The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1878-05-09
THE JANBIDIER MYSTERY.

A very short time ago, that is yester-
day, about four o'clock in the afternoon
all the QUARTER du Marais was in an
uproar. 1t was said that one of the
most respectable merchants in the Roi-
de-Sieile had disappeared, and all the
efforts made to discover him had proved
fruitless. The strange event was dis
cussed in all the shops in the neighbOr-
hood; there were groups around the
doors Of all the green-grOcers, and sV-
cry moment some terrified housewife
arrived bringing new details. The
grocer at the corner had the best, fresh
est, and most correct intelligence, hay
ing received it from the lips Of the
sOOk who lived in the house.
$50" -" said he, yesterday after din
ner, our neighbor, Monsieur Jandidier,
went to his cellar to get bottle OF
wine, and was never seen again; dis
appeared, vanished, evapOrated."
It occasionally happens that mysteri-
Gus disappearances are heard of, the
public get excited, and prudent people
buy sword canes. Policemen hear
these absurd rumors and shrug their
shoulders. They are familiar with the
other side Of these closely embroidered
canvasses. They search into the mat
ter and find instead Of artless false
hoods the truth; instead Of romances,
sad stories. Yet, up to a certain point
the g0cer 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 a
very tail, very bald man, about fifty
eight years old, with sufficiently good
manners, who had amassed a consid-
cradle fortune in trade. He had an in
come from stocks Of twenty thousand
livres, and his business brought him in
about fifty thousand francs. He was
beloved and esteemed by his neighbOrs,
and Justly so for his honesty was above
suspicion, his morality austere. Mar
ried late in life to a poor relative, he
had made her perfectly happy. He had
an only daughter, a pretty, graceful
girl, named ThPrese, whom he adOred.
She had been engaged to the oldest son
of the banker Schmidt-Of the firm Of
Schmidt, Gubunheim & WOrb-Mon-
sieur Gustave; but the match had been
broken of, no one knew why, for the
young people were desperately in love
with each other. 1t was said in the
Jandidier circle that Schmidt senior,
who, as was well known would skin a
flint, had required a dOwTy far beyond
the merchants means.
Warned by public rumOT, which con-
stantly increased, the cOmmissary Of
pslice went to the home Of the man
who was already called the victim,
though no exact information had been
received. He found Madame and Mad
! emOiselle Jandidier in such transports
of grief that It was with the utmost
difficulty that he could gather the truth
| at last he learned the following par
ticulars:
The evening before, Saturday, Mon
sieur Jandidier had dined with his
family as usual, but did not eat with
fmuch appetite. having, he said, VIC
< lent headache. After dinner he went
4 TO his warehouses, 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. Having carefully
uo,ed these particulars, the cOmmissary
Of police requested permission. to see
/ Madame Jandidier a few minutes alone.
She made a sign Of assent, and Madem-
OiseIe TheTese left the room.
Pardon, madame" said the commits
ary Of police, 1.-THE question I am about
10 address to you. DO you know
whether your husband had-Iagain ask
your pardOn-any connection outside
of the hOuse?"
Madam Jandidier started up, anger
dried her tears.
81 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?'' be con-
| tinued.
Never, I wouldn't have allowed it. T"
"Did he usually carry valuable papers
about with him?"
81 don't know; I attend to my house
keeping, and don't trouble myself about
business matters"
1t was impossible to get any further
information from the poor wife, who
was bewildered by grief.