The Trinity times., 1855-03-10


forcat went into the prefecture.
This time he was apparently little more
successful than on the former occasion; but
the tunctlonares were surprised at his perth
nacity, and considered it due to the charac-
ter of the count to send some one to him to
hint delicately at the caumnies that were
abroad. They told the informer, therefore,
that inquiries would be made, and directed
him to call the next day, in the idea that by
that time they would have authority to take
him into custody. lie was pleased accord
ngly with his success. lie dlned cheerfully;
spent the afternoon in walking about; in the
evening felt hungry again, but resisted the
temptation to commit theft, lest he should
be lo ied up from the business that engross-
ed him; and at night, being perfectly mon
eyless, he repaired to one of the bridges, to
sleep under the arch.
This was the most quiet, though by no
means the most solitary bedchamber he could
have found for tha night every crib in Par
is was earched for him by messengers, who
would have silenced him in one way or ano-
ther. AS it was, lie lay undisturbed, except
by his dreams, aand the ftful moonbeams
gancng like spectres upon the water
Sometimes he awoke and farcied himself in
the prison at Toulon, till re-assured by the
voice of the river which murmured in his
s"r, DIS only justice" Then he felt hun
cry, and the night air grew chill, and the
hard stones pierced his limbs; and he tho't
of the thousands and thousands of francs
that had been offered him, and of the pleas
ure and dignity Of robbing in u great band
commanded by nobeman.
bat hn ebr 81 eIo h,.
means of which Coignard had stepped upon
the WALL looking forward to the morrow, IA
grim feeling of satisfaction stole over his
heart, the indulgence of which seemed bet
ter than {, cd, money or honor. And then
the moonbeams disappeared on the river,
and the wind moaned along its bosom, and
the waters answered with hollow murmur
which syabled in his ear, "Justce-jus
tce.' and he fell into profound slumber
that lasted I'LL morning.
The project in the meantime had employed
General Depionois to wait upon the count
The latter, instead of meeting the charge
with incredibly, ridicule or Indignation, that
had been expected, made quiet speeches and
entered into long explanations, and the aston
ished envoy returned to his employers hard
y able to form an opinion. That opinion,
however, was at once come TO by the more
experienced authorities of the prefecture,
and after a minutes examination o. the in
former who had planted himself at the door,
long before it opened in the morning, it was
determined to arrest the count on suspicion
Of being an escaped felon. But this was on
ly what he had expected, aud for some time
all Paris was searched for him in vain. They
track him at length to hnnso ia The hue
Saint Naur: aud although he defended him
eolf Win his pistols, both of which he dis
charged at the gen d'armes, he was over
poa cred and taken into custody,
The revelations made in the den of thieves
identified him with the mysterious thief of
the 5anditti who had so long kept the city in
awe; and being conducted TO the prison of
La Force, he was tried for various robberies,
as well as for his evasion from the begne Of
Toulon.
A narrative like this, with its croumstan-
stances laid only few years back wears an air
Of improbabty; bet many presentations quite
as extraordinary took place at the close Of the
revolution. The peculiar feature in the case
of Coenard is, that the imposture was fol-
lowed out to the very last, in spite Of the legal
exposure. lie would not plead by any other
name than his fictitious one, and the presi-
dent Of the court was obliged to call him
simbly "You accused ~ Whep transferred
to his old quarters at Toulon, under sentence
Of felters for life, he preserved the calm
sedate dignity Of an injured man. This
character he continued TO enact up to his
death.