The Portland daily press., 1877-12-15
The Jandidier Mystery.
BY EMILE GABoRIAU.

was said that one of the most respectable
merchants in the Roi de-Scile had disap-
peared, and all the efforts to discover him
had proved fruitless. The strange event was
discussed in all the shops in the neighbor-
hood; there were groups around the doors of
all the greengrocers, and every moment some
terrified housewife arrived, bringing new de-
tails. The grocer at the corner had best,
freshest and most correct intelligence, having
received it from the lips of the cook who
lived in the house.
49," said he, yesterday, after dinner,
our neighbor, Monsieur Jandidier, went to
his cellar to get bottle of wine, and was
never seen again-disappear vanished,
evaporatedw
1t occasionally happens that mysterious
disappearance are heard of, the public get
excited, and prudent people buy sword canes.
Policemen hear these absurd runors and
shrug their shoulders. They are familiar
with the other side of these closely embroi-
dered canvasses. They search into the mat
ter and find, instead of artless falsehoods,
the truth; instead of romances, sad stories.
Yet, up to certain point, the grocer in the
Rue Saint Louis told the truth.
Monsieur Jandidier, manufacturer of imi-
tation jewelry, had really not been home for
twenty-four hours. Monsieur Theodore
Jandidier was a very tall, very bald man,
about fifty-eight years old, with sufficiently
good manners, who had amassed consider
able fortune in trade. He had an income
from stocks Of 10000 livres, and his business
brought him in about $4,000 francs. he was
beloved and esteemed by his neighbors, and
justly SO, for his honesty was above suspicion
his morality austere. Married late in life
to poor relative, he had an only daughter,
pretty, graceful girl, named Therese, whom
96nrnd fa
Oldest son of the banker Schmidt-of the
firm of Schmidt, Gubenheim and Worb-
Monsieur Gustave; but the match had been
broken Oft, no one knew why, for the young
people were desperately in love with each
other. 1t was said in the Janddier circle,
that Schmidt, senior, who, as it was well
known, would skin flint, had required a
dowry far beyond the merchants means.
Warned by public rumor, which constantly
increased, the Commissary of Police went to
the home of the man who was already called
the victim, though no exact information had
been received. He found Nine. and Mdlle.
Jandidier in such transports of grief that it
was with the utmost difficulty that he could
gather the truth. At last he learned the fol-
lowing particulars.
The evening before, Saturday, Monsieur
Jandidier had dined with his family as usual,
but did not eat with much appetite, having,
he said, violent headache. After dinner ne
went to his warehouse, gave some orders,
and then entered his Office. Returning home
at half-past six he told his wife he was going
to walk. And he never appeared again. Hav-
ing carefully noted these particulars, the
Commissary OF Police requested permission
to see Madame Jandidier few minutes
alone. She made sign of assent, and Mad
emoiselle Therese left the room.
pardon. madamQc said tho Comynioa rv
OF Police, "the question 1 am about to ad-
dress to you. Do you know whether your
husband had-I again ask your pardon-any
connection outside of the house? ~
Madame Jandidier started up; anger dried
her tears.
II have been married twenty-three years,
monsieur; my husband has never returned
home later than 10 O'clock"
"Was your husband in the habit of going
to any club or cafe ?" he continued.
Never! l wouldn't have allowed it."
about with him ?''
81 don't know; attend to my housekeep-
ing, and don't trouble myself about business
matters"
1t was impossible to get any further in
formation from the poor wife, who was be-
wildered by grief
Having accomplished his business, the
Commissary of Police thought it his duty to
say few words of commonplace consolation
TO the woman. But when he went away,
after making inquiries in the household, he
felt very anxious, and began to suspect the
existence of CRIME. That very evening one
of the most skilful detectives, RetiyeauSbet-
ter known in the Rue de Jerusalem as Maitre
Magloire-as put on the track of Monsieur
Jandidier, provided with an excellent photo
graph of the merchant
The very morning after Monsieur Jandidier
had disappeared Maitre Magloire presented
himself at the Palais de Justice to report to
the Magistrate who had charge of the matter.
swell, Monsieur Magloire," said the Mag
istrate, $50 you have discovered some
thing?"
':Im on the track, monsieur"
"Speakw
"1o begin with, monsieur, Monsieur JAN
didier didn't leave his house at halEpast g.,
but at precisely"
"Preciselyw
eyes. l got my information from clock
maker in the Rue Saint Denis, who is sure of
the fact, because Monsieur Jandidier, while
passing his shop, took out his watch to COM
pare it with the clock over the door. He had
an unlighted cigar in his mouth On learn
ing this circumstance l said to myself II
have him he'll light his cigar somewhere
My reasoning was correct; he entered a shop
In the Rue du Temple, where he is well
known. The woman remembered the cir
cumstance, because, though he always
smoked sou cigars he bought London ones, !"
slow did he appear?''
HE seemed very thoughtful, the shop
keeper told me. It was through her I
learned he often went TO the Cafe Turc.
went in and was told he had been there on
Saturday evening. He took two glasses of
brandy and conyersed with his friends. He
appeared depressed. The gentleman, the
walter told me, talked all the time about life
insurance. At $50 O'Clock our man left the
cafe with one of his friends, Monsieur Blan-
bureau. instantly went to this gentleman,
who told me that he walked up the boulevard
with Monsieur Jandidier, who left him on
the corner of Rue Richelieu, pleading bust
ness engagement. He was out of sorts, and
seemed troubled with the darkest PRESENT.
ment."
Very well so far" murmured the Magis-
trate.
ION leaving Monsieur Blandureau went
to Rue du Roi-de.Sicile, to ascertain from
somebody in the house whether Monsieur
Jandidier had any customers or friends !;
there was only his tailor in the Rue Richie
lieu. l went to his tailor. He saw our man
on Saturday. Monsieur Jandidier went to
MS snop after O'Clock to order pair of pam
falcons. While his measure was being taken
he noticed that one of the buttons on his
vest was ready to fall off and asked to have it
sewed on. He was obliged to take off his
overcoat to permit the little repair to be
made, and as at the same time he took out
the contents of the side pocket the tailor mo-
ticed several hundred franc bank notes."
'Ah! that IS a clew! He had large sum
of money with him?''
Not large, but considerable. The tailor
estimated it~at ], 200 or 1,400 francs.''
$50 on" said the examining magistrate.
"While his vest was being repaired Mon
sieur Jandidler complained Of sudden illness.
and sent little boy out to look for car.
rage. He had to go to see one of his work.
men who lived long distance off. he said.
Unfortunately the little fellow had forgotten
the number of the carriage. He only re-
membered that it had yellow wheels and was
drawn by a large black horse. This afforded
clew. A circular sent to all the livery
stable keepers put me on the track.
learned this morning that the number of the
carriage was 6,007. The driver on being
questioned distinctly remembered having
been stopped about O'Clock on SATURDAY.
evening in the Rue Richeieu by little boy,
and having waited ten minutes in front ri
the Maison Gouin. The description of bis
face suited our man, and he recognized the
photograph among five Others I showed
him."
Mait7e Magloire stopped; he wanted to