| Show A SKILFUL VILLAIN UNIQUE METHODS or OP murnett MUR that the french are an ingenious people especially la in planning aud executing strange and mysterious mys Urious crimes can dot be gainsaid gain said even in the mattor matter of brigandage they frequently outstrip the swarthy italian not perhaps in boldness and brutality but as the following will show in point of caution and finesse they are vastly superior almost completely baffling the forts of a brilliant police to unravel the causes that led to the murder and robbery of many good citizens peacefully pursuing the vocations of honest men M Flaun dreau merchant of marseilles se illes left home on the morning of may 5 1864 for he had reached thelast named place attended to considerable mercantile business and der departed arted for home he was never seen again alive his body was found two days later on the road between castellane and aups alps and at first it was supposed that he be must have fallen there and died in a fit as no marks of violence could be found upon him his hid pockets were rifled however no sooner had the excitement of the mysterious death ol of toe merchant begun to subside when deaths resulted on the road in the same strange mauner manner no marks of ill usage had bad been found upon any ny of them bu batall all had been robbed by this time public excitement was intense and the prefect at digne bethought himself that immediate and effective steps were quite necessary lest general condemnation should tall upon his official head at this interesting point of affairs the last named officer sent for a noted rogue catcher named bressart who ha had d won considerable renown in the department ot of the lower alps arriving and being informed of the state of tunings bressart asked if most of the victims nad had not stopped at cas te lane receiving an answer in the affirmative the detective said then they must have put up at soab inn ina there yes answered the prefect catching g Br essaris meaning the magistrate stated that the landlords had bad been narrowly watched and no shadow of evidence rested against them but persisted the detective alis is t there not some poison luthis in this matter mater t some inn keeper may administer the poison and then send an accomplice alter the victim this supposition opposition would not hold as experienced physicians bad examined the stomachs of the vio victims tims but no race of poison had bad been found greasart Bre asart was forthwith ordered to go at once to castellane sod and secure such further information as the sub prefect there could give securing a suit of ordinary trades mans clothing gloth irig and thus habited I 1 the detective mounting a horse borse set out at once for his destination arrived bressart pretended to set about doing some bu business siness and vist visit gsg a wooer woo en factory examined some stuff here he learned that most of the people who came on business stopped at ac an inn kept by a man named juan fontain Fon taix rod end there bressart engaged lodgings after dark tae detective called u upon on the sub prefect from this official officio he learned that most of the dead men had come from marselles and that in that city the excitement was intense gen darmes had been sent gent out nall the roads and secret police had affo been upon the watch the last victim had faller fallen only four days before and the deed brad bad been done fifteen minutes atter after the policeman hid had passed the spot Furt furtner luer he be learned that abe h officials suspicions rested to a more or less degree upon juan Von dontai ion tai taix as nearly all the murdered murder d men agen haid had stopped at his inn and ae e ing must st haye have known gom something ething of their business impressing absolute secrecy as to his hig presence bressart returned to his lodgings and aid finally anally entered into a conversation with hs his host upon ou the subject of f the mysterious aea deaths ii the in 17 beeper pronounced it wonderful and assured the tae detective let octive that it Iri lured him more than he rould could tell t axon mon dieul muttered the host they will be suspecting me nent next if they haye not done so bo air already pady 11 although when the murders were mentioned men ti ioup d Fon i tonta taiX blanched and trem trembled let lest he be should he be apprehended or the fhe r crime bressart did I 1 not deem it t advisable to follow up the sus ic lops of the sub prefect concerning th the landlord having spent the next day ostensibly engaged in business in the factories hut in reality on the alert for any alue bressart became convinced no cirou circumstantial in evidence would answer the culprit or culprits must be caught with the proof upon him or them bressart gu now ow paying haying spent the second night t a at t t the inn determined upon a 4 very b bold c I 1 1 move 0 ve he had given an assumed name on an his arrival and stated that ae was from toulon 5 so sa calling for his bill he informed his mt host that at he was off for home then lie be went to the troit fruit preservers and told him the same story stating that he be must consult his bis partner before coa eluding any bargain after that he called at the woolen factory and saw the business agent his name was louis Louii cazaubon and he be had bad come to castellane about a year before he seemed to the detective like a straightforward business man and had bad previously discussed the murders with bressart in an open epen and offhanded off handed banded manner to the agent bressart Bre asart stated what he had told the others that he return to toulon if you have not the ready money with you we can give you credit said vae mie agent la in reply bressart said that he be had bad plenty of money bat was not oily fully f prepared to pay the prices demanded very well answered cazaubon 1 I shall be happy to sell when yea come again thereupon Thee upon the detective departed when alone bressart became very thoughtful it seemed strange that although thou he had told the agent that he had bad m money aghney the latter had not bantered him perhaps the agent wanted him to have money when be left anyhow bressart rode to an out of the way place and left pis his horse and then returned where he could watch the movements of cazaubon Caz lubon in a few minutes the agent came out from the factory and walked away his step seemed hurried burned and eager although the detective now fully suspected camaron Ca mabon he be felt sure he be was not the man who did the direct work of death the plot must be deeper or it would have been discovered before AS bressart could not follow with safety he determined to wait and see it the agent returned in less than afif fifteen minutes cazaubon returned he walked with a sober and innocent air waiting until the agent was iras seated at his desk bressart returned to his bis horse the detective now concluded that if the