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

CARTOUCHE.
Louis Dominique Cartcuche, the son
of a respectable. well-to-do wine-seller
WAS born in Paris in October, 1903
Anxious to secure for his son higher
position than he himself occupied, tho
father sent him to the College OF Cler
mont. his native instincts soon assert
ed themselves; he ran away and joined
aWarty Of gypsitS. lie was adopted as
Il child of the band. and his new friends
formed the most Sanguine anticipations
as t. his future. Bold. crafty. and in
ventive. he was nimhle as AL ape
plant as an acrobat. TO an unconQuer
able love of wandering, OF pleasure.
and of i,lleness. he united remarkable
ability to endure. when necessary. pri'
vation and fatigue. After he had re.
niineu three years with the gypsies,
they were abruptly ordered by the Par
lament OF Rouen to quit the province.
and. as Cartouche was sick at the time.
they left him behind. On his recov'
cry he found himself alone and friend
less in the streets of Rouen. without /:
single sou in his pocket.
BY good luck he fell in with an uncle
who fed. clothed him. and sent him
home. thereby affording him another
opportunity for pursuing AL honest ca.
rtcr. \ domestic life. however. had
no charms for the eX-gypSy. After /,
few months tranquility he dccampeu
from the paternal mansion one moon
light night with his fathers money
box under his arm. He was then about
l. wears Of age. Participating was
the first branch Of his future industry
to which he devoted his talents. lie
formed Il partnership with one Gagllis.
and. between them. they reuped Il rich
harvest. when one Unlucky evening
Cartouche : cumrale was arrested and
transmitted to MarseilleS. This mis-
adventure led our hero to turn his tai
entS in another direction. and he took
to dice and cards. Haunting the bet
ter hellS. he used the skill acquired
among the gypsies to such purpose that
suspicious We're awakened. and VI. Car
touche was kicked into the streets and
delarred forever from that branch OF
industry. Tradition atfirlnS that his
next debut was III the character of 4
police spy. This. however. is apoc.
rvpllal. and probably arose from the
fact that when he appeared, as he soon
did. As the organizer Of Il band OF
thieves. he exhibited ideas Of discip-
line and subordination that. with his
known character. must have been ac-
Iuireu from without.
Becoming ut last all lShnlaelite his
hand against every one. and evey one $
hand against him. it became his cOn-
slant care to impart to the skilled and
desperate band which rallied around
him an organization and discipline APP
proNimating as closely as possible to
the military: he appointed lieutenants.
Sergeants. sentries, ra!lying and pass
words. and spared no detail to insure
the perfection Of the instrument I'M
der his control. This completed. the
campaign opened with night skirmish.
ing. Thus some three or four of the
band would pounce upon an unwary
citizens, whom blow on the head
from a loaded blulgeon reduced to a
temporary silence. When the victim
regaincd sufficient consciousness to
give al alarm. the troop was at a safe
distance. arranging the next affair.
Paris was regularly apportioned into
'iSli ~ viz VI W I1lNl "tIo tlllotlCtA
each night to some particular det;tch-
ment Of the band.
Becoming aware of the existence of an
organized system of crime, the city in
alarm. appealed to it's natural protec-
tor. NJ. d Argenson, head of the police.
but found little consolation. Police
there were in abundance. but no con-
trolling power. order. or system.
Each worked for himself. They plum
dered the robber and the robbed alike.
Selected without reference to their an
tecedents, many had served in the gal.
leys. and many more bore the convicts
brand on their shoulders. Miserably
paid. they were perpetually exposed to
the temptation Of q bride. and it was
not long before the shcep.dog became
almost as dangerous to the flock rs the
wolf himself.
1t was in 1920 that the terror in
spired by Cartouche's band reached its
climax. They held virtual possession
of the capitol. especially by night.
Their depredations We're conducted
with the military order and precision
50 much inculcated by their great lead.
er. \ party would assemble before
some rich mansion. Then some huge
fellow-very frequently one Simon.
once Il braWny cX.pOrter-would offer
his gigantic shoulders as the base of
living pyramid, which formed by the
lighter and more agile members of the
gang, speedily reached the lower Win
dows, Some panes were alroitly re.
moved. the apartments entered, and
the most attractive objects began to
glide down a chain of ready hands till
the pillage was complete.
The gang hunted noble game. In
September, 1920, they invaded the resi-.
dence Of the Spanish Ambassador, and
stripped the chamber of the ambassa
dress, seizing /. magnificent pearl neck
lace, 4 breach with twenty-seven large
diamonds, rich table-seryice of gold.
and the lady's entire wardrobe. In the
Palais Royal, then occupied by the Re-
gent, they stole two Of the silver fam.
beaux. At the Louvre Cartouche's
brother possessed himself of the sword
and mantle of the Prince de Soubise,
while the Regent himself was robbed
one night on leaving the opera. Here,
however, the laugh was on the other
side, as, purposely to deceive the rob-
bers, he had caused his sword.hilt to
be richly chased---in steel.
Now that the inconvenience of such
q state of things began to be felt in the
very highest society, government set
itself seriously to the task of reform.
\ little incident helped to spur it on.
One May morning in l72l some labor.
ers came upon the body of murdered
man. It proved to be that of an oh.
scure poet named Vergier. What could
possess any one to kill poet, and so
poor one at that, was a puzzle, till
some one suggested it was the Regents
work. Philippe d'Orleans was black
enough, in all conscience, but rumor
painted him in still deeper colors. In
a series Of rhymed philippics he had
been branded with every conceivable
crime. What more natural, said the