North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1867-05-29
THE THREE HUNCHBACKS.

THE THREE HUNCHBACKS.
The following amusing and seemingly
| incredible narrative we extract from late
French publication. 1t is neatly told, and
will be read with interest:
Three brothers, all humpbacked, and all
accurately alike in appearance, lived at
Bensancon One of them killed a man
in chance medley, but not being taken on
the moment, the prosecutors could only
swear that one of the three brothers had
done the deed. Rather than put an inno-
cent man to death. the judge let guilty one
escape, but to avoid further inconvenience
of the kind, he banished all from the prov
ince. One settled in Paris, became rich
and married the others, after nearly starv
ing in england, returned and paid visit to
their fortunate brother.
The master of the house was abroad
when they knocked and the poor wife was
troubled more than little by the visit.
My husband is very jealous" said she to
them while she waa giving them something
| to eat. "You must go to the farthest quar-
| ter of the town, and never come here again /;
but I'll make your brother attend 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 con-
veyed the brothers down the stairs and
locked them in the cellar. Her husband
scolded for being kept out so long, but a
good dinner restored him to good hu-
NOR, and at night he went out to pay a
visit
The wife then went down to the cellar,
and there found the two poor brothers
dead, one lying here, the other there.
What was to be done She sent for strong
Auyergant. brought him down stairs, show
ed HIM one corpse which she had previous
ly taken out of the cellar, and promised a
Louis doron his return, latter having thrown
it into the Seine. He made no scruple
about the matter, but popped the body in
to the sack, took it to the bridge, and shook
it into the river. Returning for his reward,
the wife disputed his claim, as the body
was still lying outside the cellar door.
Here the stupefsd man saw what he firm
| ly believed to be the corpse he had thrown
from the bridge, and resigning himself to
destiny, he got it into his sack aud went
through the ceremony the second time.
Coming back, he was terrified and enraged
by findicg the twice-drowned corpse knock
ing at his own door care 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 affected the third discharge. This time
he returned in Triumph, for wife, ignorant
of her husbands fate, and having no more
corpses to remove, paid him twiceIwhat she
had covenanted, and gave him glass of
wine into the bargain. "Your good health,
madame" said he; "you are better than
YOUR promise. but l earned it, found
the humpbacked rouge or his ghost knock
ing at the door after / had thrown him in
the second time. ooh, wretch p cried the
poor woman, you have drowned my hus,
band ?'
While she was screaming and he stand
ing in amaze, the gendarmes entered, secur-
ed both, and sent them to prison. Next
day they were brought before the magis-
trate of the quarter and examined, The
poor wife concealed nothing the Auvergnat
was not called on for an explanation; and
while both were awaiting sentance of death
three brothers, in full life, but with very
pale faces, were ushered into the room.
Some fishermen near the bridge had saved
the three The unmarried men had only
been dead drunk in the cellar, and the
submersion, and the consequent pulling and
hauling and ejectment of wine aud 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
his being seized on but his wife's explana-
tion made all clear,
The king hearing ofthe Strange adven-
ture, settled a pension on the unmarried
men, but they were not to dwell within
fifty miles of Paris, ard the married man
was not jealous for year and day after
his seizure and escape from the river.
A man actuallv rendered silver halfdol-