Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-06-12

had against him; if there was not some
other accusation back of it. The SER
geant, well trained in his part, feigned
astonishment and reassured his prisoner,
so that he had quite recovered his calm
ness when brought before the lieutenant
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 Zambehi, is
dead, and you are his murderer. Donot
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; few sac
rifces 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 the sacri-
flee of part of his plunder, he exclaimed
that the discovery Of his guilt must have
been by the direct interposition of
Heaven, for no one had seen his crime.
He was ready, he said, to confess all,
but'when the notary came to take down
his deposition, he recovered his self-pos-
session and refused to say anything, pro-
testing his entire innocence of the crime
laid to his charge, All efforts to extort
a confession were in vain, and he was re-
manded to prison. He loudly protested
against his incarceration, declared the
falseness of the bond ON which he was
arrested, publicly accused the lieutenant
and .sergeantrofforgery, and commenced
a suit against them for damages The
courts, however, were on the side Of the
police, and Martels proceedings were
stayed for three months; the suit rela-
tive to the murder of Zambelli was
brought before the Norman parliament,
and Martel himself transferred to the
conciergerie,I while: dihgent search was
made for the body Of the missing man.
Eleven miles northeast of Versailles,
in what is now the department of Seine
et-Oise, stands the little town of Argen-
teuil. One day in the summer of 1880 it
was the scene of unwonted excitement
The inhabitants had with one accord
suspended their labors, quilted their
houses, and gathered together about the
door of the Hotel du Heaume. By their
earnest conversation among themselves,
and the eager questioning to which
they subjected all who came out of the
hotel, it was evident that something un-
usual was there going on. In fact, it
was the scene of an inquest held by M.
Laurence Bigot, king advocate. on the
body of the long missing zambelli.
This jealous 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 accom-
plishing his object, he was about to re-
turn to Rouen, when he was informed
that Some months before a corpse had
been discovered hid in vineyard neal
Argenteuil. Bigot fastened thither,
and the state of preservation of the re.
mains enabled him, on viewing the body,
to perceive that it tailed exactly with
the description given by his brother Of
missing Zambelli.
The magistrate. having taken down
the evidence, proceeded, in accordance
with custom, to read it aloud, when he
was Interrupted by piercing cry, and G
blind man, whose presence in the room
no one had before perceived, presented
himself. iJ His name was Gervais, and
himself a professional beggar,' born ID
the neighborhood, well known and mucl
liked.,.I 1t was his custom to wander
from place to place, begging his way
but he always returned three or fou1
times year to Argente1il. There he
me-, o kind reception, and was invariably
allowed lodging at the hotel. g Having
arrived that day from a tramp Of severa
months, he had entered the house ant
seated himself unnoticed in corner
When, however, in listening to the mag
istrate, he heard that corpse had beer
discovered among the vines, he sprane
up with a loud exclamation, and wa
quickly interrogated. Several months
before, he said, he started from Argen
teuilon one of his tramps, and had jus
gained the high ground beyond the vii
lage when he heard the violent bayine
ola dog. He stopped and listened, an(
soon distinguished mans voice, feebl'
and suppliant, exclainning Monster
thy master, thy benefactor mercy
Must die SO far from my country, m,
brother; mercy, mercyl" Then tn
blind man heard fearful cry, like tina
of o dying manin his last agony, and al
was silence.
After time he distinguished the step
of one who seemed to stagger under
heavy burden. Gervais advanced, ask
: ing what was the matter-who had bee
, moaning soS "Nothing, nothing" " re
) piled an agitated voice, "only sic
! man, who is being carried home and ha
} tainted on the way" Then the voic
added in a lower and more menacin
tone: "You may thank God that yo
, are blind, or ] would have done til