West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-01-12
THE EMPEROR'S BROKER.
TFrom Life in th. Secret Service. ]

IN spite OF the ACTIVITY anu skill oil
the Partisan detectives, there are crimes
committed in that great emporium OF
fraud and vice which never come ia
light, and others which, though known
to the authorities, are hushed up and
permitted TO be compromised.
OF these latter, the killing of Daniel
Pereira, in 1862, is one of the most ex.
traordinary. The facts connected with
it have but recently come to light, and
present n picture of violence, trickery,
and corruption, seldom disclosed to the
public.
Daniel Pereira was an Israelite, verg-
ing on three-score years and ten. lie
had never been married, and resided
alone in an old dwelling on the Rue st.
Quentin. He was reputed TO be i'm
mensely wealthy, and such was doubt
less the case. For years he had been
one of the best diamond merchants of
Paris, and had had for his customers the
most famous residents of the city, from
royalty downward. The back parlor of
his residence was his place of business,
and there he had a safe containing Jew
els of immense value, and goblets of
gold, whose history made them more
priceless than if they had been gigantic
gems. For years he had been collecting
these memeDtoes of the past, and prided
himself on their possession, having re-
peatedly refused fabulous offers for
hem.
The diamond merchant was fully
aware of the great temptation which his
valuable stores offered to the lawless
and avaricious, and the entrance to his
dwelling was guarded all day long by a
stalwart servitor, we'll armed, and all
night long by two experienced and long
tried watchmen. These latter had been
repeatedly approached and offered heavy
brides, but they had resisted all attempts
to induce them to prove faithless to
their trust, and had more than once sue
cessfully repelled the organized attacks
of burglars.
On the forenoon of August 20, 1862,
cab drove up to the door of Daniel
Pereira's residence, and a gentleman
with valise alighted.
On ascending the steps, he confronted
the servitor and asked:
"Is Monsieur Pereira within ?"
I" He is, monsieur" was the response
"Your name and business, if you
please"
"Here is my card" the gentleman
said, adding, in low tone, "I come
from the Emperor"
The servitOr bowed, and admitted the
visitor. At the same moment two men
alighted from the cab and assembled the
steps. The door was Immediately opened
by the gentleman who first entered. The
two men passed in rapidly, and the door
was closed. The servitor had entered
the back parlor an instant before the
men were admitted. The three stran
gers passed noiselsesly along the corri-
dor, and the two latest comers placed
themselves one on each side the door of
the diamond merchants private room.
AS the servitor crossed the threshold
of the door, ne was seized, gagged, and
pinioned in an instant. The merchant,
hearing the scuflle, approached the door.
The gentleman who was first admitted
sprang in and grasped him by the throat,
at the same time drawing forth a hand
kerchief and placing it to the old mans
nostrils. The merchants limbs grew
limp, and his assailant suffered him to
fall gently to the ground.
The three men then ransacked the
safe, loading themselves with the pre-
cious plumber, and filling the valise with
the golden goblets and gems. Then the
man with the valise passed out to the
cab, one Of the men bowling TO him OBJ
sequiously as he Quilted the door, and
then retiring within the house. The
cab Immediately drove off, A minute
afterward another of the robbers was
politely shown out by his companion.
and walked leisurely down the street.
In short space the third man passed
out, and departed i'm another direction.
The old Jew has been doing a heavy
business this morning." remarked Mon
sieur Thomas, who kept a wine-shop
opposite.
At eight O'Clock that evening, when
the night watchmen reached the dwell
ing Of Daniel Pereira, all was dark with
in, and their summons was unanswered.
After brief delay, they opened the
window and entered. As soon as they
had struck a light, they knew that some
thing unusual had happened. The ser
vitOr lay in the hallway, bound and
gagged. In the back parlor, the old
merchant lay on an old-fashioned couch,
dead. Drawers and chamois leather
wrappers lay strewed around. When
the servitor was released, he was still
half stupeiied from the effects Of chloro-
form, but he soon recovered sufficiently
to give an account Of what had hap
pened. The merchant, however, was
past all aid, and the dnger-marks upon
his throat showed that the murder had
been designed, the ohloroform, perhaps,
having failed to act with sufficient
power. BY the direction Of the chief of
police, the affair was kept secret until
the Emperor should be communicated
with, and the fact that no particulars
OF the tragedy were ever made public
would indicate that such was his pleas
ure. Measures, however, we're taken TO
investigate the matter, and the two
nephews Of the dead Israelite were more
anxious 70 recover the valuable property
stolen than to avenge their uncle's
death.
The secret police and detective force
were employed on the case. The first