Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-11-04

smile 81 must believe II is not your
/, intention TO ordain asses" This was
not all. Monseigneur of Nice insisted
that Monseigneur Of Manffedonia should
ordain the elect; and being unable to
longer refuse, he repaired TO the altar,
invested himself in the ponii6cal gar.
ments, and ordained thirty-three abbes.
Alter this trait of daring sacrilege,
Coliet pot the cassock aside, and er-
rived at Frejus, claiming TO be inspec-
tor-general and plenipotentiary Of his
majesty the emperor and king, charged
with the equipment Of the Catalonian
army; but the army Of Catalonia was
himself. He showed his tiles 10 the
quartermaster of this district. and com.
PEELED him to give him an escort. Fur
ther on he had himself preceded by an
ordnance officer 10 Draguignan.. In this
town he presented himself, covered with
decorations, TO the commissary-gene
and attributed his sudden arrival, with.
out official advice, TO reasons of state
that justified it; but as they ceased to
exist. he begged the intendant TO send a
courier TO announce him to the nearest
seat Of a military commissariat. At
Draguignan, Collet began forming his
staff. A retired chief Of battalion be.
came his aid-de.camp. At Toulon, the
son Of the sous prefect thought it glo-
rious affair TO receive the title of his pri-
yaie secretary. He appointed two or
derly officers. an intendant, and pay
master-in fact, his suite amounted -
twenty persons when he passed to Mar
seilles, where he took one hundred and
twenty thousand francs from the govern
ment chest, and at Nismes, where he
carried off three hundred thousand
francs.
At Montpelier, Collects star was
TO pale. One morning, on which he
had passed an early review, he was
breakfasting with the project, to
whom he promised brilliant rewards,
and the riband OF the grand officer
of the Legion OF Honor, when the
hotel Of the prefecture was sur
rounded by an armed force. A
squadron Of gendarmes entered the
dining-room, and the chief uncere-
moniously laid his hand on the origi-
nator Of the army oI Catalonia, who
iumbled from the summit of splen-
dor into a dungeon. The whole
staff Of Collet, who had nothing to
reproach themselves with but their
confidence in the counterfeit inspec-
tor-general, shared the fate Of the
swindler; and it was not till after a
captivity of twenty days that they
were set at liberty. As TO ColIet,
he expected every hour 10 be shot.
One day, the project had large
party to dinner, and thinking OF
surprise for his guests, determined to
"show up" with the dessert the man
OF whom the whole town was talk
ing, and who had so we'll played his
game. He had Collet released from
prison by three gendarmes, who con-
Quoted him to the prefecture. There
they placed him in a room that
served as an office, and which had
no egress but through the dining
room, where two sentinels were
placed. Collet was waiting for the
spectacle TO commence, and for
orders 10 make his entrance, when
he perceived the entire costume Of
man cook. which appeared TO him
placed there providentially. He
threw of his garments, took the
| jacket, cotton cap, and apron; seized
hold OF two well-illed dishes, and
knocked at the door with his foot.
The gendarmss opened, he passed
I before them without being recogni-
zed, crossed the dining-room, and
disappeared.
The project sent after The fugitive,
the tocsin sounded, the quartermas-
ter galloPed, and during all this time
CoIlet occupied a chamber close 10
the prefecture, and from his window
saw the whole movement made to
find him at distance. He re aimed
there a fortnight. After leading
wandering life for some time, he
finally chose the Department Of the
Tarn for the theater of a most auda-
cious swindle. ~
He here presented himself TO the
superior OF tbs Christian schools OF
Toulouse under the mask Of the
greatest humility. He expressed a
desire to become one OF their board
ers, and 10 found a noviciate for the
benefit Of the institution, by conse.
Grating to it four thousand francs a
year, which he said he possessed
Some days elapsed, when Coliet paid
another visit TO the reverend father,
and accused himself Of not having
told the whole truth; for that, in.
stead Of an income of four thousand
francs, he really possessed from
twenty to twenty>lour thousand
CoIlei the next day repaired TO NJ.
LaIus, a merchant Of Toulouse. He
was covered with decorations, said
he was sous project in the upper de,
partment OF the Ain. boas.ed Of his
riches, Purchased a superb cloak
under The pretext Of making it a
uresent 10 the director. and finished