Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-07-12
THE THREE HUNCHBACKs,

The following amusing and seemingly
incredible narrative was extracted from
a late French publication. 1t is neatly
told, and will be read with interest:
Three brothers, all humpbacked, and
all accurately alike in appearance, lived
in Bassacom. One of them killed a
man in o chance medley, and not being
taken on the moment, the prosecutors
could only swear that one of the brothers
had done the deed Rather than put an
innocent man to death, the judge let the
guilty one escape, but to avoid further
inconvenience of the kind, he banished
all from the province. One settled in
Paris, became rich, and married; the
others, after nearly starving in England,
returned and paid visit to their fortu-
nate brother.
The master of the house was abroad
when they knocked, and the poor wife
was troubled more than q little by the
visit.
my husband is very jealous" she
said to them while She was giving them
something to eat. You must 60 to the
farthest quarter of the town, and never
come here again; but I'll make your
brothers look to your wants
While she was speaking she heard her
husbands knock, and cried out:
Follow me, if you value your lives.
She ordered the servant not to open
the door till she should return, and then
conveyed the brothers down stairs and
locked them in the cellar. Her husband
scolded for being kept out so long, but
good dinner restored him to good
humor, and at night he went out to pay
visit.
The wife then went down to the cellar,
and there found the two brothers dead,
one lying here and the other there. What
was to be done She sent for q strong
Auvergnat, brought him down stairs,
showed him one corpse which she had
previously taken out Of the cellar, and
promised him louis d or on his return
after having thrown it into the river
Seine. he made no scrupl1 about the
matter, but popped the body into sack,
took it to the bridge, and shook it into
the river ip.t IH
Returning for his reward, the wife dis,
puted the claim, as the body was still ly-
ing outside the cellar door. Here the
stupefed man what saw he firmly believed
to be the corpse he had thrown from the
bridge, and resigping himself to destiny
he got it into the sack, and went through
the ceremony the second time.
Coming back, he was terrified and en-
ragged at finding the twice drowned corpse
knocking at the door
Are these your tricks, master ?" said
he. "Ah, Monsieur Ghost clever as
you are, I'll settle you the third trial
So saying, he forced the poor husband
into the sack, carried him to the same
spot and effected the third discharge.
This time he returned in triumph, for
the wife, ignorant of her husbands fate,
and having no more corpses to remove,
paid him twice what she had covenanted,
and gave him glass of wine into the
bargain.
Your good health, madam, said he,
"you are better than your promises, but
| earned it. l found the humpbacked
rogue, or his ghost, knocking at the door
after had thrown him in the second
time"
"Oh, wretch you have drowned my
husband, cried the woman.
/ " ulle ont WIS SNlGhAhAhH1 ohN Ao
standing in amazement, the gsnd srmes
entered, secured both, and sent them to
prison. Next day they we're brought
before the magistrate of the quarter and
examined. The poor wife concealed
nothing; the Auvergnst was called on
for an explanation, and while both we're
awaiting sentence of death, the three
brothers, full Of life, but with very pale
faces, we're ushered into the room. Some
fisherman stationed near the bridge had
only been dead drunk in the cellar, and
the submersion, and the consequent
pulling and hauling aud ejectment Of
wine and water, had recovered them
from their drunken lethargy before the
natural time On their first appearance
before the magistrate, they could give no
explanation Of their visit to the river,
and the husband had no idea Of the
cause Of his being seized but his wife 3
explanation made ell clear
The King, hearing Of the strange ad-
venture, settled pension on the unmar-
ried men, but they were not to dwell
within City miles Of Paris, and the mar
ried man was not jealous for q year and
day after bis seizure and escape from
the river