The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-02

The Detectives Drop In ON Polish COun-
tess' Private Party.

i ing with NJ. Claude, chief of the Suret,
? department.. A terribly keen man ii
M. Claude. Short, thickset and bluff
, with gray moustache and blue eyes
l clear a as hawks, he enjoys bodily
strength almost prodigious, and is en-
l dOwed with memory SO retentive tina
person once arrested by him hapgs W
his photograph, as it were, forever aftel
in M. Olaude's mind. In other respects
M. Claude is a pleasant, chatty man
and nothing can be less fussy than the
way in which he marshals his agent!
and discloses to them on what business
? they have been summoned. There are
eleven of these agents. They are un
armed, and carry handouts, but each
has in his pocket bit of stick about
two inches long, used for better clench.
ing the fist in case of blows, and also q
yard of strong whip-cord. When they
have all arrived we issue on the quay,
where six cabs are waiting. The agents
break up into pairs, one to each vehicle,
and away we go in the first cab, which
bears M. Claude and whiskered detec-
tive six feet high, over the first bridge,
and to the right bank of the Seine, to-
ward one of the wealthiest quarters of
Paris. The precaution of not apprising
the detectives until the last moment of
what business they are to perform is
said to be necessary lest one of them
should be tempted by the weakness of
human nature to sell his information to
the interested parties; and, indeed, so
we'll is the information kept that none
of the agents will know until they reach
the door what particular house they are
going to invade.
| n j.
with amateurs, and from what we can
gather of his confidence whispered in
Euglish-a tongue which the six-foot
agent does not comprehend-the house
| in question is one that has been at work
for almost two years, and is respectfully
conducted. The owner describes her
self as a Polish widow, countess of
course, and receives guests of great for
| tune and distinction. Whether the po-
| lice have condemned her proceedings,
| M. Claude naturally does not state; but
! he says that measures are being taken
now, because a young gentleman of
twenty lately lost seventy thousand
francs there, and was driven to confess
the debt to his father, a nobleman of
considerable wealth, who did not receive
the tidings philosophically. By the
time this explanation has been given we
reach the street where the Countess
- resides, but we do not drive up to
the door. Our cab pulls up round the
corner of the adjoining street, and the
five others come to standstill behind
it. At the same moment about a dozen
policemen in uniform walk quietly out
of the recesses of different doorways,
where they have been standiUg appar-
emily waiting for US, and as fast as the
detectives alight from the cabs, they
get in and take their places, drawing |
down the blinds, however, so that no |
crowd may be attracted by their appear
ance. From this moment no time is |
everything is done in post pace.
NJ. Claude leading the way, the agents
drop behind in the order of their riding, |
and it is understood that the last two
are to remain on the pavement outside
the house, the next two in the first ves-
tibule in the house, the following pair
on the first flight of stairs, while the re-
naming five will accompany NJ. Claude
wherever he goes, but always keeping
their places in couples, and remaining
about yard separate from other pairs,
so that there may be no crowdIng or
confusion. He would be clever gam
bier who could break through such an
array of sentinels and not one of them
in the house does break through it.
They are destined to be caught, every
one of them.
The first to fall in the net, is the
well-dressed and pompous concierge.
In answer to the bell he has pulled the
door chain, the door has clicked open,
and before he can recover from his
surprise this ianitor has seen eight men
walk coolly past his lodge without
deigning to notice him. 1t is only onS
the arrival of the ninth and tenth, who
are to keep watch in the vestibule, that
he learns that he is prisoner, and must
neither stir from his place nor raise o
cry unless he would pass his night at
the prefecture. The second victim is
fcotman in black clothes, who is carry
ing tray of wine glasses up the stair
case. An expressive though mute ges-
ture from NJ Claude causes him almost
to drop his tray in horror but he turns
back without a word, sinks down pale I
and abashed, and becomes the prey of 1
the two agents who are to mount guard ;
on the stairs. Up we go over the thick
pile carpets, past the groups of statu- !
ary and flowers in the corners Of the ]
landings, past wall panels beautifully
painted with subjects la Vatican, and
illumined by the soft light falling from
globes of tinted glass, and thus to the
second flight preceding the first floor. |
On the landing of the first floor, how /
ever, sits fooiman in charge of hats I
and clothes-brushes, and, on catching {
sight of M. Claude, he springs up, I
wrenehes open the drawing-room door, /
and can be heard shouting in voice {
hat cracks right through the middle
rom emotion, "LG RaGSSe" (AragLice,
'' The peeIersID By this warning he
has spoiled the coup de theatre which
results from the police personally intro {
1ucing themselves; but M. Claude does G
not leave the gamblers time to profit
much by their scare. He has reached
he landing and passed through the
loor almost on the footman's heels, and, :
n ringing tones that admits of no q
rihing, he cries, "Au nom de la loi,
yue 20erSOnne ne 6Ouge" !
Nobody does stir, at least in the sense !
# trying to get out of the house, for h
hey have felt by instinct that escape is =
A few gentlemen. in the :,
irst impulse of fright, have rushed into :,
he neighboring chambers, and show =
ly attired lady has fallen over foot :.
tool in making q dart over the hearth =
ug; but the majority have merely =
isen to their legs and stand like a =
,roup of wax works with eyes staring y
md features blanched. There are four I
aides present, and about twenty men, G
most of them in evening dress, and con- T
,regated round table at which bGccG- :
at was being played. The gentleman =
Who was dealing has a large heap of Z
old and bank notes before him, and he T
las brought his two hands down on it =
With a natural gesture of protection. y
Ie is a gentleman-like looking person y
With a swsrthy complexion and q
oreign accent but he makes no diff y :,
ulty of su1rendering his heap of money "
o the couple of detectives who intimate = =
o him so to do, and indeed he does not y y
ppear to understand that he has been r
utility of an indictable offense. Several =
f the other gentlemen are in a similar y :,
ase, and seem to resent the intrusion of 3
be police as an unjustifiable entry into - -
private house. There are guileless =,
ravelers from southern and eastern @.
Europe who have taken their hostess q,
ute az Serieotr. or very young French ~ ~
1en-there are two who do not look ~