Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-07-10
Anecdote of the French
Police.

NJ. b., an intimate friend of the per.
feet of police, informed him one day that
one X, of whom he was creditor to the
amount of some seventy thousand francs,
had made u fraudulent bankruptcy
" The rogue is in hiding" NJ. b. added
" but if l could put my hand on his
throat. [ warrant that 1 would make him
disgorgc." NJ. earlier urged me to make
every effort to discover this dishonest
bankrupt. NJ B. told me that prior to
his disappearance he had lived on Boule-
ward St. Martin, and that was the only
precise information he could give me.
l went myself to make inquiries at the
house indicated | learned that NJ. k.'s
lodgings were still occupied by his wife,
but that he was away on journey at
present. The truth was, that since the
day of his flight he had not once return
cd home. As fanciel that to pursue
my Investigations further might comprom-
ise the affair, | Withdrew. On the other
hand, | had learned from commissionairc
that NJ. K. had several times given him
letters to carry to a female, his mistress,
who lived in the Rue dc F4ubourg Mont
martre, | established surveillance round
her abode, as well as round that Of K. s
wife the agents had orders to arrest the
bankrupt if he called on either of the
ladies, follow them wherever they went,
and as they often went out in hackney
coach, placed a cab at the disposal OF
each agent. All these measures led to
no result, and for week that my men re-
mained at their post from six O'Clock a.
m. till midnight, nothing revealed to US
the bankrupt's residence.
Everybody is aware that postmen are
accustomed to utter aloud at the doorway
of the porters lodges to whom the let
ters are addressed. | therefore had the
postman followed by an agent, enough
for him to hear the names pronounced,
aud in ease of there being one addressed
to either of the females. the agent was
straightway to enter the lodge, commence
conversation with the porter On some
preteyt, aul find out the postmars. This
arrangement failed like tho rest; and .
few days later the inspector ordered to
follow the postman to Madam KS house
could not refrain from saying to me
That old PlpeIet is as obstinate as
the true Picard is the lodger must have
paid him handsomely
The fact is we had hitherto had to deal
with sharp fellow and had been pro-
yided for, and whatever ruses might be
employed they had remained unsuceess-
ful. Oae word struck me however.
" You say that he is Picard"
Yes, sir
What makes you believe it ~
i" Oh, that can be easily perceived by
his accent
Very good continued !; :" if he
be SO, We perhaps have chance Of our
gentleman
| Immediately sent for one of my Cos
sack irregulars, who, having worked for
long time in the different towns of
Picardy, was perfectly acquainted with
the patois, aud might easily pass himself
off as u pure blooded Picard. l explain
cd the affair to him fully, and concluded :;
You will 90 to the porter Of the house
where Madame X. lives, and to get into
conversation yor will ask him for somebody
He will reply that he does not know him
and then will come small explanatian,
to which you will suddenly put an end
ny excIaiming. - Why, surely, you are
a Picard The worthy man will reply
in the affirmative, and as countryman,
you will offer him a glass Of wine at the
nearest bar. Bat you must take care to
sit down with him over bottle Of good
wine, which you will succeed by another,
and still another, till you sec that you
have rendered your Cerberus con6iing
aud chattering. Then you will tell him,
under the seal of secrecy, that you have
been IN trad,, that you have been unfor-
tunate, that the police are after you, but
you have succeeded in completely throw
ing them off the seeat. This confidence,
offered in your quality of fellow provin-
cial, will surely progoke his, and as your
position is indentical with that Of X. it
may be presumed that the Picard will
tell you in his turn the story of his lodg-
er, probably without naming him, but
certainly explicitly enough for US to be
able to lind him. y
My Cossack was an intelligent man, he
played his part admirably and as a mat
ter turned out as | had anticipated, we
learned that our bankrupt was in hiding
at Moutmartrc, under the inS Sgnifcant
name Of Mr.. Andre. But new difficult
ty presented itself in tact that the win
dows of KS room looked on a garden
from which there was door into a back
lane. At the slightest alarm he might
therefore, take TO eight, ana moreover he
frequently slept out
The next day l sent threa agents to
Montmartre only one OF whom succeeded
in entering the house indicated he was
disguised as mail guard. and carried a
bag containing eight hundred francs in
silver. According to my instruction he
went up to the porter.
" Does Mr.. Andre live here 2"
Yes but he is out at present.
" What nuisance | have brought
him :solt haaired francs, sent from Bor-