Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-06-28
THE JANDIDIER MYSTERY

Gay, ABOUT t0ur O'CLOCK IN The aftern00 ]
all the QUARTER du Marais was in an up
roar. 1t was said that one of the respec
table merchants in the Roi des Sicile ha
disappeared, and all the efforts to dis
cover him had proved fruitless. Th,
strange event was discussed in all tn,
shops of the neighborhood; there wer,
groups around the doors of all the green
grocers, and every moment seme terrified
housewife arrived, bringing new details
The grocer at the corner had the best
freshest and most correct intelligence
having received it from the lips OF the
ceok who lived in the house.
$" So," said he, yesterday, after din
ner, our neighber, Monsieur Jandidier,
went to his cellar and was never seen
sgsin = disappeared, vanished evspo.
rated p'
1t occss enslly happens that mysteri-
Gus disappearsnces are heard of, the
public gets excited, and prudent people
buy sword canes. Policemen hear these
absurd rumors and shrug their shoulders
They are familiar with the other side OF
these closely embroidered canvasses.
They search into the matter and find,
instead of artless fslsehoods, the truth |;
instead OF romances, sad stories. Yet
up to acertain point, the grocer in the
Tsuv c~ins HSo.-i- .-ii Al < f-uth
Monsieur Jandidier, manufacturer of
imitation jewelry, had really not been
home for twenty four hours. Monsieur
Theodore Jandidier was very tall,
very bald man, about fifty.eight years
old, with sufficiently good manners, who
had amassed a considerable fortune in
trade. He had an income from stocks
of twenty thousand livres, and his busi>
ness brought him in about fifty thousand
francs. He was beloved and esteemed
by his neighbors, and justly 10, for his
honesty was above suspicion, his morality
austere. Married late in life to rela-
tive, he had made her perfectly happy
He had an only daughter, pretty,
graceful girl named Theresa, whom ne
sdored. She had been engaged to the
banker Scbmidt-of the firm OF Schmidt,
Gubenheim & Worb-Monsieur GUS
tave, but the match had been broken
of, no one knew why, for the young
people were desperately in love with
each other. 1t was said in the Jandider
circle that Schmidt, senior, who, as was
we'll known would skin flint, had re-
quired a dowry far beyond the mer>
chants means.
Warned by public rumor, which con.
stanily increased, the commissionary OF
police went TO the home of the man who
was already called the victim, though
no exact information had been received.
He found Madame and Madamoiselle
Jandidier in such transports OF grief
that it was with the utmost difficulty
that he could gather the truth. At last
he learned the following particulars:
The evening before, Saturday, Mon
sieur Jandidier had dined with his family
as usual, but did not eat with much
appetite, having, he said, violent head
ache After dinner he went TO his ware.
houses, gave some orders, and then en-
tered his Office. Returning home at
half past six, he told his wife he was
going to walk. And he never appeared
again. Having carefully noted these
particulars, the commissary OF police re.
quested permission to see Madame JAN
didier lew minutes alone. She made q
sign of assent, and Madamoiselle Theresa
left the room.
Pardon, madame" said the commis
sary Of police, "the question that l am
about TO address TO you. DO you know
whether your husband had-I again ask
your pardon n--any connection outside Of
the house ~
Madame Jsndidier started up; anger
dried her tears.
"I have been married twenty'tbree
wears. monsieur; my husband has never
returned home later than ten o'clock"
"Was your husband In the habit OF
going to any club or cafe 7" he continued;
Never l wouldn't have allowed It,"
"Did he usually carry valuable papers
about with him p
"I don't know i attended to my
housekeeping, and don't trouble myself
about business matters"
II was impossible TO get any further
information from the poor wife, who was
bewildered by grief. 1
Having accomplished his business, the
commisssry Of police thought 1t his duty
TO SAY q few words Of commonplace con-
ISOLATION to the poor woman. But when
he went away, after making inquiries In
the household, he felt very anxious ard
began TO suspect the existence of crime
That very evening one Of the most skill~
full detectives, Retivead, better known
In the Rue dc Jerusalem as Maitre Ma'
rloire, was put on the track OF Monsieur
'Jandidier, provided with an excellent
photograph Of the merchant.
The very morning after Monsieur
,Jandidier had disappeared, Maitre Ma
rioirc presented himself AT tho Palas dc