen, Narcisse Guedry, Esq. To the family we tender all 
the condolences that true and sincere friendship can possibly prompt.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/ascension/obits/d/deocurro8699gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/lafiles/

File size: 6.8 Kb