The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-03
THE NORETTE MYSTERY.
Sad Fate of Wealthy Old Frenchman.

''What is your name q said the Po-
lice Sergeant at the Saratoga Street
Station House, in Baltimore, to a
strangely dressed elderly man, who was
brought before him about 10 O'Clock
on the evening of the 18th of July,
1887.
The prisoner stared at the Sergeant
for minute or two and then made
an indistinct reply. Several repeti-
tions of the question elected no more
satisfactory answer from their prison.
er.
Rollins" said the Sergeant to the
officer who had taken the prisoner to
the station house, ''you say that you
found him lying drunk on the side
walk?''
':Yes, Sergeant answered the Off
Ger ''and a good deal of trouble did I
have to make him get up. He is a vi
cious old fellow. so he is. When he
was Oh his feet he swore an oath in a
language something like Choctaw, and
then struck me blow with his fist;
but gave him a couple of whacks with
my club, and that made him go along
with me-"
The prisoner, who seemed to be in a
state of stupefaction, was searched,
but neither papers to identify him nor
valuables of any description, except
a bit of gold chain hanging to one Of
his vest buttons, were found on his
person.
Then charge of s'drunk and disor-
derby" was entered against him on the
blotter, and he was hustled into a cell
not even containing bench for him to
rest upon. Next morning he was found
stone dead on the cold floor. The Cor
oner was summoned, a jury inpannel-
ed, and a verdict that the unknown
man had died from some cause un-
known to the jury" was rendered.
In the afternoon the stranger was bur-
led in plain pine coffin in Potter's
Field.
The clothes Of the deceased, includ-
ing the piece of gold chain, were sold
for few dollars to Isaac Bergman, a
jew, who kept a small secondhand
store on Harrison street.
About six months after the events
which we have just related, Bergman
went to New York with all the old jew
elry which he had purchased during
the preceding year, and which he now
offered for sale to manufacturing
goldsmith. The latter examined the
goods somewhat carelessly until he
caught sight of the piece of broken
gold chain.
"Where did you get that - he ask
ed, eagerly.
Bergman explained how he got it,
and then the jeweler told him that a
reward of $1,000 was offered for it.
The chain belonged to Monsieur Precy
Norette, one Of the wealthiest real
estate owners of Harve in France. NJ.
Norette was a bachelor of eccentric
habits: He disappeared mysteriously
from the city in the preceding April.
NO one knew whittier he had gone, and
his nephew, Granier Maurel, claimed
his estate as the next of kin, on the
ground that his uncle was dead. The
courts of Harve, under the peculiar
laws OF France, granted the applica-
ton, but ordered that the heir should
advertise for information concerning
his uncle in several French, German
ana English papers. This was done,
out no clue was elected. However
there were vague suspicious that, Ora
nler Maurel, the nephew and heir had
something to do with NJ. Norette's dis
appearance. Those suspicious were
confirmed when, on the 18th of August,
Lysander Thore, a skipper was arrest
ca Tor drunkenness in Harve, whittier
ne mad just returned from a trip to