Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-07-03
Thrilling Adventure with . burglar.


This extract from reminicence concern
ing series of murders committed some years
since in France, develops rare instance Of
presence of mind in woman. We will pre-.
mise that the murderer was known by the
fact that in some previous brawl or scene Of
murder he had lost three fingers from one Of
his hands:
There lived on the outskirts of Dieppe q
widow lady by the name of Baumaurice.-
She had no family, but with one servant girl
lived in very retired manner. The cottage
in which she resided was situated about a
halfmile from the city--a little off from the
public road.
Madame Beaumaurice had been the wife
of an officer Of tho guards. She was an ex-
traordinary woman in every particular; but
especially SO in respect to q certain GOODNESS
of character possessed, in the midst OF dan
ger, which, together with great amount Of
moral courage, made her very notable per-
son. The recent murders made, perhaps,
less impression on her mind than upon any
one else Dieppc; although it was naturally
supposed the retired situation in which she
lived would have caused her to be more fear
full.
About 10 o'clock on the night of the 3Oth
of April, just ten days after the murders in
the Rue Gr,nard, Madame Beaumaur.ce went
up into her bedroom. She was suffering
from nervous headache. She felt very
sleepy, and seated herself The lamp was
placed on chest of drawers behind her
Opposite to her was toilet table, with a
cloth OH it reaching to the floor. She had
already commenced taking off her clothes,
when, happening to look around her, she
saw something that for moment chilled her
blood. 1t was the shadow of mans hand
on the floor. The hand had only three fin
gers. 9E1 sl fbs
She OWNED the truth in a moment-the
assassin was therein her house--under the
table. She made not the least motion or
sign, but reflected two or three minutes as to
the best course to be pursued. .r,..
She OWNED what to do, and advancing to
the door, called the servant maid. ,t--.
"Oh, Mary?" exclaimed she, when the
girl entered the room. do you know where
Mons. Bernard lives p &ar
Yes, Madame s.s. ....... ...f
81 have to pay 5000 francs away very
early in the morning. The fact slipped my
memory till just now. You will have to run
to his house aud get the money for me-"
= "Very well, Madame" sraF.
"Iwll write note, which you will deliv-
er to him, and he will give you bank bills to
the amount" - -1....g. ....-..,ggs
She wrote as follows: -,"
Ny DEAR MONSIEUR BERNARD.-The as
sassin of the Rue dcs Arnes and the Rue Gre
nard is in my house. Come Immediately
with some gems d. arms, and take him before
he escapes. HELENE BEAuMAuRIcE.
And without any explanation with her
servant, she dispatched her on her Grand
She then quietly reseated herself and waited.
Yes, she sat in the room with that man
under the table for whole hour. She sat
there calm, cool and collected. She saw the
shadow of the hand shift several times, but
the murderer did not make any attempt to
escape from his place of concealment.
In due time gems d arms arrived, and
Jacques Reynaulds was arrested-not, how
ever without violent struggle.
Ineed scarcely add that the most convin-
cling proof as to his guilt was found, and in
due time he was guillotined.