The Morning herald., 1877-09-01
TIIB
9ariisii2u Detective
A DESPERATE DEED.
Il
TRsKINE BOYD, s''
/ .A .G>f "
r.
rnsKINE BOYD,
CHAPTER I.
rvH CRIME DISCOVERED.

4 day following Ash Wednesday, in the
Eova.me ti6ned year, FIVE women, belong
Il 10 1he village of La Jonchere, appeared
i tbe police-station Of Bougiva1, a small
(wn near Paris, and situated on the banks
the Seine.
Having asked to see the commissary of
b,ice they informed him that one OF their
e;rbbours. a widow named Lerouge, who
Ihsbited singly detached cottage just
4 tne outskirts of the village, had not been
I en- by any of its inhabitants for two en-
ke davs, and Notwithstanding their repeat
i cndeayours they had failed to gain ad-
Sittance.
The shutters being up at each of the
kndows, and the doors being bolted and
hlrel, they had found it equally impossi-
d to find even Il crevice which might
I've given them u peep at the interior.
bis strange silence, this sudden disappear
hce, had caused them great uneasiness and,
airing a CRIME, OF at least an accident, they
kgged that the police would kindly break
Ben the door and relieve them from their
resent anxiety.
Eongival is an agreeable sort Of place,
'terNowing on summer Sundays with Paris
! lk, who have been pent up at the desk or
I The counting-house, or kept prisoners be-
nl the counter, on weekdays. "Small
Sisomeanours" are of frequent occurrence
these festive occasions; but anything in
e shape of crime had hardly ever been
BARD Of Therefore the commissary OF
plire of this peaceabe little town refused
first to accompany his five lady visitors,
hd somewhat pooh-poohed their solicita-
pns, However, finding them to be so evil
fntly in earnest, and seeing no other way
nl hin self of their presence, the wearied
agistrate at last gave in, and, sendl'g for
Y brgadier of gendarmerie, two police
bircrs. and "A lorksn.ith, set OFT for tho
Mage Of the Widow Lerouse, the five wo-
|rn leading the way,
La Jonchere is an insignificant hamlet,
u&tcd on the declivity Of the hill, which
ellcoks the Seine between Malmaison and
Pugiyal A steep path, unconnected with
E embankment and ligh-road, takes you
it by short cut, but the little procession,
III the gendarmes at its head, followed
road by the embankment, and after u
arp walk of about thr"e-quarters OF an
Or's duration, halted before habitation
an uupretending yet respectable appear
rc
This house. or rather cottage, had proba-
" been built by some retired tradesman,
Pml Of "an open view," for all the trees
d been carefully cut down, and any in
,ive ivy or other creeping plant as assid-
fnsIy hanshed
{Ih. cottage consisted of two large rooms
the ground floor, with an attic or so
boye Around it was a neglected garden,
Pdy protected from marauders by stone
HIl Of about yard in height, which in
Pme places was crumbling into ruin. A
Picket gate with an iron latch opened into
Pe GARDEN.
This is the place." said the women.
The commissary of police stopped at the
ltle wicket gate and turned round to his
ZEN. During their walk their suite had
e'n considerably increased by all the
l"rs Of the neighborhood, and now con-
ked Of about forty persons, all in very
l4islliye and talkative condition.
Let no one enter the garden said the
Pmmissary. .. .
And to enforce his orders, he placed the
% sendarmes before the gate, while he
'anred 10 the house, accompanied by the
llEadler Of gendarmerie and the locksmith.
rst he knocked loudly with his loaded
nc several times at the front door, then
all the shutters. After each blow he
aced his ear to the wood and listened at
lively. Hearing no sound or movement
answer, he turned to the locksmith.
Force the lock-" he said.
lie workman unfastened his bag and
oHt his tools. He had just introduced
h.& lirklocks into the keyhole, when
sa' Uproar burst from the group of
behind.
poy Laying with one Of his comrades,
pcEtd up a large key in the ditch by
pacsde, and, pushed by dozen offic-
'ands, presented it in triumph to the
lssary.
key, on being tried was found to be
The front door; and as it swung
on Its hinges, the conmissary and the
nl'h glanced uneasily at one another.
us looks very suspicious" murmured
Prgadler, as he entered the house,
the crowd. with difficulty held in
ny the gendarmes, stamped with i'm
&c, craning their nec!,s and crawling
Inc wall, in their vain endeavors to
near what was going on within.
who had suspected foul play were,
pnately, not d ceived in their conjec-
the practiced eye of the commits
lected the awful presence Of crime
nent he placed his foot on the thresh-
isorder that reigned in the room
cred, denounced with dismal elo-
lhe traces Of its footsteps. Chairs,
chest of drawers, and two large
we're overturned, and thrown pell-
pne another.
second room the confusion was, if
still worse. 1t seemed as if the
madman had taken wild pleas
slng everything to right and left.
e fireplace, her face in the midst