The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-24
TIE SEVERED HAND.
A PARTISAN MYSTERY THAT SEEMED
sNESFIEGAnIE.
The woman Leaning Out of the window

"
The Remarkable Disappearance Of
y "a Giri Explained Narrative ~ one af IN
3stransest crimes Ever rerpetrated 1,
the French Capital.
On the evening of June tOtsGDtb,
Following general order was telegraphet
TO every police station In Paris:
Look out for Maria Voufrez, aget
nineteen, blonde. Ave feet four inches
we'll built. abundant light brown hair
curling naturally, blue eyee; missing
since June 3 had on. when last seen
m white muslin dress with ayreen sprigs
" black lace shawl. plain straw hal
q trimmed with blue aud white ribon. II
found, report here at once
At 10 o'clock the same evening Special
Detective Place produced the missing
girl at the bureau Of the chief of police.
n She accounted for Ter absence from
home by stating thav her mother and
, stepfather had auarreled, and that she
went to tho house Of an aunt, where she
had since remained. She promised to
return home at once. and Place was
directed TO accompany her thither and
SEQ her safe in the keeping of her
friends. o O
The same evening. are hour later. a
police officer was on duty on the Rue dc
Poissy. Az he was passing tho resi-.
0dence OF wealthy merchant he trod on
stbisAAAus blbt tHf oI blb BtueWHlk.
O He stopped down and laid hold of it. A.
thrill OF horror ran through him, and he
dropped 1t. Turning the light of his
bull's.eye on 10 ~ it, lay there, his first
dreadful impression was realized, and he
FOUND III WAS A HUMAN HAND.
Though brave man. q feeling Of
deadly faintness Crept over him. Never
theleas. he bore up under 1t. and, taking
his handkerchief. wrapped the CHASTITY
object in 1t, and in due course reported
the circumstance to his superior.
On examination 1t was discovered that
the hand, which had been separated at
the wrist, was that Of woman 1t was
plump and fair. but seemed as though
1t had done work In its time. On the
finger next to the little one~-it was the
left hand-was q gold ring. Inside the
ring, engraved In minute letters. were
1.-The words
W ITO Marie vouprez. from August"
When tho officers superior read this,
ole said:
Marie vouprezp Why. that is the
tonight"
Then he glanced over 1t and said:
Yes, 1t IL so, sure enough: and she
has been missi ug since June 3"
Scarcely hail he said these words
when the teleiyrapher handed him
slip Of paper con tanning dispatch from
the bureau OF the chief of police. Itran
thus
% Marie vouprez found at her annt's
~and returned to h sr friends
A few minutes afterward tho dis
covery of the hand with the ring and it's
legend was report ed at headquarters,
and an order was Immediately received
therefrom to send the hand thither by
the officer who found 1T. BY the time he
had obeyed this ordor there was
ANOTHER REMARKABLE COM PLtcArtoN.
q Detective Place had returned to head
quarters and reported that the girl had
escaped from him, nnd that, after a
fruitless chase, he had gone to the
house OF the Vouprez family and was
there informed that they had just re-
ceived Intelligence that their child was
safe with a friend at Versailles. On ia
.quiring the source whence this in
formation came. the Vouprez declined
to say.
The chief of police for moment was
nonplussed. The matter stood thus:
!. The Noupre2 family had, at 6 o'clock
that evening. notified the police that
Marie Vouppez had been missing since
june J.
2. AT 10 O'clock she was found and
sent to her friends.
3. AT III o'clock the officer found the
left hand or female on the pavement
in the Rue de Poissy, ON a finger Of
which was ring bearing the words
Marie Xouprez from August"
4. The girl claiming to be Marie es-
capped from the officer whose duty it |
was to- deliver her to her family.
5. The Eouprez people said that they
had received information that Marie |
was at Versailles with friends.
This complication formed an interest
ing mystery, and steps were taken to !
solve 1t. The father, mother and two
brothers OF the girl, Maria Nouprez,
were brought to the bureau OF the chief
and questioned. The following facts
were elected:
Marie was employed as a chamber.
maid by Nine. Blondin, who resided
on the Rue Pellissier, and whose hus-
band was a broker. Marie, who was
very pretty, was
PET OF HER MISTRESS,
and considerable affection seemed 10
exist between them. Things went on
Iery pleasantly for the eighteen months