The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-07-29
sMisfenatteuns.
AN OLD MURDER CASE.
CRIME IN The SEVENTEENTH
CENTURY.
New York Times ]

His affairs prospered, and by the time
he was fifty years Of age he had accumu-
lated handsome fortune, and felt de-
sire to end his days at Lucca, where a
brother of his still resided. He wrote to
his family announcing his intention, and
soon after sent them another letter, dated
at Rouen, stating that he had advanced
thus far on his journey; that he had
some business to attend to at Paris, and
might be expected to reach Lucca in
about two months Nearly half year
elapsed, however, and nothing was heard
of him. His brother, extremely anxious
as to his fate, set out for Paris in search
of him. He visited every place where
the missing man was likely to have pre-
sented himself in the course of his busl-
ness, and in his search seemed, at first,
to meet with no success. Many of those
be encountered stated thatthey had
and conversed with the missing man
he had claimed and collected the amount
due on various securities to a considera-
BILE amount. When, however, the re-
ceipts signed "Zambelli" were exhibited,
the brother exclaimed at once that they
were forgeries, and it vas plain that
there had been foul play Of some sort
robbery, at least, if not murder, NO
clev could be obtained, however to the
guilty parties; none Of those who had
paid their money to the false Iambelll
would undertake to describe an indi-
vidual they had seen six months before,
and but for few minutes. lnvestlga-
tions at Rouen revealed the fact that
Zambelli had arrived there, and had left
for Paris accompanied by valet. The
latter, however, had been but little no.
ticed, and as so long time had elapsed
since his departure, no one could under
take to identify this single domestic of
the many who in that time had passed
through this hotel, the most frequented
in Rouen.
Cornelius Zambelli thereupon brought
the matter before the Lieutenant of Po-
lice, but even his acumen, sharpened by
long experience, was at fault. Undoubt-
edly crime had been committed some
where between Rouen and Paris, but
where, when, and by whom? Reason
was at fault. but the Lieutenant was a
brilliant example of the DarWinian theo-
ry of the acquisition of instincts. Long
wears of contact with crime, innumerable
searches for criminals, had engendered
in him a sixth sense, which enabled him
to detect the presence of an offender
against the law where there was no pal
pable evidence of his existence. Six or
seven months before goldsmith named
Martel had opened shop at Rouen,
where he was entirely unknown. There
was something strange, awkward and
embarrassed in his appearance and man
ner; he was very reticent as to his ante
cedents; inquisitive neighbors who ven
>tured 10 ask him any questions about
himself were put off with evasive an
swers, while his manner when thus in
terrogated became painfully embarrass-
ed. These circumstances, joined in the
fact that his business was the same as
Zambelli's, and his appearance at Rouen
synChronous with the latter's appear.
ance, awakened suspicion in the Lieu
tenants mind that he was the man of
whom they were in search, and that Off
Cial at once set to work to obtain cor
roboration of his hypothesis.
VU;tb fbooa orff1l rNraro rof fiOTo fA on
trap the unwary which are the charac-
teristics of French criminal law and po-
lice, he sent an individual to Martels
store. who, under pretense Of purchasing
some trinkets, entered into conversation
with the goldsmith and incidentally
mentioned the name of Zambelli. At
this Martel grew pale and showed signs
of disquietude, looking earnestly at his
questiOner, who, however, giving no
signs of any ulterior motive in his re-
mark, finished his purchase and left the
shop. The Lieutenant now felt sure he
was on the right track. His next step
was an ingenious one. He counterfeited
Martels signature to bond, and sent a
Sergeant of Police to the suspected man
to demand payment of it. Martel, of
course, replied that it was forgery, and
refused to pay, but the officer insisted
that he must take him into custody until
he had sworn to its falsity before the
proper officer.
Nartel, at first, accompanied the Ser
geant with all the Calmness of an inno-
cent man, but suddenly suspicion that
all was not right flashed upon him.
Trembling with fear, he seized the Off
Ger by the arm and asked, with tremb-
ling lips, if the bond was all that the po-
lice had against him; if there was not
some other accusation back of it. The
Sergeant, well trained in his part, feigned
astonishment and reassured his prisoner,
80 that he had quite recovered his calm |
ness when brought before the Lieuten-
ant. The latter, however, soon put an
end to his doubts by thus addressing
him: "This bond is indeed false, but as
you have betrayed fear l must tell you
that there are other things against you.
A citizen of Lucca, named Zambelli, is
dead, and you are his murderer. Do not
deny it, for have certain proofs. You
need not feel any alarm, however, on
this account; he was stranger here; no
one cares what has become of him; a
few sacrifices on your part and the whole
affair can be hushed up, only you must
make full and sincere confession-your
life depends on it."
Martel at first fell into the snare. Glad |
TO purchase his life with tie sacrifice of
part of his plunder, he exclaimed that
the discovery of his guilt must have been |
BY the direct interposition of Heaven,
for no eye had seen his crime. He was
ready, he said, to confess all, but when
the notary came to take down his depo-
sition, he recovered his self-possession,
and refused to say anything, protesting
his entire innocence of the crime laid to
his charge. All efforts to extort con-
fession were in vain, and he was re-
manded to prison. He loudly protested
against his incarceration, declared the
alseness Of the bond on which he was
ko1 sa1. l.. II