The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-05-12

turQeU suddenly uPou 11uiou h&Au iiio Aoi-
lowers. The officer received several pis-
tol shots, and was then cut down by Car
touche himself A few days later the
robber chief, while taking quiet stroll
with Madeleine Beaulieu, woman be-
longing to the gang, perceived Pepin at
his heels. Turning suddenly on their
pursuer, Madeleine attacked him with
large stones, while Cartouche ran him
through the body.
A regular organized attempt was next
made, under the direction OF an Aide
major of the Gardes- Fancies Pekom),
who selected ninety of his best men and
sent them in various DISCUSSES, but well
armed, in quest OF the single robber
chief. At this critical period of his for
tunes 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 i'll
the Rue des Petits Augustins. This
wealthy residence Cartouche resolved
should be thoroughly pillaged. A chosen
band, commanded by their chief in per-
son, forced an entrance and were busily
at work in the rich saloons when one Of
their lookouts announced the approach
of an absolute army OF police. The
danger signal had hardly been given be-
fore the enemy appeared. A fierce fight
commenced-from room to room. from
stair to stair. The robbers fought
stoutly, but their ammunition failed, and
they were o, erborne by numbers. Sauve
qui peut became the order of the day.
Cartouche escaped by chimney, gained
the roof, and descended at some distance
in the garret of a good-natured me-
chanic, to whom he represented himself
as man pursued by his merciless cred
itors. His host sympathized with him,
provided him with disguise, and once
more he broke through the tolls.
The regent now doubled the reward
and offered free pardon to any one,
no matter how guilty, who should betray
his chief. Distrust now spread through
the band, and two murders of suspected
traitors quickly followed. But the hour
of retribution was ut hand. One Du-
chatalet-next to Cartouche the most fe-
rocious of human igers-acknowledged
to himself that the game was nearly up.
Plunged, as he was, in the deepest and
deadliest crime, he saw but one chance
of safety, and that was to denounce his
chief. He made bargain with Pekom,
the Aide-major of the Gardes- Fracaises,
procured promise of pardon from the
regent, and then conducted picked
body of men to the robbers lair. Car
touche was taken so completely by sur
prise that he was secured almost without
a, struggle, although he had six loaded
pistols ready to his hand. He was con-
Quoted to the Chatelet, and the process
advanced quickly. Duchatelet, certain
of reprieve, confessed to certain burg
laries and murders. in which Cartouche
had taken part. Notwithstanding this,
the latter stoutly protested his inno-
cence, and denied his identity, calling
himself one jean Bourguignon, q coun-
tryman.
Meanwhile he was well cared for, he
received crowds of distinguished visit
ors, and fashionable ladies attended his
levees. The most distinguished of these
was the Marechale de Bouffiers, widow
of the gallant general who lost the battle
of Malplaquet. One warm summer night
in July, 1921, Just as the lady had re-
tired to bed, leaving her window little
and to her horror saw mans face close
to her own. She made snatch for the
bell cords, but the intruder seized her
hands, opened his blouse, displaying a
rich but faded costume, with complete
armory of silver-mouuted pistols and
knives, and introduced himself as Louis
Dominique Cartouche. He had narrowly
escaped the watchful eyes Of the police,
then in hot pursuit of him, by climbing
the balcony ; no one, he said, would
dream of looking for him there, and he
proposed to remain. He was hungry
and tired, however, and wanted supper
and bed. Quaking with fear, the Mare
chale rang the bell, ordered her aston
ished servants to bring hearty supper
and bottle of champagne, and when it
came locked her door and watched the
voracious robber as he disposed Of all
that was set before him. His repast
ended, he apologized for incommoding
her, stretched himself out ON the sofa
in her dressinR-room and went to sleep.
At 3 a. m. he rose, bade her good-day
and vanished. She sprang out of bed,
closed the windows, and alarmed the
house. Search was made among the
valuables, but not an article was miss
ing; even the costly silver used for the
supper had been spared by the eccentric
thief. Some days later the Marechale re-
ceived basket of excellent champagne
(stolen from Partisan wine merchant)
with the compliments of M. Cartouche.
The robber chief had been placed in
one of those horrible subterranean dun
geons destroyed in 1880 by the humane
command of Louis XVI. He had a
companion in trouble who had formerly
worked as a stone mason; together they
succeeded in making breach in the
wall of their cell, thence following a
ditch connected with the sewerage of the
prison they broke into the cellar Of q
neighboring house. Here, however,
fortune ceased to befriend them; Car
touche was rearrested while endeavoring
to leave the house and placed in closer
custody than before.
! His trial went forward with unexam-
pied rapidity, and on Nov. 8, 1721,
Cartouch and four of his companions
were ordered to be broken on the wheel,
after having been previously submitted
TO the question ordinary and extraordi
nary, with the view OF extorting con-
fession. The process verbal relating to
Cartouch reports the application Of the
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