Search the Encyclopedia Mavericana:   ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Gireaux, Roul

Creole aristocrat in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1877.[1] (March 7, 1820 – March 25, 1912)[2]

Father to Rene and Victor Gireaux and patriarch of the silversmithing family, the House of Gireaux.[1]

In March of 1876, Gireaux's son, Victor, was killed by Steve Corbett as Corbett was escaping from stealing silver from the House of Gireaux's workshop.[1]

In May,[2] Corbett resurfaced in Tampico, Mexico, as the owner of La Cantina Americana and Gireaux began proceedings to have him lawfully returned to the United States, but by June of 1877, he learned that all attempts of extradition had failed. He began looking for a reliable man to travel to Tampico and persuade Corbett to return to the States and face the charges against him. Monsieur Carpentier, a mutual friend of Gireaux and Bret Maverick, suggested Bret as the man for the job. Gireaux's son, Rene, witnessed Bret losing the last of his money at Casino de Nouvelle Orleans and believed that, now broke, Bret would accept the proposition. Gireaux enticed Bret to an interview at the House of Gireaux with a thousand dollars and offered him an additional $5,000 if he could persuade Corbett to return peacefully to the United States and inform Gireaux  of the time and place of his crossing. Impressed with Gireaux's graciousness and seemingly genuine desire to bring his son's murderer to justice, Bret accepted the offer and left the next morning for Tampico.[1]

By July, Bret had become an employee and confidante of Corbett's. When Corbett told Bret his side of the story, Bret came to believe Corbett was innocent. But having accepted Gireaux's $1,000, Bret was still obligated to return Corbett to the States. He borrowed money from Corbett to pay off his commitment with Gireaux and stayed in Tampico at the casino to work off his debt to Corbett. Shortly afterwards, Amy Lawrence left Corbett with a note that she was returning to America to face her past and told him not to follow her. But having fallen in love with her, Corbett felt compelled to chase after her. When Bret learned that Amy had been seen greeted by Rene Gireaux in Corpus Christi, he realized Corbett was walking into a trap and went after him. Corbett tracked Amy to Gireaux's Corpus Christi residence and learned she had lured him there, and held him at gunpoint. Gireaux confronted Corbett, eliciting his confession that he had killed Victor for trying to stop him stealing the silver. Corbett managed to get Amy's gun away from her and shot Gireaux in the chest. Bret arrived just as Gireaux, clutching his wound, tumbled down the stairs. Learning the truth, Bret killed Corbett in self-defense. Gireaux recovered from his wound[1] and lived to the age of 92.[1]

See: Escape to Tampico