The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-12-12
TKE JANDlDIER MYSTERY.
"A FRENCH STORY.

y
day, about four o'clock in the afternoon,
all the Quarter du Marais was in an up.
roar. 1t was said that one OF the re-
spectacle merchants in the Roi de-Sicila
has disappeared, and all the efforts to
discover him had proved fruit.
less. The strange event was discussed
in all the shops in the neighborhood
there were groups around the doors OF
all the green-grocers, and every moment
some terrified housewife arrived, bring.
ing new details. The grocer at the
corner had the best, freshest and most
correct intelligence, having received it
from the lips of the cook who lived in
the house.
$780," said he, "yesterday, after din
ner, our neighbor, Monsieur Jandidier,
went to his cellar and was never seen
again - disappeared. vanished, evapo-
rated |"
It occasionally happens that mysteri-
Gus disappearances are heard of, the
public get excl ed, and prudent people
buy sword canes. Policemen hear these
absurdrumors and shrug their shoulders.
They are familiar with the other side of
these closely embroidered canvasses.
They search into the matter 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
imitation jewelry, had really not been
home for twenty-four hours. Monsieur
Theodore Jandidier was very tai, very
bald, man, about ffty-eight years old,
with sufficiently good manners, who had
amassed considerable fortune in trade.
He had an income from stocks of twenty
thousand livres, and his business brought
him in about fifty thousand francs. He
was beloved and esteemed by his neigh
bors, and Justly 30, for his honesty was
above suspicion. his morality austere.
Married late in Life to poor relative, he
had made her perfectly happy. He had
an only daughter, pretty graceful girl,
named Terese, whom he adored. She
had been engaged to the oldest son of
the banker Schmidt-of the firm Of
Schmidt, Gubenheim & Worb-Monsieur
Gustave but the match had been
broken off, no one knew why, for the
young people we're desperately in love
with each other. It was said in the
Jandidier circle that Schmidt, senior,
who, as was we'll known, would
skin O flint, had required dowry far
beyond the merchants means.
Warned by public rumor, which con.
stantly 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 Madame and Mademoiselle
Jandidier in such transports of grief that
it was with the utmost difficulty that he
could gather the truth. Atlast he learned
the following particulars
The evening before, Saturday, Mon.
sieur Jandidier had dined with his fam
ily as usual, but did not eat with much
appetite, having, he said, violent head.
ache. After dinner he wentto his ware
houses, gave some orders, and then en-.
tered his Office. Returning home at
half-past six, he told his wife he was
going to walk. And he never appeared
again. Having carefully noted these
particulars, the commissary of police
requested permission to see Madame
Jandidier few minutes alone. She
made sign of assent, and Mademoisele
Therese left the room.
pardon, madame" said the commits.
ssry of police. "the question am about
to address 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.
"I have been married twenty-three
years, monsieur ; my husband has never
returned home later than ten o'clock"
"Was your husband in the habit Of
going to any club or cafe 2" he con-
tinued.
"Never; wouldn't have allowed it. u
"Did he usually carry valuable papers
about with linn ?"
"Idon't know; attend to ny house
keeping, and don't trouble myself about
business matters" "
It was impossible to get any furthe,
information from the poor wife, who was
bewildered by grief.
Having accomplished his business, the
commissary of police thought it his duty
to say few words of commonplace CON
ISOLATION to the poor woman. But when
he went away, after making inquiries il
the household, he felt very anxious, and
began to suspect the existence of
crime. That very evening one of the
most skillful detectives, Retiveau-bet-
ter known in the Rue de Jerusalem al
Maitre Magloire-was put on the track
of Monsieur Jandidier, provided with
an excellent photograph of the mer
chant,
The very morning after Monsieur
Jandidier had disappeared Maitre Mag
loire presented himself at the Palais d.
Justice to report to the magistrate who
had charge of the matter.
"Well, Monsieur Magloire," said tn.
magistrate, $50 you have discovered
something?"
| ttT,r, IN tho frock rnonsieur