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

half-fitting cloak, blue on one side, red
on the other. and capable of being re-
versed in moment of time, owns him
for godfather. The police would be
III hot persuit of q man in red who fled
like 4 deer around corner. When
the persuers followed on his track he
had disappeared, but they encounter
ed sedate individual in blue strolling
toward them, who had seen the afore.
said man in red dart into 4 neighborine
house or disappear down some other
street.
On one occasion the police, hearing
row in the house of Il pretty lemon.
ade.seller known as Margot the nun,
made descent. They found a little
man, half drunk, tearing around the
room. firing pistols right and left, to
the admiration of a mixed company of
both sexes. lie was arrested, and af.
ter while represented himself to be
an honest chocolate seller in the Rue
Comedy-Francais who had unfortunate.
ly taken drop too much. lie was al.
lowed to so after depositing 100 livres
and gold snuff-bOx 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, 1920. 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.
ture, and hereupon an odd incident &C.
Cured. AS the officer of the Criminal
Court was uttering the usual procla.
nation with sound of trumpet and out.
cry. calling upon CartOuche 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, Cartouche!" shouted a
voice in the center of the crowd, that
turned the whole body. archers,
trumpeters, citizens, and all into a
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 i'm.
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 holly as 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
exultingly assured the public that he
was driven from the capital. They
were soon made painfully aware Of his
return.
A very large reward was now 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 10y Cartouche himself. A few
days later the robber chief, while tax.
ing quiet stroll with Madeleine Beau.
lieu, a 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-Francaises
(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 des Petits
Augustins. This wealthy residence Car
t0uche resolved should be thoroughly
pillaged. a chosen band, commanded
by their chief in person, forced an EN-
trance 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 before the enemy
appeared. A fierce fight commenced
from room to room, from stair to stair
The robbers fought stoutly, but theil
ammunition failed, and they were over
borne by numbers. Sauve qui peut be-
came the order of the day. Cartouche
escaped by a chimney, gained the roof
and descended at some distance in the
garnet of ag0Od-natured mechanic, tC
whom he represented himself as a mar
pursued by his merciless. creditors
His host sympathized with him, provi
ded him with disguise, and he once
more broke through the tolls.
The Regent now doubled the reward
and offered free pardon to any one
no matter how guilty, who should be-
tray his chief. Distrust now spread
through the band, and two murders OF
suspected traitors quickly followed
But the hour of rctribution was al
hand. One Acknowledgement to Car
touche the most ferocious of human ii
gers---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 a bargain with Pekom, the Aide.
Major of the sGardes.F Franchises, pro
cured promise Of pardon from the
Regent, and then conducted a picked
body Of men to the robbers lair. Car