The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-07-16

him into custody until he had sworn to its
falsity before the proper officer.
Nfartel, at first, accompanied the SER
geant with all the calmness of All innocent
man, but suddenly a suspicion that all was
not right flashed upon him. Trembling
with fear, ho seized the officer by the arm
and asked with trembling lips ifthe bond was
all the police had against him; if there
was not some other accusation back of it.
Tho sergeant, well trained i'm his part,
feigned establishment and reassured his
prisoner, SO that he had quite recovered his
calmness when brought before the licuten-
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, 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 l
have certain proofs. You need not feel any
alarm, however, on this account he was a
stranger here no one cares what has be-
come of him; a few sacrifices on your part
and the whole affair can be hushed up
only you must make full and sincere con-
fesson-your life depends on it,
NIartel at first fell into the snare. Glad
to purchase his life with the 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. lie was ready, he
said, to confess all, but when the notary
came to take down his deposition, he re-
covered his self-posession and refused to say
anything, protesting his entire innocence
of the crime laid to his charge. AL efforts
to extort a confession were in vain, and he
was remanded to prison. He loudly pro-
tested against his Incarceration, declared
the falseness of the bond on which he was
arrested, publicly accused the lieutenant
and sergeant of forgery, and commenced a
suit against them for damages. The
courts, however, were on tho side of the
police, and Martel's proceedings were stay
cd for three months the suit relative to
the murder of Zambelli was brought before
the Norman Parliament, and Martel him
self transferred to the Concicrgerie, while
dilgent search was made for the body of
the missing man.
Eleven miles northeast of Versailles, in
what is now the Department of Seine-et-
Disc, stands the little town of Argenteuil.
One day in the summer of 1850 it was the
scene of unwonted excitement The in
habitants had, with one accord, suspended
their labors, quilted their houses, and
gathered together about the door of the
Hotel du Heaume. By their earnest con-
versation among themselves, and the eager
questioning to which they subjected all
who came out of the hotel, it was evident
that something unusual was there going
on. In fact, it was the scene of an inquest
held by NJ. Laurence Bigot, kings ad-
vocate, on the body of the long. missing
Zambcli. This zcalous officer, in his
search for traces of the crime had visited
every village and hamlet on the road from
Rouen to Paris, and had questioned every
officer of police he encountered, but all in
vain. In despair of accomplishing his OBJ
ject, he was about to return to Rouen,
when he was informed that some months
before a corpse had been discovered hid in
vineyard near Argenteuil. Bigot has
.ened :hther, and the state Of preservation
of tho remains enabled him, on viewing
the body, to perceive that it Tailed exactly
with the description given by his brother
of the missing Zambelli.
The magistrate, having taken down the
evidence, proceeded, in accordance with
custom, to read it aloud, when he was in
tcrrupted by piercing cry, and n blind
man, whose presence i'll the room no one
had before perceived, presented himself.
His name was Gcrvais, and himself a pro-
fessional bcggar, born in the neighborhood,
well known and much liked. 1t was his
custom, to wander from place to place,
begging his way, but he always returned
three or four times a year to Argenteuil.
There he met a kind reception, and was
invariably allowed lodging at the hotel.
Having arrived that day from tramp of
several months, he had entered the house
and seated himself unnoticed in corner.
When, however, in listening to the magis-
trate he heard that a corpse had been dis
covered among the vines, he sprang up
with loud exclamation, and was quickly
| interrogated. Several months before, he
said, he stated from Argenteuil Oh one OF
his tramps, and had just gained the high
ground beyond the village when he heard
the violent baying of dog. He stopped
and listened, and soon distinguished a
mau's voice, feeble and suppliant, exclaim-
ing, "Monster! thy master, thy benefactor;
mercy! Must die so far from my coun-
try, my brother; mercy, mercy!' Then
the blind man heard fearful cry, like that
1 of dying man in his last agony, and all
! was silence.
J After time he distinguished the steps