Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-10-17

as Marie Vouprez; and who had es-
capped from him.
Next day detectives were detailed to
investigate this very remarkable case.
There was no doubt now that
dreadful crime had been committed,
for Monsieur and Madame Vouprez
Unidentified the ring on the severed hand
as one which had been given to Marie
by her brother, and were, moreover,
almost certain that the hand was the
hand of their unfortunate child
The Blondins were carefully examined
by the authorities, but they told a
straightforward story, and appeared to
have nothing to conceal. Moreover, so
far as could be ascertained, their private
character and public reputation were
good, and they were esteemed as
very worthy, kind-hearted people The
husband was q man of 80, and the wife
probably five years younger, and they
were in very comfortable if not af1uent
circumstances. Measures were taken
to find whether Marie was it Versailles,
more as a matter of form than other
wise, but nothing could be learned there
respecting her. Search was made all
over for the young woman who had
represented herself on the night of
June as the missing girl, but without
result.
After the first zeal was over, the
detectives who had charge of the case
| grew cooler, and conducted the investi-
cation in more philosophical spirit
For instance. Place was questioned as
to the dress which the girl personating
Marie wore. HeWas very positive that
her attire answered precisely the des-
cription given in the general order of
the chief, namely: White Muslin dress
with green sprigs, black lace shawl,
plain straw hat trimmed with blue and
white ribbon. He particularly remem-
bered the dress, for the girl held it up
in the gaslight and pointed out to him
the sprigs upon it. He was very posi-
tive also about the other part of the
dress, for the girl came up to him in the
Rue ROyale and asked him the Wav to
the street in which the Vouprez's lived,
and it was by the dress he Unidentified
her.
Here then, was a most important
point gained. The girl who personated
Marie was attired in her clothes, which
0lIS NO1C tbt LllS NCl lllIIC SIG IldG ltlG-
ted the Blondin's. Marie's wardrobe
was still at Madame Blondin's, and
thlther an officer went, accompanied by
Madame Vouprez. She identified all
her child's wardrobe with the exception
of the attire she wore at her disappear
ance which was wanting. Madame
Blondin was in bed and could not be
seen, her maid said.
As Marie's mother, however, was
passing Madame Blondin's dressing
room, which adjnined her chamber, she
opened the door and glanced in. A
woman in . dressing-goWn was leaning
out of the window, busily engaged with
something. Madame Vouprez advanced
toward her, and to her surprise discoy-
cred it was Madame BlOndin, who,
trembling and eager, and perspiring at
every pore, WAS working at something
outside the window with the handle of
a broom. Madame Vouprez craned
over with the natural curiosity of a wo-
man to see what Madame Blondin was
doing.
In front of the window was balcony,
and in one corner Of it was q spout to
carry off the water. Into this spout
| Madame BlOndin was thrustine a white
muslin dress with green sprigS upon it,
When Madame Vouprez reiOined the
detective, who was III the hall below.
she was decidedly pale, and laying a
shaking hand upon the oflicers'S arm,
she said:
Come with me, officer, and you may
| find what you seek"
| The officer was startled for mo-
ment by the strange bearing Of his
companion, but, commanding himself,
he said:
"What have you found, or what do
you suppose, [ seek !"
"Come with me, [ say" she replied;
''and [ will lead you to where my
child's dress is secreted, and you may
perhaps at the same time arrest her
murderer"
With great effort the woman con-
trolled herself and assembled the stairs,
| followed by the officer. Halfway up,
the woman paused and made signal
to the officer for silence, at
the same moment the strangely
distorted face of Nine Blon-
din appeared over the banisters on
the landing just above.
AS she saw the mother of Marie and
the officer as they paused on the stairs
and gaZed toward her, she uttered
wild shrek and fled.
Now is your time" said Nine. YOU
PREF, with an energy beyond one in her
| painful position. as she sprang up the
stairs followed by the detective. As
she gained the door of Nine. Blondin's
dressing-room, some one inside was at
tempting to fasten it.
"Quick, put yourself against Ill" Nine.
| NOuprez exclaimed.
| The officer placed his shoulder to the
door, gave one powerful thrust, and it
was burst open. As he entered the
apartment Madame Blondin sprang
through the window. The officer rush
ed forward, expecting to see her man
gled form in the courtyard below. In
stead of that, however, he beheld her
crOuched in a corner of the balcony,
right over the mouth of the spout
There" said Madame Vouprez, as
she came to the side of the officer, " she
is covering the very spot that contains
the explanation Of my child's disappear
ance and murder"
After a prolonged struggle with the
half frantic woman on the balcony, the
officer secured her, and from the spout
drew out the dress which Madame Eou-
PREF had identified as her child's.
1t may not be necessary to prolong
this remarkable narrative. Concealed
in the attic were found the shawl and
hat belonging to Marie, and on array
ing Madame Blondin in the-entire suit,