Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1878-10-02

At an early hour on the morning of
the 18th of May. 1917 the inhabitants of
st Denis, one of the suburbs of Paris,
were startled by the discovery that the
corpse of an aged woman had been
found in the Rue Vaugirard. the only
aristocratic and the most quiet street of
the place, under circumstances which
left no doubt of the fact that she had
been murdered.
She was taken to the Town Hall, and
exhibited to public view just as she had
been found.
The corpse was almost entirely naked.
Only part of fine cambric chemise
covered the upper part of the body.
Her head was terribly bruised, appar-
emily from the blows inflicted by blunt
instrument. From the shrivelled con-
dition of her skin, and from the fact
that she had but few teeth left in her
mouth, it was 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?
Al that time even Paris had but few
clever detectives, the best Of them hav-
ing been dismissed or account of the
services they had rendered to the En-
peror Napoleon the First. Hence, it
was not TO be wondered at that for two
days no cleE to the perpetrators of this
crime was found.
The corpse of the murdered woman
was buriel early on the third day, and
it was a tculy strange coincidence that
at the same hour there was furnished
to the authorities of st. Denis informa-
tion which enabled them in the course
of a few hours IS ferret out who had
committed the atroeious crime.
Ii was letter addressed to the Com
missary of Police that furnished this
important information. No name was
signed to the letter, which read as fol-
lows:
''If you " i'll go TO the young ladies'
boarding school at Bevernay, you will
find out who the murdered woman is,
and, if you a. sagacious enough, also
her assassIns. They are at the house"
The Commissary of Police immedi-
ateIy repaired TO the place indicated,
where he was received by Nine. Chest
nay, the Principal of the school. He
said to Nine. Chestnay
'Is there an aged woman missing
from this house,"
a. ,,xo1 ,,-S,,,,,, -, -bo aD-oIa;n,aJ
''We had only one aged woman here
my housekeeper, Mile. Sustenne. She
is now on a visit to her sister in Nor
mandy"
when did she leave?''
"Three days ago"
"Can you tell me what kind of a
chemise she wore at that time?''
The lady looked at him in surprise
Then she said:
''Mlle. Sustenne was always very par
ticular about her undercloths. She
never wore anything butvery fine cam
brio chemises,
''How about her teeth: 2"
Monsieur"
SAtbSN ilif Il AAttN' sAAA 'biINN III stoh-
ing 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
.TLet me see. Yes; Anais Lenor and
Sophie Breston had, the other day Bit
ter quarrel with her. But tell me,
Monsieur, why do you put all these
questions to me?'
because Mile. Sustenne is undOubt-
edly the old woman who was found
at ST Denis three days ago."
Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu," cried the
lady, wringing her hands.
"Please send for the two girls whom
rOu named last.
The two girls made their appearance.
They were only sixteed, tender, grace
full and handsome.
''What do you know about the muir
Ter of Mile Sustenne:' said the Com
nissary TO them.
The girls turned deadly pale. They
made no reply.
s'Did you murder her?' thundereJ
he COmmissary.
They burst into tears, and confessed
hat, having had a violent alteration
with Mile. Sustenne, they had beaten
ler on the head until she was dead.
Then they had stripped her of her
clothes and carried her in the dead of
night TO St. Denis.
The two beautiful murderesses were
sentenced in a few days afterward to be
branded on both shoulders with a red
rot iron, then 10 stand in the pillOry
or three hours, and to be confined in
he House of Correction for life