The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-23
An Old LAW YER's STORY

dDlc 70 ulScONcT IOOp-nOleS OF escape 1Of
those whom defended, which surprised
even my fellow-lawyers. possessed by
nature those qualities which would have
made an excellent detective, and | was a
( thorough student of the law. There was
no mystery about it, but among the more
| ignorant classes | had gained a reputation
for more than human knowledge. Per-
haps it was not polite for them 10 say that
the devil helped, but they did
However, | began to tell you about
Madame Matteau.-
She was an old lady, who owned little
house in the suburbs OF the city. She
herself was Of American birth, but her
husband had been Frenchman, and so
the title Madame had been bestowed upon
her. She was now a widow, and her daugh-
ter Gabrielle and son Henri were her
only living relatives. Her income was
but slender, and she eked it out by taking
a few boarders, generally steady old peo-
pie who had known her for many years,
+ These respected and liked her; but the
city generally had prejudice against her.
! There had been two sudden deaths In her
house. Each time the victim was a
stranger who came at night, and was
found dead in his bed in the morning.
Each time the jury was divided-some
believing that strangulation was the cause
Of death, some that the man had died in a
fit.
1t was a terrible thing that two such
deaths should have occurred beneath her
roof. Madame's friends pitied her. The
rest of the little world limited that these
were strangers, and their trunks, with
no one knew what amount OF money and
other valuable property remained IN
Madame's possession. No one said she
was murderess, but every one said 1T
was every strange" in an odd tone, and
no one since that second death had visited
Madame Matteau.
l myself-perhaps because l had adj
mired her a great deal, and her daughter
much mOre-had always insisted that it
was merely a coincident, and that in a
world in which apopleXy and heart dis
ease were so common, 1t was no such mar
vel that two men should have met sudden
deaths in the same house. But my faith
in this theory was shaken when one
morning it was published over the city
that another transient boarder had been
found dead in Madame Matteau's house,
and that she was arrested on suspicion of
having murdered him, his watch and
chain having been found in her posses
sion.
Before had recovered from the shock
of this terrible piece Of news, a message
came to me from Madame Matteau. She
desired to see me- OF course | went to
her at once.
She had been taken TO prison. and L
found her in a little room with a barred
window, and an insufficient fire on the
hearth. The logs had burnt in two upon
the andirons, and the white ashes
were scattered over the hearth. Almost
in them sat Madame Matteau, in her wid-
ow's dress Of sombre black.
She was chilly with grief and excite
ment, and had drawn her chair close to
the fire.
She shook violently from head to foot,
and her face was deadly pale as she
turned it toward ME and held out her
hand.
g 0, thank Heaven, you have come :"
she said; Il know you can save me. Is
it not horrible? How could kill a man?
Why should /? Why do people come to
my house to die? To die horribly, with
black faces and startling eyes, as If
some one had choked them Ugh !!
and he was pretty young man the night
before. Oh, good Heaven, how horri-
blel"
sat down beside her, 1 took her
hand.
MADAME Matteau, said, "be calm;
collect yourself As your lawyer, must
know all. Tell me, from first to last what
happened-what was said, what was done.
/ paused: her black eyes had flashed
upol me. | could aot ask her whether
she had any confession to make. | saw
/ that she had not Unless she was the best
/ actress who ever lived, Madame Matteau
was innocent Of any crime.
eff you have any suspicion" L added,
! tell them all to me"
.'There is no one to suspect, sobbed
the poor woman.
ssLn the house were Gabrielle, my
/ daughter. whom you have seen; old
Hannah, the cook; Mr.. and Mrs. Beau
champ. friends of my poor, dear husband
in his boyhood-the best, kindest people;
/ Mr.. GRAY, a very old man, too feeble to
leave the house; poor, deformed Miss
Norman. and tue librarian, Mr.. Basstord.
None Of these would murder mouse.
See how kind they are; they remain in my
house: they send me word that they have
no dou't of me. Oh, how can any
hodv?"
And this man Who l began:
= Yes" said Madame Matteau, Il will
tell you; he was fair, young, handsomely
dressed; he asked Mr.. Bassford at the
depot if he knew of anyone who coulo
accommodate him. Mr.. Bassford brought
hun home. My only empty room wal
the one in which those other two stranger
died. could not bear to put him there
but Mr.. Bassford laughed at me. We
had supper afterward. He talked Ions
time to Gabrielle. 1t was late when h'
retired-late for a quiet household. Han
nah had made his fire. She came anC
told us that she had done 50. de salC
good night.
After he had gone we found that h
: had left his watch on the table. He wor'
, # only with bunch of seals. and he haC
, been setting it by the clock, and showing
. it to us as something very handsome.
knocked at his door to restore 1t to HIN
He had not left us but fifteen minute
before: but he must have been asleel
already, Tor he made no answer 80
kept it for the night, and wore 1t dow
! to breakfast next morning. As | cam
!. down met a gentleman in the hall. ID
! inquired for Mr.. Glen. That was tn
: newcomers name. 1 sent Hannah t
wake him. She could net do So an
rev alarmed. She had key that woul
open the door, and used it The mex
thing knew we were all in the roor