Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-06-27


work, and he naturally supposed that the
police officer, who had been so roughly
handled there, and who had made good
his escape, would not be absent long, the
more especially as hundred louis re-
ward had been offered for his arrest. He
said to himself, We must leave this
place, instanter, or we are Gagged for the
present" and he went about the execu-
tiou Of precipitate retreat from the old
house. forthwith.
| This determination on the part Of Sill
bet was very laudable one, and if he
had been Immediately seconded in his
views by his confederates, it would have
been very well for him and them. But
they had imbibed too much to be con-
trolled easily and, while they were
looking after the old woman's case, who
had come to consciousness again, the di-
lapidated and ancient resort of these
thieves and villains was surrounded by a
corps of gems d armes, whom Berton had
gathered at the two nearest station houses
after his escape, and the retreat of Silbet
and his two companions was effectually
cut off.
Berton knew very well that the custo-
mers he had now to deal with would sub
NIT to no child's play, and he resolved to
enter no parley with them. Without
hesitation, therefore, he instantly direct
ed the front door to be battered down,
and the first intimation that the robbers
had of the presence Of the military and
police force, was the laundering of the
men below stairs.
"There they are!" shouted Silbet.-
Now look to yourselves, boys. It's just
as [ supposed it would be. We're trap
ped certain, and must fight our way out.
Come on !"
They descended the stairs half way, and
a score of bristling baYonats enAA44a tlse...
there. They hurried back, and darted
to the rear window, through which Ber
ton had retreated, but as many more gems
d. armes were ready to receive them, on
the roof and around the shed below
They were pressed upon by the advanc-
ing guard, and nothing but desperate
coup de main could save them. They
rushed forward, and in another moment,
all three of the wretches were disabled
and effectually secured by the overpower-
ing numbers of the station-guard. Berton
once more placed the iron "rufHes" upon
Silbet's sturdy wrists, and the guilty trio
were borne away in safety to the nearest
prison.
Berton had caught the noted house
breaker and thief, and he had we'll earned
his reward and the credit that attached to
his enterprise; but he did not forget the
poor woman who had aided him in the
undertaking. He directed that she should
be provided for during the night and
next day he communicated with her once
more in regard to her child.
As soon as she informed him that her
real name was Margaret HUMPHREYS, he
despatched an agent with directions to
one Mathes-a linen-draper in Paris-in
whose service there was an orphan girl,
whose name was the same, and whose
story he happened to know. This girl
was now seventeen years old. She had
been enticed away from her mother when
she was only eight years of age and had
been out at service most of the time since.
Her history was commonly known in the
faubourg where she dwelt, and she sup.
posed that her parents were both dead
She remembered when and how she had
been taken from her mothers house, in a
distant part of the city, but as she found
herself afterwards more comfortably stu
ated where she sojourned than she had
ever been at home, she continued to re-
main in service and never would have
known of her parents wretchedness, but
for the incident that occurred, in which
she had been involved, and which we have
already described.
After the loss of her child, Margaret
or Mag, as she was called-became sick,
and, for three or four years, had been a
burthen to herself and her neighbours
She got pretty low at last changed her
name to Dufries, and became the compan-
ion of thieves and robbers, to keep her from
starvation. She met with Berton, as we
have seen,-he limited what he did to her
when she carelessly pronounced her own
proper name, and now he resolved to pay
over into her hands the hundred louis d'ors
that came into his possession as the re-
ward for Silbet's arrest, and to reunite
the mother and child, in the hope that they
would thus be enabled to retire to some
town in the interior, and with this hand
some amount money begin life anew and
respectfully again.
In this effort he was entirely successful.
The girl was brought, and her mother
instantly recognized her stolen daughter.
In the meantime, Berton had caused the
old woman to be placed in good hands,
and she was decently dressed when her
more ambitious child first met her. The
plan that the officer had arranged was
fully carried out, and when young Marga
ret was informed that so handsome sum
would be placed at her mothers disposal,
and had the opportunity to listen to the
advice that Berton gave with the money,
she was greatly pleased, and agreed forth
with to accompany her newly found pa
rent out of the town. They afterwards
settled down at Vigny, few miles dis
tant from Paris, and became respectable