Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-04-06


Cartouche's band to wreck his ven
geance on the poet who had held him
up to ridicule and shame. To be sure,
Vergier was notthe one who had writ
ten the verses in question, but the Car
toucllians could hardly be assumed to
he familiar with such gentry as starry
ing poets, and in their zeal to execute
their master orders had mistaken the
man. Stories such as this circulating
through Paris caused the Regent to
bestir himself. and the authorities
loudly demanded Cartouche but. of
course. it was much easier to ask for
him than to get him.
Another murder now occurred to add
to the public agitation. Cartouche and
his band were carousing at salon,
when they got into IN alteration with
some wOrkmen ut an adjoining, table.
\ row ensued: swords and pistols were
freely used. The police rushed in. and
one of them fell dead from a shot fired,
it was declared, by i female Cartoucl-
ian named Manon.de-Roy. 1t is at
least certain that this distinguished
lady !; always . carried arms: AND: equally
she was arrested. She intrenched her.
self behind her bed and for half an
hour kept the whole posse Of police ut
bay. The murders Of Vergier- and
Mondelot brought the name of Car.
touche prominently before the public.
Henceforward every aulacious crime
was laid to his charge. Desperate at
tempts were made to capture the for
midable thief. but his uexterity and
skillfulness in changing his costume
stood him good friends. The loose.
half-titting cloak, blue OH one side, red
on the other. and capable Of being re-
versed in Il moment of time, owns him
for godfather. The police would be
III hot persuit of 4 man i'll red who fled
like deer around corner. When
the persuers followed on his track he
had disappeared, but they encounter
ell Il Setate individual in blue strolling
toward them, who had seen the afore-
said man in red dart into Il neighboring
house or disappear down some other
street.
On one occasion the police. hearing
a row in the house Of u pretty lemon.
ade-seller known as Margot the nun.
made descent. They found Il little
man. half drunk. tearing around the
room. firing pistols right and left. to
the admiration Of Il mixed company of
both sexes. lie was arrested. and af-
ter i while represented himself to be
al honest chocolate seller in the Rue
Comedy-Francais who had unfortunate
ly taken drop too much. lie was al
lowed to 50 after depositing 100 livres
and 4 gold Snlltf-DOX as security for his
temperance. No complaint was
made against him. and in few days
he called at police headquarters and
reclaimed his property. 1t WAS Car
tOuche.
In December. l720. he was captured
and confined in Fort l'Eveque. but in
spite of the terror inspired by this re-
doubtable robber. 50 slight were the
precautions taken for guarding him
that he three months later effected his
escape. The authorities reused them
selves to unusual efforts for his recap
tllre. and hereupOn an odd incident oc.
Cured. As the officer Of the Criminal
Court was uttering the usual procl;t-
nation with sound of trumpet and out.
cry. calling upon CartoucLe to appear
within eight days and answer to the
charge of murder. and had come to the
words In the Kings name we do COM
mand the person called 'Cartouche' -
''Present. CartOuchet' shouted 4
voice in the center of the crowd. that
turned the whole body. archers.
trumpeters. citizens. and all into 4
frenzy Of rage and agitation. It. was
Cartouche himself but he had vanish-
ed.
Two persons now entered in a solemn
league and covenant to pursue the in.
palpable robber without rest or respite
till he should be slain or taken; these
were Huron and Pepin. bold and clever
officers in the service of the police.
The chase opened i'll for our hero.
Huron tracked him so hotly us to ex-
change pistol-shots with him. by which
Cartouche was said to have been Sc.
riously wounded. 1t is certain that,
either to escape this persevering foe
or to recover from his alleged hurts.
he disappeared for three entire months
from criminal history. and the police
exlltingly assured the public that he
was driven from the capital. They
were soon made painfully aware of his
return.
\ very large reward was how set on
his head, and Huron and Pepin again
devoted themselves to their task. The
zeal of both these officers proved fatal
to them. The former had one evening
tracked Cartouche to a notorious rob-
Der haunt. Finding themselves likely
to be surrounded. the band, like wolves
at bay, turned suddenly upon Huron
and his followers. The officer receiving
several pistOl-shots, and was then cut
down by Cartouche himself. \ few
days later the robber chief. while tax
ing quiet stroll with Madeleine Beau
lieu. woman belonging to the gang.
perceived Pepin at his heels. Turning
suddenly upon their pursuer. Made
leine attacked him with large stones.
while Cartouche ran him through the
body.
\ regular organized attempt was
next made. under the direction of an
Aide.Major Of the Gardes.Francaise
(Pekom), who selected ninety of his
best men and sent them in various dis
guises. but we'll armed. in quest of the
single robber chief. At this critical
period of his fortunes occurred what
was known as the affair of the Hotel
Desmarets. Nicolas Desmarets. nephew
of the great Colbert, died on the 9Th of
May at his hotel in the Rue DIES Petits
This wealthy residence Car.
touche resolved should be thoroughly
pillaged. \ chosen band. commanded
by their chief in person, forced an ell
trance and were busily ut work in the
rich saloons when one of their lookouts
the approach of an absolute
army of police. The danger signal had
hardly been given before the enemy
appeared. \ fierce fight commenced !;
from room to room, from stair to stair.
The robbers fought stoutly, but their
failed, and they were over
borne by numbers. Sauve qui peut be-
came the order of the day. Cartouche
escaped by chimney, gained the roof,
and descended at some distance in the
garnet of a good-natured mechanic, to
whom he represented himself as man
pursued by his merciless creditors.
His host sympathized with him, provi.
ded him with u disguise. and he once