American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-06-20
VOLUME 8.
A QUEER OLD ROBRER.

TO be seen in Paris was the rather ghast
ly one of the embalmed body of the eel
ebrated robber Cartouche, who fourished
in France in the early part of the last
century. Cartouche was sentenced, in
the year 1921, to be broken upon the
wheel According to some authorities
the execution did not take place, the
criminal having SO ingratiated himself
with one of his jailors, that the latter
agreed to f6restall the extreme penalty by
strangling him with silken cord. Prob
ably hemp was considered Too vulgar a
material for the final neck-tie of so fa-
nous criminal but at any rate, when
the deed was done. the jailor was allowed
to retain the body as his Terquisitc, and
he made ce little sum of mohey by
exhibiting il at two sous head, for few
DAYS. Then the body was handed over
20 n surgeon for dissection bat that pro-
fessional man happened also to be spec
nlatinc one; and instead of cutting up
the body, he embalmed it, and having
enclosed it in a glass Ease, made perma
nent show Of it for an admission OF ten
sous This doctor devised the body to
Professor Ballouret, by whom it was pre-
sonted 70 n museum. In course of time
it passed through many hands. still in a
state of perfect preservation, until t was
acquired by its present proprietor, for
sum equivalent to $500.
Cortouche belonged to family of re-
spectacle trades people in Paris. From
his early youth, he was a constant source
of trouble to his parents, on account OF
his irresistible propensity for thieving.
and many we're the scrapes into which
he got himself through his operations -
When about ten years of age, he whip
ped up n duchess lapdog from the cush-
ion of carriage that was waiting in front
of a mansion. lie had seized the animal
adroitly by the muzzle to prevent it from
yelping an alarm, but somehow it got Its
lead free and bit his hand, whereupon
he dropped it, and footman coming up
at the moment, Master Cartouche was
treated by him to sound flagellati'n.
-
In the back yard of house in the
street in which Cartouche's parents lived,
there was a tank in which some ducks OF
a valuable breed were kept. To obtain
some of these birds had long been pet
project with young Cartouche, but 1t was
not so easy to execute it, as the yard was
guarded by large dog. A brilliant
idea, however, occurred to the mind of
the juvenile delinquent. lie procured
some fishing tackle of fine but strong
description aud provided with this, he
got upon the roof Of the house, whence
by scrambling over parapets and creeping
along leads, he arrived at the roof OF the
house TO which the ducks belonged
Here he baited his hook with ducks meat
of some kind, and letting it down gently
to the tank, soon hooked the old drake,
and began to haul him up, hand over
shand. When the drake was about half
way up the wall, however, the Tapping OF
his wings against window attracted the
attention of some one within, and the
trick was discovered. The law was not
called into requisition, on account OF the
youth of the delinquent; but appropriate
Justice was dealt out to him by immersing
him in the duck pond from which he had
expected to make so good ''haul."
After brief career of vice and crime
in Paris, Cartouche went into Normandy,
where he organized a gang of brigands-
when he commanded as chief. Here
some Of his exploits have become tradi-
tional
A nobleman was travelling through the
country in his carriage, with positions
and outriders. 1t was about dusk when,
at lonely part of :he road, they encoun
tered a man on horseback, who, present
ing gun at the postillions, commanded
them to pull up, on pain of death. This
they did while the two outriders put spurs
to their horses and galloped away. Then
the robber, who was no other than Car
-touche, approached the nobleman and sa
luted him with much respect, at the same
time keeping the muzzle Of his gun poin
ted at him. The traveller had no arms
so that defence was impossible and th,
,robber addressed him with, ~ beg thou
sand pardons of your lordship's angus
honor for stopping yo carriage; but
a sure you that pressing necessity ba
driven me to the act. ] am an armorer
and being much pressed for money,
would gladly dispose of this gun to you
Jordship, if your lordship will only hav
the good ness to purchase it of me"
"And how much do you want for i
pray 2" asked the nobleman, surprised .
this mode of proceedinp by highway