The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1872-03-14
.AVANT COURIER.
"A French story

x.
/ 1.r sssss - 1890 !
Since the days Of that monster whom d
Quincy has immortalized In his Three Me
\ naorshls Murders the annals Of crime hav
given us no mors extraordinary story thai
that which has, lateys spread CONSERVATION
over the little town OF St. Omers. In France
For systematic, cold-blo0tled fiendishness tn.
name of Joseph LeHaettre II worthy to be Sc
beside that Of Caleb williams. Iii som,
respects biz career iseven more extraordi
nary than that of De Quincey's famous rs
sassin. What distinguished Williams from
sv0rdnary murdsrcrs was not SO much thu
sboidness, even ~ me shoFoSghnsssdsoS hi.
work. Within. fortnight, in q populoui
quarter of Tendon, and in marrow district
Of that, the intiurian wretch completely
destroyed three households-7in only the las,
instance leaviiiga single human being alive
under the roof he had thus devoted to whole
sale slaughter That single error was his
''ruin. for on tie sole survivors, testimony
lie was convicted aud will be hung.
. 19Thoughinferiorin dramatic pictnresquenesa
III intense horror, Lemettrcs career Is, in one
feature ut least, more phenomenal. In mod
ern times we recall no instance where man
has so devoted himself to murder for the sake
of plaipder, during 30 long {, series of years,
not only mourning no suspicion, but enjoying
to an unusual degree the confidence and affec-
= ton Of llis acquaintances. The crimes for
which Lemettre was lately tried, and has, per-
har hxf fin,A tod ien
arson. highway robbery. burglary, and re-
peatcd murders. and range through period
81 seven years. Yet all this while, Lemettre,
70 outward appearance, was one OF the most
simple and harmless Of French peasants.
!. Fer many years he had been servant inthe
farm house OF Selles, where his amiable'dis-
position and open, smiling countenance made
him many friends. Hlsiet,ployerEhad III him
always the utmost confidence. and even when
su@picion toward the last began to penetrate
the veil of his sleek duplicity, refused to dis
charge him. Add to this that he was only
twenty-five years old at the time Of his trial,
and looked even younger, and that in the
court he bore himself with an air of angelic
sinnocence,s and the reader will perceive that
Joseph Lemertre was no ordinary or COM
nonplace criminal.
Ever since 1864 the man has led two lives,
~ utterly diverse as can be imagined. In
one he WAS the faithful servant, d0cile, obIig-
ing, cheerful. lie married in due time. and
when the war broke out he bore arms in de-
tense OF Ills country. But In his other lifej
this simple country lad was q most cruel
and desperate riiffian. From 1864, when
Lemettie was but eighteen years of age, up |
TO few weeks past, except while he WAS
away ut the wAr, the country about the little I
village OF Apdressslles WAS kept In . constant
state OF terrorism. Haystacks and buildings
were burned in every direction, houses were
broken open and robbed, and frequently most
brutal MURDERS added to the alarm. No less
one being woman. The bodies
ct the men were all found to be singl,larly |.
and horribly n,utilated. Finally. on the very
morning of the wedding feast, Lenettre at-
tenpted 70 rob the house Of ,priestin the
and was watched ad cap
iured. After trial vt four days, during 4
which he confessed himself guilty Of most
II the outrages enumerated, and was proved
guilty Of all, he was condemned to death.
haa six inhabitants of Andresselles were
Probably such carer would be impossi- \
bic in any civilized country outside OF Frame.
There are incidents related in that gallery of
the Memoirs Of Vldocq," whicliat
NEST equalitg i'm unique hidcousness. In
point Of long Immunity, however, and utter
the story Of Lemettre Is
surely cxceptionals ssa4g sssivaHx