factory agent was really at the bottom of the crimes he be had already put his machinery in motion and the next development would be upon the road he examined his pistols and left the town taking the read react along the river toward aups alps having ridden about half an hour bressart Bres sarr although a brave man began to experience a slight sense of fear as he entered a dreary piece of woods and carefully kept his eyes about him the mysterious way in which the murders had bad been done verged berged so eo closely upon the marvelous that naturally nata rally a superstitious feeling was attached to it having crossed a small cascade at st esprit he was descending a short stee P hillside when he came upon a boy by the roads de engaged in whipping a mue mu e the bouta was a slightly built young fellow not more than 15 years of age dressed in coarse garments obien were covered with meal supposing the youth was a millers boy bressart advanced and as he be did so saw a large sack upon the ground near where the mule stood the matter boy asked the detective as he drew nearer dearer this ugly beast has thrown me and the sack of corn from his bis back the boy answered are you hurt asked bressart my left shoulder is hurt and I 1 cannot lift the sack it if monsieur will help me I 1 will be grateful on closely scrutinizing the youth bressart made two mental notes the boy seemed altogether too keen to be a millers apprentice and it he was not mistaken he had bad seen tile the youth holding the mule with the very left hand that was hurt leaping from his saddle bressart bre 8 sart moved toward the boy being belag very careful f al to watch his every movement now then said the boy it if you W will III take hold of that end we will put it on taking hold of the other end the youth dropped it saying it hurt h j shoulder and begged bressart Ares sart that he life lif t it on alone the latter expressed a willingness and stooped down for or that purpose keeping his bis eye however how evor in such seeh a position that mat he could watch atle hoy boy with a til side loni glance As bressart bent over and took hold ot qa the sack he saw the hoy boy put his hand in tile his bosom and take something out As be did SQ the detective seized his wrist and held it upward there was a sharp re report port uke lle that of a percussion cap and a tiny wreath of seeke came from the hand bressart Br espart gripped toe hoy boy toree himself but in n vain ive ve fo found und you have I 1 asked the detective drawing his bis pistol and cocking it 4 am an officer of the prefecture and if you dont hand me your weapon ill put a bullet through your brain 31 the boy was frightened and trembled violently its aj only a tobacco pipe he said as he be h handed aak cled it t over bressart took the weapon and examined it at the same time keeping his eye on the boy it looked like nothing more than an ordinary meerschaum pipe colored from long use only the amber mouthpiece was m missing issing not wishing to use further f u arther time on the examination bressart turned attention to the boy who stood trembling with lear fear wishing to strike while the iron was hot and to test the correctness of his former suspicions he said so you are bellid selling your soul to M louis Caza cazaubon abon f 11 tile the boy started and bressart saw thethis that his surmise was right although the youth clumsily denied that he knew such an individual dontile dont lie to me louis cazaubon has been watched by me he thought I 1 was a tri tradesman desman confess everything to me and I 1 promise since you yon are arc young oung that your IN life will be saves saved the boy wavered and the detective followed up his advantages and having made the youth unter understand stand that he be could protect him aim from the vengeance of any anaona one whom his bis confession might criminate ri minate and that as thee mere boy he bad ad everything to gain and nothing to lose Bressart rained gained possession of the full sets facts bearing upon the mysterious murders the boys dame was henry capla he was born in paris but never knew who his bis parents were he went to live with cazaubon when quite youn and had bad been with him ever since he e said sald Cazaubon used to be a efte chemist mist ard and it was in paris that he invented the infernal machine and they had slice used it with fatal effect about two years previous they had left paris together and spent nearly neaily a year in traveling over the country mur mui dering and robbing for a living flu ally they came to castellane where Cazau cazaubon bou obtained his situation while the boy went into the employ of a mil ler Caz cazaubon auben marked the victims that were to be robbe dand dupin thea did the work several articles were used in iia carrying out the plan but tag tb usual one was the same that had bad been tried upon the detective the boy then thea explained the secret of the pipe within was a pistol of the finest steel and of the most exquisite workman shit ship the stem was the barrel and the loc lock was concealed within the bowl bawl and covered with tobacco A thin plate of metal protected the lock leek and upon this the tobacco rested A pressure of the thumb or finger discharged the weapon the powder was ot 0 Cazau bons own manufacture and very powerful for a wad a piece of felt was used on the tee top ot of this was placed the missile which did the mischief the boa bo 7 had two of them with him concealed in the lining of his cap thi the projectile a tiny piece ot flae fine steel was no larger than a needle with one end beaten down to a line fine feather this deadly missile was coated with IL greenish yellow subs substance taRde which was the most virulent and speedy poison the chemists art could concoct the needle once within the circulation ot of the blood speedy death resulted salted re the wound no eye could detect when the weapon was discharged it was the purpose of the boy it dosal ble to strike the victim in the neck and the unfortunate w would 1 old fall not knowing what had struck him ravin having 1 obtained the contes confession sion from the bo bov bressart took him back to tee fihe cas castellane t ellabe and placed him in charge of the sub prefect the detective then called was greatly surprised to see him calling in a gendarme the agent wu sec securely handcuffed without much difficulty when he learned that the boy had bad told he be swore he would kill him in due time louis cazaubon was tried and condemned to death before the villian was executed he be confessed his crimes told how BOW many years lie be had worked to perfect hla fatal instrument and produce the poison he further acknowledged that the boy had bad I 1 been driven to help him through tear fear I 1 of his life so the miserable rascal was exec executed ateo and the boy henry dupin spent two years in when set free commenced an honest life cincinnat tt ti enquirer |
