in 1829 , tyrone clifford mcnamara and an irishwoman , presumably his mistress , were found dead after a fire in a little house in the french quarter which had been bought for the woman by mcnamara police reports and newspaper stories of the time indicate the pair was overcome with smoke when trying vainly to escape the lock on the front door had been broken there was a child from this union , apparently , who was not in the house at the time of the fire he later went north this fire engendered considerable gossip in new orleans , and it was at this time that the talamasca gamed more personal information about the family than it had been able to acquire in years .