New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-18

in the habit Of meatipz. their elder br.ther,
and whan the buslpess Of tho day for hin
was deae. they would, II return home to.
gether.
The, tovboat ofiacs sdjoined Dartigues
feed sto.e; hence the boye were thoroughly
familiar with the premises, and indeed, with
the entire neighborhood.
One pleasant afternoon in August, just
three days before the mysterious barrel was
picked up, Fred and Theodore went -
usual to the towboat Office to see their
brother, but to theis disappointment found
him absent on one Of tho towboats. They,
however, met William Stickney, a young
playmate of theirs, and the three COM
menced to play about the wharves the
familiar Juvenile game Of hide and seek.
After exhausting all the hiding places be-
meath the whArves the youngsters extended
their play ground to Dsrtignes' premises.
and the old feed vender, WAC was quite ir.
ritable in his disposition, warned them at
once to leave. In compliance with this Or
der the boys did 60 away, but some time af-
terward, when it was little Theodore's time
to hide, he went of and was 20 effectually
hidden that the other boys. even after q
full hours search, failed to find him. At
length they concluded that instead Of hid.
ing he had run off home, and as night ap-
preached they went home also.
Ths night which followed was an ex.
tire lnely sad one for the widow WoolHev,
Theodore was her youngest, and, as may
we'll be supposed, her favorte child. She
cent her other Gems eft in every direction In
search Of the lest lamb of the flock; but all
their forts proved unavailing. One went
to the towbcat ofice, thinking possibly
that Theodore had gone in there and fallen
asleep, and when the Office door had closed
for the night had become an unconscious
prisoner.
Knowing that the key of the towboat Of
fee was usually left at Dar,igues' feed
store, the anxious messenger went there at
once. Dartigues listened to the story of
the lost boy with more patience than usual,
and then told young Woolfley, with posi-
tiveness which was somewhat remarkable,
that all search in the towbost Office would
prove wholly fruitless. He thereupon ad-
vised him to return home forthwith and
await tho chances of his brothers reap.
pearance on the morrow.
"Perhaps," queried the boy, "he went in
and got asleep somewhere about your store
,r stsblei"
mo, NO; that can not be-" replied Oar
igues.
"Have you any objection. Mr.. Dartigues,
o my making . searchY"
The old mans lip trembled, and his voice
rev husky, a. he replied: "Go home! 60
lome! your brother is not here; / am not |
lis keeper!"
The words of Cain, when questioned
bout Abel, flashed upon the memory of
Dung Woolfey, as soon a. the cid maa
ad spoken, but he checked the involun.
sry accusation which, arose in his mind,
DE- he had no good reason to suppose that
he rich feed vendor would harm either
i'm or his.
A painful, anxious, sleepless night was
assed by the poor widow aud her remain
,g children, and hope grew weak as to-
borrow and tomorrow came, but the miss
,g boy came not. Mrs. Woolfley had no
nspicion that her lost one had been muir
cred. So quiet and good boy as she
new him to be, could, as she thought. have
FINISHED no provocation to deed of blood,
nd he certainly had no valuables about
i'm to tempt cupidity and, through it, lead
, murderous violence. Her opinion was,
lat he had fallen into the river and was
rowned.
How the body of little Theodore was ulti-
ately discovered the reader has already
aen informed, but the manner in which he
.me to his death is as yet mystery.
Return We now to Capt. ain McGovern and
% detective operations.
From the time that the barrel was opened
! the levee . keen and anxious gaze was
a. fixed on 1t from an upper window, and
% sight carried to the brain of the gazer
% tortures of the damned.
"Mon Dieu mon Dieu! what if they
ould find it out :" he exclaimed to himself
. nervous, excited, fearful whisper; and
en- he turned to q bottle for that relief
hich the Anmerciful alone could give.
Az the deceased was last seen alive in the
ighborhood of Dartigues' store, McGovern
Moulded to commence his investigations
ere. In the store he discovered several ,
rrels exactly similar to that in which the !;
dy had been packed. They had the same .
arks, and were similarly coated on the in
le with damaged -four. Here was sng-
stive matter. Moreover. in the stable,
here Dartigues' horse was kept, just in .
9 rear of the store, there was hay plenti-
lly interspersed with weeds like those
and in the barrel, and under the horses
It were numerous pieces of broken glass, =
in every respect with those
llch McGovern had already in his posses
n. The window in front of the horses ;.
III had recently been broken, and the
lss found had evidently fallen from that
ndow.
The chain Of evidence thus far presented e
,med to indicate couclusively that the l,
y, wherever he was killed, was placed in tt
, barrel in that feed store, and it was q
+ conclusion that some one connected a
th the store had q guilty knowledge of his q
18th. n
rhereup0n McGovern had all the inmates b
the store arrested, to wit: Antoine Oar. q
ues, jean Despouey, John Tape and v
Ancois Caseaudre. They admitted q | II
owledge Of the fact that the boy had I,
N missing for several days, but stoutly