The Osceola times., 1878-12-07
OSCEOLA ARKANSAS SATURDAY, DECEMBER T. 1878

gasps, ana was ueau. we were alarmed
and knew not what to do. As my wife
undid the farmers cravst and opened his
vest TO give him air. she saw and saw
a pocket book in the inside vest pocket.
Ny wife drew 1t out and opened it. 1t
was full of notes TO the amount Of over
81, 900 francs. ..f
"God has sent us this" said my wife.
eve consulted together and consented
TO keep the money The next question
wss what to do with the dead man.
"Ns one had seen him come to our
house, 80 we resolved to get rid Of the
body as best we could. | opened the
door AMI looked out r ght opposite
was barbcr's. After waiting an hour
my wife and / carried the corpse and
placed il against the barber's door, with
the face toward it. Then we went home,
poel, and hid away the money.
"Next morning at daylight the
farmers body was gone, ana we knew
nothing of it until we heard OF its being
found in Sanson's cellar. My wife and
| removed from the village TO Paris, and
there ! changed my name and com
menced business, which throve until I
became wealthy. My conscience troubled
me, and in 1876 ] sought out young
Samson and gave him the house where he
lived.n
After this statement WAS put into the
hands of the authorities, they took
measures 10 find the barber against whose
door the dead farmer had been placed.
Though many year. had elapsed, he was
still alive and residing in the same vii
lage. When questioned about the state.
ments made by Paul Reie, the barber
VS. greatly alarmed, and pretended that
he knew nothing at all of the circum.
stance. At length, moved partly by
implied threats and partly by pledges OF
immunity, Ie told his, story, which is
formally reduced to writing, a. follows:
"Bp the night of April 10, 1852 | was
sent for about nine O'Clock to bleed a
sick man, went and did not return
until about two O'Clock the next morn
ing. | had q lantern with me, as the
place had TO 20 to WAS down the, glen,
i'm avery dangerous locality. Un my
return, as / nesred my house, saw some
one standing at the door. I approached
carefully, for had long suspected my
wife Of unlawful intimacy with Migaud
| drew near stealthily, and at the same
time took dagger from my belt. The
form appeared to me to be that of Mi
gaud suddenly threw the light upon
it, saw that it was the farmer, and sup
posing he was bidding my fsithless wife
prolonged sdieu at the door, sprang
on him and plung d the dagger into his
DscA.
"Then, to my surprise, found the
door closed and fastened, and, using my
KEY, discovered my wife in her bed
fast asleep. knew that my case was a
desperate one. and determined to remove
the fsrmer's body, for / had no doubt
that | must nave silled hiw. went
down stairs with the lantern, and to my
surprise found that Migaud was slresdy
cold, and that no blood had escaped from
the wound, Suddenly the thought
struck me that while passing Ssnson's
horse !, had observed that the shoot
down which Inc ~ocd !et the Ores was
cast WAS left open. | took the BODY,
hastily crossed the street to the corner
and dropped the body down the shoot"
These remarkable confessions were laid
beiGre the executive, srd IN a few days
Samson was pafdoned. On Paul nefe's
death, it WAS found that he had left all
his property to the younger Samson.
The barber was relieved from a heavy
load of sorrow and regret when he found
that he WAS no murderer in fact.