The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-14
ALMOST TOO LATE.
1Ae Chance In Marrying q Stranger-The
Efficiency of the French Police.

New York Correspondence Detroit Post.]
Not very long ago, a young lady. the
daughter of French gentleman residing
IN this city, but herself American born,
] think, went to the French capital with
her mother, sister and sisters husband.
During their visit they met Parisian
who fell, or claimed to fall, violently in
love with the young girl and in due
season became engaged to her, pressing
for an early marriage. The brother-in-
law felt violent prejudice against the
lover at first, but having found his refer
efce satisfactory, could take no step to-
ward interrupting the course of true love.
The trousseau was ordered; the European
tour cut short, and finally the day set
for the expectant bride and her mother
to return to America in order that the
girl should be married from her fathers
house. Then, contrary to all French ct
iquette, which is extremely rigorous IN
forbidding lover to travel with his be-
trothed, the amatory Frenchman insist
Cd upon crossing the ocean by the same
steamer that bore his future wife. This
sill further reused the suspicion OF the
brother-in-law and to some extent OF the
mother; for she was influenced by the
customs of her native land, although
ahe had so long lived away from it.
The lady herself, having been reared
IN the freer atmosphere of the republic
and doubtless feeling pardonable pride
in the devotion of her lover, thought very
little of the matter, and ultimately the
lover carried his point in spite OF the
earnest remonstrances of the mother and
the brother-in-law. No sooner had the
party of three sailed, however, than the
trother-in-law, who with his wife had
remained in Paris, applied to the pre-
feet of the Paris police for the history OF
the man he distrusted. In three days he
was sent for to come to the prefecture
snd then handed the dossier Of his sister
h-law's impatient swain.
1t began with his birth at such place
On such date; gave his real name, which
was quite different from the one he was
passing under; the name of his parents,
the place of their birth and their occupa-
ton; in what towns he had lived, the
streets, numbers and rooms he had occu-
pied, with the price he had payed for his
lodgings at the different houses, the jour
news he had made, the luggage, naming
number of pieces and each article that
he had each time taken-as, for instance,
that he had gone January 25, 1869, from
Brussels to Ghent, carrying sole leath
or trunk, black hat box, a canvas trav
cling bag, and brown rug in shaw
strap-and in fact the minutest details
of his misspent life, including the mos
important points of all, that, on certain
date, he had been married 70 Belgian
woman, by whom he had several chill
dren, stated the dates and places OF thei
birth, and that he was then wanted b.
the Belgian government on criminal
but not extraditable ofense.
The happy brother-in- law, delghte'
with thus easily and promptly o5tainin,
the evidence he wanted, cabled to hi
father-in-law in this city to stop all preE
arations for the marriage till his letter
were received and when the lovers al
rived in New York they were met b
the stern parent who forbade any con
munication between them till he learne
the nature of the charges against tn
would-be bridegroom. In due time th
whole thing came out, and the wretche
scamp offered to be bought off for s5o'
but was finally contented with $100 an
took his departure, leaving the unhapp
girl he had imposed upon very thankf'
Tor her escape and for the efficiency
the French police.