The Shasta courier., 1860-07-28
A Strange story "From the French

lice has just been made the subject of drama
at one of the boulevard theatres, under the title
of Syrene de Paris" At the time when " de
la Raynie was Lieutenant General of Police un-
der Louis XIV, a great sensation was caused at
Paris by the mysterious disappearance of not
fewer than twenty-six young men, aged from II
to 25, belonging to noble or wealthy families
Among the common people the report was
spread that the young men had been murdered
by foreign princess, in order that she might
take baths of their blood 10 cure herself of
liver complaint The matter at last became so
serious that Lonis XIV complained of it to NJ de
la Raynie, and the latter consulted one of his
aolest agents, named Lecoq. This person sus-
pected that the young men must have fallen into
some snare set for them by female charms and
he employed a natural of his own a hand
some and intelligent young man, to try and dis
cover the mystery This young man, whose
name was Exupere, was sent, splendidly dress
ed. every day to the Tuilleres, the Palace Roy
ale, and the Luxembourg, which were then the
places of fashionable resort. At length he saw
in the Tuilleries young woman of marvellous
beauty, attended by aged female, and his
looks expressed his admiration. She seemed
far from displeased, and at length her attendant
accosting him, said she was a Polish princess
of the name of Jabirouska, immensely rch and
rs she was much struck by him, she would per-
haps allow him to visit her. The young man
declared that he had conceived violent passion
for the lady, aud after some conversation the
attendant told him that if at o'clock at night
he would present himself in front of the church
of St Germaiu l'Auxerrois, she would meet him
and conduct him to her mistress The young
man of course told Lecoq of this, and in the
evening the latter caused several of his men to
be placed in such way not to lose sight of
Exupere, and in the event of his incurrng dam
ger, to be able TO render him assistance. At
| the appointed hour the young man was at the
| rendezvous, and the woman joined him there
She wanted to bandage his eyes, but he refused
| to let her do So. She then led him by various
obscure streets to the Rue des Orfevres, and
there introduced him into small house near the
| Chapel St. Eloi. After walking along a dark
corridor the young man was introduced into o
sumptuously furnished room, in which he found
the foreigner. She received him so kindly that
he entirely forgot to give Lecoq outside the sig
nal which had been agreed After while
| the lady retired, and the young man, proceeding
to examine the room, found behind a screen q
glass case in which were tweuty-six mems
heads, each placed in silver dish, and each SO
carefully embamed that it retained the appear
ance of life He started back with horror but
| at the same moment whistle outside was
heard, being the signal of Lecoq, ond in a few
seconds after the windows were forced open
and that officer and his men, who had ascended
by ladders, jumped into the room. The sol di.
SAINT princess, hearing the noise, rushed into TN
apartment, followed by four ferocious LOOKING
; bandits, but the police were strong enough tC
, arrest all five. The bandits were in due tim,
condemned to death and executed As TO ths
female, she turned cut to be not Pole, but ar
: Englishwoman, who is stated in Heuchet's ac
count to have enticed the young men to he
house to satisfy her passions, and had then
murdered in orGer to rob them. She also wa
condemned to death. but escaped in a strang
way. The king spoke of the affair to his bro
ther, Monsieur, the the Chevalier de Lorraine
and some other high personages. The chevalie
suggested to the prince that it would be anus
! ing to sup with so,sngular criminal. Monsieu
at first objected, but at last consented. B,
means OF blank tettre de cdchet, the prince cans
ed the woman to be given up to some person
sent by him, on the pretext that she was to bt
conveyed to another prison. He had her. how.
ever conveyed to country house some mile,
across the country, where he, the Chevalier do
Lorraine, and NJ. dEfiat were waiting to re.
ceive her. The whole four supped together. A
length Monsieur, having seen enough of her
suggested that she ought to be sent back to the
Bastlle; but his companions proposed instead
that she should be conveyed either to London
or Brussels and set at liberty. The good-na.
tured prince consented and went away The
two mobiles passed the nightin an orgie with the
woman, telling her that the next day they would
convey her out of the country; but instead of
trusting to them, she thought best to save her.
self; so, plying them well with wine until they
were overcome, she locked them in, and escap-
ing, seen no more The Governor of the
Baste, on learning that the woman had beeu'got
out of his custody by trick of the kings bro.
tber, thought the best thing he could do was to
pretend that she was dead, and he accordingly
had process verbal drawn up to that effect
Gatignani.