New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-11-16
v1Doce AND THE FoRGEB,

qualities always struck me as those which were
the most adapted to the office which he had so
long filled in Paris But, after sitting with him
for some time, began to measure the man more
truly, and drew a much more accurate estimate
of his qualifications for it. His gray eye was as
quick and as stealthy as a cats. Did you look
away from him for minute, when your glance
again fell upon him, his eyes were taking your
mental measure.
| No sooner, however, did yours meet them,
| than they roamed away into q purely inditfer-
ent speculation. Scarcely had you bee ONE in
terested in any thing your friend was saying,
than they were again fixed upon you, scruti-
nizing your thoughts, and examining your ex-
preston.
| Of course, he could have no idea that either
my companion or myself were piekpockets, and
yet had a very uncomfortable impression that
| he was thinking SO, and meditating on the pleas
ure which he would have experienced in arrest
ing US. This, naturally enough, could not con-
duce to make me feel very agreeable towards
him. .ei&
1t was as a student of human nature, however,
that had visited him. Consequently, my legs
did not run away with me, although it must be
confessed that once or twice my mind felt very
much inclined to prompt an immediate evasion.
His attire was as singular as his person. In
addition to the scratch wig which l have previ-
ously alluded to, and which was, if my memo
1 Iy 6crNSS iuo COloIS0 VI tluls
ne wore brown dress coat, cut in very large,
loose, and baggy style.
Such a coat was it, as l never could have
dreamt the possibility of a French tailor's per-
petrating. It was almost new, but looked as if
it had not been brushed for o week Probably
it may not have been from the time he first
ordered it. A large buff waistcoat, as loose and
almost as large gray trousers, cut with the same
disregard to economy of cloth, and heavy, ILL
made shoes, completed the remainder of his
attire He was, evidently, in his age, disposed
more to consider the ease and comfort of his per-
son than to calculate on the ocular effect which
he might produce upon comparative stranger
to him and his style of dress.
AS my eyes ran over his frame and its cleth.
ing, / could not help Illuminating upon the extra.
ordinary ability which this man must hav.
evinced in Disgusting himself SO completely al
to remove every vestige Of his actual nature
from his external appearance, and revolving
the countless stories which / had heard Of his
hair breadth escapes in the pursuits of his vo
| cation
One of these he on that evening told us, ant
it was Of such a daring character, and SO brief
that cannot help transferring itsto these pages
During the second period in which he had
been connected with the French police; tht
first had been during the earlier portion Of th
French Revolution; and while he was one 0
the chiefs in connection with the Central Blu
reau, information had come to his eors respect
Ii ing complex system Of forgeries which ha'
been going on for some months in the capital Q
France, and which the police had as yet beel
unable to trace to their actual authors, al
though several of the utters of them had beel
detected, tried, and sentenced to the Bains.
This information appearing to bring then
home to On Alsaeian, who had been residing
in Paris for the last year or more. By serie
Of skillful maneuvers, which Vidocq detaile
to us, he was at last identified as the principa
I agent in the system of fraud which had bee
going on. So large was it that it had defraude
the principal banks of more than q quarter
million of francs in the last two or thre
r. months.
q He necessarily could at once have been 81
rested and punished, but Vidocq had expert
y enced so much difficulty in tracing the matte
r to him, and doubted so much whether his arres
90 would break up the gang, that he felt whe
the hour arrived, he must make o clean sweel
ed and capture the whole of them.
- For this purpose, the Alsatian was watohe
= carefully. Nothing, however, was discovers
ssS He would ride out at all times Of the day, fr
e; quent the theatres, amuse himself as man
ise pleasure will do, and return to his house at
ei. hour late in the evening, but by no means la
il enough to give any idea that he had manage
IL to elude the attention of the police officials vi
IS had been watching him
of testing this, by placing a spy on his own sy
TEN of espionage, and was perfectly certain th
= no attempt had been made at cheating hi
T. through his own men.
re re Matters we're thus, when it was discover
ia. that o locataire in the tenement, of which t
Asacian occupied the first floor, was political
J. compromised in one of the numerous conspir
,ry cies to ensure the restoration of the Bourbon
W. He was Immediately arrested by Vidocq hi
lily self and another officer, who was deputed
As the superior to take him to his location
We said location being o prison, although he {
not say it was So
les Lee Meanwhile, as no tapage had been made
IA. the AFFAIR." am using his own expression
has warned the porter of the house not to menti
10 the fact, and remained above Tor the purpose
ssd examining the locality.
At first he said that it had struck him
gentleman who had just been arrested mig
= have been compromised in the matter of
81 | forged checks on the leading banking houses
> il IN Paris, but glance at the very apparent p
nm ury of the furniture of his apartments at OF
}. dispelled the idea Convinced, however, Il
qd cid the forgeries were committed IN the house,
me- determined upon his mode of proceeding, {
XII with q piece of twine accurately measu
every rortion Of the apartments in which
o.i- e,f then was. They were three, and exactly o
Who those occupied by the Alsatian.
T. Ilass After waiting until he had seen him quit
m and apartments, he descended, and stopping at
= lodge, bade the porter admit him to the cham
lH of this gentleman
!, 81 have no key" said the domestic.
- ssHoW is that9"
W. "Monsieur said that had allowed others
E enter his chamber, and complained that so
thing had been stolen from them. In col
ouence of this, he had another lock placed u
- the door / mentioned it to the proprietor,
said that he had no objection
"Ah, indeed!" replied Vidocq +" Then
ses' had better follow me-"
He consequently assembled the stairs, ex
laga ined the lock, and producing bunch of k
by. By found one that fitted it. The door opened,