The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-19
The Strange Clew TO Mysterious Assas-
sinaffOn-A Terrible Sentence.


At an early hour in the morning of the
18th of May, 1917, the Inhabitants of st. Den
mis-, one of the suburbs OF Paris, were star
tied by the discovery that the corpse of an
aged woman had been found in the Rue Vau-
girard, the only aristOcratic and the most
quiet street of the place under circum-
stances which left no doubt of the fact that
she had been murdered.
She was taken to the town hall, and ex-
bibited to p0blic view just as she had been
found.
The corpse was almost entirely naked.
Only a part of a fine cambria chemise COW
cred the upper part OF her body. Her head
was terribly bruised, apparently by the
blows inflicted by bluntinstrument. From
the shriveled condition of her skin. and from
the fact that she had but few teeth left in
her mouth, il is evident that at the time of
her death she must have been at least sixty
years old. Who was she? And
WHO HAD MURDERED HER?
At that time even Paris had but few clever
detectives, the best of them having been dis
missed on account of the services they had
rendered to the Emperor Napoleon the First.
Hence ii was not to be wondered at that for
two days no clew to the perpetrators of this
crime was found.
The corpse of the murdered woman was
buried early on the third day and it was a
truly strange coincidence that at the same
hour there was furnished to the authorities of
ST. Denis information which enabled them in
the course of few hours to ferret out who
had committed the atrocious crime.
It was letter addressed to the commissary
of police that furnished this important in
formation. No name was signed to the let
ter, which read as follows:
II you will go to the young ladies' bon riding
school at Bevernay you win find out who the
murdered woman Is, and, II you are sagaciouS
enough also her assassins. They are at the
house.
THE CoNMIssARY OF PoLIcE
Immediately repaired to the place indicated,
where he was received by Nine. Chestnay,
the principal of the school. He said to Nine.
Chestnay:
lis there an aged woman missing from this
house?'
IAN aged woman" she exclaimed. "We
had only one aged woman here-my house
keeper, Mile. Sustenne. She is now OH a
visit to her sister in Normandy"
When did she leave?"
Three days ago."
"Can you tell me what kind of a chemise
she wore at that timer
The lady. looked at him in surprise. Then
she said:
mile. Sustenne was always very particu-
lar about her underclothes She never wore
anything but very fine cambria chemises."
How about her teeth?'
Monsieur
Excuse me; l have an object in asking
this question
"Mlle. Sustenne had very few and very
bad teeth.'
"Did she have any enemies here?"
Enemies? Yes, monsieur. She was rather
grabbed and sour, and hence all my young
girls hated her."
''Did any of the young girls hate her par
ticularly?''
LET me see. Yes; Anais Lenor and Sophie
Bres:en had, the other day, a bitter quarrel
with her. But tell me, monsieur, why do
you put all these questions to me?"
Because Mile. Sustenne is undoubtedly
the old woman who was found murdered at
st. Denis three days ago.
"Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu" cried the lady,
wringing her hands.
Please send for the two girls whom you
named last"
The two girls made their appearance
They were only sixteen, tender, graceful and
handsome.
What do you know about the murder
of Mile. Sustennef' said the commissary to
them.
The girls turned deadly pale. They made
no reply.
"Did You murder her?' Numbered the
commissary.
They burst into tears, and confessed that,
having had a violent alteration with Mile.
Sustenne, they had beaten her on the head
until she was dead. Then they had stripped
off her clothes and carried her in the dead of
night to ST. DENNIS.
The two beautiful murderesses were sem
fenced a few days afterwards to be branded
OH both shoulders with a red hot IRON. then
TO stand in the pillory for three hours, and
to be confined In the house of correction for