The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-20
THE FATE OF MISS LIE BLANC.
SIX YEARS AFTER HER MURDER HER
SKELETON DTSCOYERED.
Abducted and Killed by n Rejected suttor-
Identified by Means OF Her JeweIry Aner
All Other Things had Gone TO Decay.

From he s. Loms Post
In July, 1872 Julie lie Blanc, then 10 years
OF age daughter of Francois lie Blanc farmer
OF Jefferson county. Mo-. mysteriously dsap-
peared from home. She had dressed with the
intention OF attending party to be given in a
neighbours house. and was last seen by her
mother and father in their garden plucking
flowers for n bouquet.
The family supposed that Mr.. Jamas Leon
ard. the most favored OF her many admirers.
who was her intended escort to the party, had
called. and that she had gone with him. Her
parents were not alarmed that night but M she
was still absent the next morning they became
anxious The persons who gave the party said
that she had not been at their house. although
Leonard was there the entire evening. having
escorted his sister instead OF Miss lie Blanc.
Other nelghbors had neither seen nor heard Of
Julie. Companies Of men searched the woods.
and there they found traces 81 the footsteps OF n
man. and q woman. The latter were the inn
worn by the missing gr TFsse tracks led To-
creek. where boat the property OF Mr.. lie
Blanc. had been moored. Tho boat was missing.
Search was made for several miles down the
bank of the creek and along those Of Crystal. n
large stream flowing into the Mississippi into
cess. The desparing parents gave up their
daughter as lost.
:. The fathers suspicious rested on Philip
jules from her childhood. and who had been
dismissed for the favor OF Leonard. But his
The suspected man went to 10 Blanc n few
days after jules disappearance. and telling
him Of his love for her, and how little he cared
To remain in the neighborhood now that she
was missing. said that he wns going to New
Orleans whore he had been offered permanent
situation at a good compensation in a large
wholesale store. That same evening he quietly
departed He has not since been seen.
Now. after all these intervening years, tho
Aiken. n colored hand. who Is IN the employ of
Ferdinand Maher. a farmer Of New Madrid
county, Mo-. near Point Pleasant. while shoot
ing snipc along the river bank on Monday
morning last, saw an object having the appear
ance of a skin floating with the current down
the river toward him. Procuring a long pole he
waited the objects approach. He caught 1t and
drew tito shore. Lying in the bottom Of the boat
was skeleton. The bones had been blcachcd
10y the sun and rain until they were OF n pure
snowy whitcness.
Tho skeleton was that Of a woman. Not a
particle 81 flesh was on the bones. but on the
right sid Of The skui was piece of skin. dried
and shrivclled 10y the heat Of the sun. Three
trth IN the upper part Of the mouth were iilled
with gold and two OF the lower teeth were MISS
INK BY her side. In the bottom Of the boat. lay
a piece of lewclry having some resemblance 10
hreastrin. hut II was worn 10y the action II
water. On the wrists 81 the skeleton were gold
bracelets Of very fine quality, and having some
prrnll9r marks. In the skin were parts of a
Mrpauln that had dorayrd before the ravagcs
o. rain and heat during lapse Of many years.
Inc boat was ~ the class known n life boats.
which had accumulated from many rains.
Aiken mourcd the bout and took the lcwelry
~ Mr.. Maher aud that gentleman summoned a
Coroner. but that on nal doomed il unneccs-
Surv To- hold an inquest over the bones Of % per-
son who had been dead for u number Of years.
The bracelets and breastpln were given Ia the
Coroner ny Aiken. Tho bones were buried on
thu river bank
Mr.. r. Blame. having heard Of the discovery
VISITED New Madrid county. on la-t Thursday
Mr.. Nlnher conducted him To- the Coroner The
bracelets were shown him. and he identified
them. The skin WIS also identified as the one
which had been his property. He made prcpa-
rntions for removing the bones OF his daughter
e. his homo. \ coffin was brought and men
were hired TO dig them up. The river bank
was searched in vain for the place 81 burial: il
could not he found. The bank had either caved
in or the river had washed them away.
Mr.. lie Blanc has no doubt that his daughter
was abducted from the garden 10y kcneay and
thnt her murderer strnngled her to death and
put her body into the boat. covering ii with d
tarpaul in. intending TO make way with ii at q
more favorable time The boat was secured,
fastened to the creek bank at place where I'll,
unde rgrowth was so thick 1t could not be de-
tected without exceedingly close inspection
and ~ krnenly could not visit the place alon,
without exciting suspicion. the boat lay There
until tho ropes decnyed and thus looscned IN,
loHt which tlpat'd down the crock into IA,
llaitn or Crystal creek, and thcnceto the Mis-
sissippi