A Demon in Disguise Through the course of history, New Orleans has beckoned its call of mystery to the people outside its city. Many things drive people to The Crescent City. It could be the jazz or the great gumbo, or perhaps the cause is the city’s dark side, particularly in the French Quarter. The dark side could include voodoo, secret societies or murders. However, the most alluring of all of these are the hauntings. The most well-known of all the haunted places in the French Quarter is the LaLaurie Mansion. This beautiful mansion on Royal Street has its own dark secrets to tell. The mistress of the house, who gave the mansion its name, was Madame Delphine LaLauire. She was born on March 19, 1787, to Louis Chevalier Barthelemy de Macarty Marie Jeanne Lerable. The Macarty clan was a large, wealthy, and politically powerful family. The family included military officers, planters, and merchants. They arrived relatively early during the French Colonization period. Many of Madame LaLauire’s relatives owned and managed extensive real…show more content… She met another man, Leonard Louis Nicolas LaLauire, a young physician who was supposed to be able to help anyone in need. Delphine needed his aid. One of Delphine’s daughters from her second marriage had some deformities along her spine and was subsequently ill. Louis LaLauire was hired to cure the young girl. However, the girl was not cured. Delphine then fell in love with the physician and they married. In 1831, Delphine purchased the property at 1140 Royal Street which would soon come to be known as the notorious LaLaurie Mansion. Her marriage to Dr. LaLaurie was not a happy one. Neighbors overheard the couple arguing profusely, and it was almost unsurprising to them when Louis LaLaurie packed his bags and moved out sometime in the early months of 1834. Losing her husband reportedly drove Delphine mad. It sent her further down the path of insanity (Ghost City
