Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-10-15
THE EVENING STAR.
STRANGE STORY
Ingenious Fraud of n Frenchmau-He Fall
lows his own Coffin to the Grave

prom the Liverpool Courier Sept os1
tor some time past case of very remark
able character has been occupying the atten-
lion OF the London detectives 1t appears IN n
not long ago an extensive wine merchant OF
bordeaux, ey name Vital Doust, went to Paris
and assured his life in an office there to the
amount OF 100000 francs He afterwards re-
turned 10 Bordeaux, attended TO his bu siness
for W lille, and then failed. As some rather
suspiclous circumstances attended his failure,
an inquiry was made, and the result was that
Douat was declared TO have been a fraudulent
bankrupt The extent of his frauds are stated
a. loo francs. He left France suddenly, and
about month after wards his wife attended at
the insurance office in Paris, anu presented a
eertlnca'e containing copy OF the register of
the death and burial OF her husband in England.
OF course Msdams Douat claimed the amount
Tor which her husbands life was insured. The
French officials were consulted, and payment
of the money was not only refused, but the
facts, so far as known, were comm nj Gated to
the authorities in England. with a request that
thorough investigation might be made
inspector Williamson placed the case in the
hands OF Sergeant Druscovitch, who was puz-
lied a. the commencement OF his INQUIRIES by
nnolng mat the copy of the register was bona
tide, and that the funeral had actually taken
place. AIthough thus banked, the de .ectiye
did not give mp the game He hunted about
the places in which Douat had been whilst
known 10 be alive, and found that when he
nrst came to England he stayed at Ford's
Hotel, Manchester street, Manchester Square
giving the name of Roberti. When be had
been al the hotel few days he induced A
French waiter there to write him a certificate
IN English TO the effect that Vital Douat died
Of "aneurism of the heartr on Dec 90 ls65
This was ON the Goth or 9th of the month
The certificate purported TO be signed by
Dr Critte. Armed with this forged certificate.
Douat went on New Years day last 10 the
registrar of deaths at Plaistow, Essex. and as
Stunning for the time the name of Bernardin he
had his own death registered in the ordinary
way. and stated that his dead body was then
lying al No. - Ann street, PIaistow On the
same day he went 10 the sexton at St Pafrick's
Cemetery, Low Legion, and producing the
registrars certificate, he ordered a grave 10 be
made, paid all the regular fees, and ap pointed
the Sunday following for his interment Not
satisfied with what he had done, he returned
10 London the same afternoon, and going to an
undertaken in MIle-end-road, he purchased a
full-sized ready made coffin, and ordered a
lsaden lining TO be put within it.
When Sunday came he called at the under
takers Tasher unexpectedly. paid for the coffin
and having engaged two laborers, had il con-
yeyed 10 the Shore ditch station of the Gr eat
Eastern Railway, and from thence booked it
Tor Leytonstone. going himself as a matter of
course, In the train which carried his coffin
At Leytonstone he hired a cart and the funer-
al proceeded to he cemetery, Douat himself
the chief and only mourner The service WAS
performed by the Rev. Mr.. McQ uord, and it IS
said Douat performed his part Of the ceremony
with becoming solemnity.
Having by degrees Obtained the above facts
Druseoyitch obtained an order from the Home
Secretary for the exhumation Of sthe body"
and with IL he and Inspector williamson and
two gentlemen who had known Douat and
could identity him. dead or alive, went down
10 the cemetery Half sceptical as to the infor.
nation they had received, they armed them
selves with such charms against the noisome-
ness OF dead bodies as are supposed to be efac-
tual and the grave being dug into, the coffin
lifted out and opened, they were considerably
relieved TO find it quite empty. 1t was neces.
sary now TO ascertain where Douat really was,
and before long the detective found that he had
left England for America, and so could not be
produced TO answer q charge OF false regis,ra-
ton. THIS strange story is made mare COM
plete by the information Just received that
Douat. returning from America. had been given
over to the French authorities, by whom he
VIII be tried tor the fraudulent baukruptcy
and the attempted fraud on the Paris Insur-
ance Society. His wife is still 'swanted."