Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-05-14


But the ohimney-sweep Francois Ramel,
was without doubt most hardend sinner.
lie stoutly persisted in asserting his inno-
oence, declaring that he had never so
much as set eyes on either Of the muir
1ered women.
The abandoned miscreaut was thereup.
on thrust into solitary confinement, and dat
" subjected to sharp cross-examinatiou.
Week after week passed away, but the
prisoner showed no signs of yielding. No
confession could be eXtorted from HIM.
All Paris was shocked by his obduracy.
Paris consoled itself with
the reflection that he would certainly be |
condemned and executed.
y
Several weeks subsequent to the terri.
bic murder-th9 mystery of which, since |
the chimney.sweep, though strongly sus- |
pected, still adhered to his Il st story, was |
yet unexplained-the Parisians read in |
a morning issue Of the Monde the follow |
ing advertisement: |
" HAPTURED-Early on tho morning of tho
~ 18th OF July, very large, darkyclloW
session of the animal on the payment Of all
charges, including the cost Of this advertisement,
by applying at No % Rue de Faubourg St. Ger
main, third story, leit-hand door,
In the evening of the same day, man,
apparently still young, was thoughttully
pacing the floor in the apartment desig
mated in the advertisement given above.
Every now and then he would stop'at the
head of the stairs and listen, as if expect
ing some one. Hearing nothing, he would
resume his promenade. Plainly yet neat
ly and tastefully clad, there was quiet
unobtrusiveness in his appearance which
nevertheless was in itself an attraction.
The people in the house called him Mon
sieur Allard, and only knew Of him that
a great portion of his time was taken up
in reading learned books. Any farther
than this with respect to their taciturn
lodger they had not troubled themselves
to find out.
Soon after the occurrence of the mystic
rious tragedy in the Rue Morgue, Mon
sieur Allard was frequently to be seen in
that ill.fated street, inspecting with the ut
most minuteness every spot of blood,
every stick, every straw, every nail, every
fragment of fallen plaster. The police
looked upon him as an ordinary curiosity
hunter, but allowed him to go through
the house on his respectfully asking their
permission to do so.
What had been unnoticed by the crafty
pupils of Vidocq, Monsieur Allsrd's closer
examination revealed: a window behind
the bedstead could be raised almost by
feathers weight the bolt, which was yet
sticking in the window-frsme, had
been broken off in the middle. "lt
is very probable that the murderer got in
at this window aud out of it also" said
Monsieur Allard to himself. With the
utmost care aud nicely he examined the
wounds of the victims and then their
hands, looking for some trace of the fear
full struggle they had made in defence of
| their lives. A few short yellow hairs still
adhered to the fnger-nails of the mother
These Allard carefully folded in paper and
put in his pocket OF the dark blue spots
on the daughters neck he made close
and accurate drawing. Undoubtedly ten
sharp finger-nails had been pressed deeply
| into the flesh. Allard tried to place his
own nails in the nail marks drawn upon
the paper, but he could not. 1t must
have been the iron grasp of giant by
which the wretched young woman had
| suffered strangulation.
Allard next examined the exterior wall
of the house under the window through
which alone he inferred the murderer
could have made his escape. 1t was high
and perfectly smooth; no man, without a
ladder, could have scaled it. But hold
Yonder at the corner of the house runs a
lightning rod. A person of more than
ordinary strength and activity, such as the
murderer of the L'Esparayes evidently
was, might have ascended this rod and then
swung himself into the window, which, il
was more than probable, had been stand.
ing open.
Aliard had his own thoughts as he re.
turned to his quiet room in the Rue de
Faubourg St. Germain. Taking down
| h 10 Rnf nd q n n nj uh
he studied the natural history of the apes
Then and there, and from that time on
rang loudly in his ears the shrill cry oi
agony or terror, such as those present on
that night of blood at the house Of
Madame l. L'Esparaye had heard and de
scribed it.
His studies in natural history compelled
him gradually to the conviction that the
great yellow orang. outang of the Eas
India islands, so remarkable for its gigantic
stature, its strength and activity ami iti
bloodthirsty feroclty and rare powers o
imitation, could alone have been thu
murderer of the L L'Esparayes. There wa!
a savageness about the tragedy scarcely
possible even for the most cruel and de
praved of men. And would any man
after committing the murder, have so use
lessly wasted time and strength in drag
ging the young woman's body into tn
chimney, only, at last, to leave the fou
{ thousand francs lying upon the f1oorH
But the deep, angry voice, with it
had been so plainly heard, did that ais
, belong to an orang. .outang, Monsieu
AllardH
No, probably to the apes owner. Blu
| first let us look for the orang-outang, som
! &c oh he ~ laff iyaf
/ hands of Madame L'Esparaye.
, And day after day, Allard patiently rea
: over the Paris papers in search of an ad
vertisement of the lost orang- -outanE
8 But he saw none. Every WELL" said h
/. to himself, "we must now advertise a
> orang ,outang found. My belief that a.
, ape only committed that murder is not
: be overthrown. If the owner of tn
orang outang, which / am sure must i
2 any event have made its escape, is innC
e cent he will undoubtedly be on the lool
e out for his precious animal"
|. And thereupon, without making Sol
Y a sharer in his suspicious or his inVestig(
Y tions, he published the advertisemGI
i which appeared in the Monde.
y At length, one evening, he heard heav
step upon the stairway. There was
e bright gleam of JOY in his eyes as b
i glanced into the side pocket of his Goa
|, HIS revolver was all right.
:. There was timid, hesitating knock
II the door.
"Come in !" said Allard in friendl
e yet listless tone.
y A tall, powerful fellow, with sun-browl
n ed face almost hidden in long, blaC
70 beard, in the garb and with the rollir
n gait of a sailor, bowing awkWardly ar
is glancing fearfuily around, entered Il
: room. "Am l right, sir? Are you Il
is gentleman that caught the oran
outang"
s, eyes, nay friend-you, I suppose, a
ito owner? A finer ape than that is N
a. 10 be found in the Jdrdin des PGRtss."
% At this quiet and friendly gree
IN ing the sailor evidently breathed easit
. All thought Allard. he is not ignoraI
st then, of the murder committed by his az
le when can have my animalP"
Ag soon as we agree upOn what I a