Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-08-28
A DAMNABLE PLOT.

Haunts the dim fields we know not where,
Whip-poor will!
A DAMNABLE PLOT.
On the night of December 20, 1858, at .
about seven o'clock, Officer Reborg, of
the Paris police, was on duty in the Eau
bourg St. German. A woman, clad IN a
long, ample cloak, accosted him and
asked:
"Do you know where Monsieur Pom
tile reside?'
Mons. Pontille was the keeper of res
taurant, and of course every body who
knew any thing knew where he carried
on his business.
"Certainly," the officer replied; che
lives few doors away from here in that
direction"
"Ah, Monsieur" said the woman, "you
are kind, but it is Of no use to me. am
blind"
At this the officer started, but the next
moment recovered himself and said:
MADAME, am grieved to hear it. Lay
your hand on my arm and I will lead
YOU"
He took the woman's hand as she
raised it, and placing it gently and re-
spectfully on his arm, moved away with
his companion. At that moment cab,
which some time before had been drawn
up two or three doors away, moved along
in front of large dwelling before which
the officer had been standing. Instantly
two persons, leading a third betn cen
them, descended from the high door OF
the dwelling and entered the cab, which
was Immediately driven off. Two Sec
onds later the officer slowly sauntered
back to his place in front Of the house.
Then man came from the house and
stood drawing on his gloves.
''The night threatens raln," he said to
the officer
The officer replied briefly. and observed
that the person addressing him wore a
very heavy dark beard, and had gold
ring in the left ear. AS the officer gazed
neighboring clock struck seven.
| Two hours and half later Jaques ia
Quiss, a oe-maker, sat in his small shop
near the Pont Neuf, mending an old shoe.
AS he looked out at the little side win
dow he saw cab driven up dozen yards
away and man alight.
After looking around for moment, he
entered the shoe-maker's shop, which was
dimly lighted. Placing a leather valise
ON the small counter, he said to Jaques
Jaquiss:
"Put few stitches in this for me, my
friend, and I will give you a couple Of
francs"
! He held the mouth of the valise togeth-
er as Jacques stitched it with wax-end,
the stranger each time drawing the stitch
closer with his gloved hand. Then he
gave the cobbler two francs and departed,
the cobbler saying chcerfully:
"Aye, but you did half of it yourself"
| AS the cobbler closed his little shop
half an hour afterward he saw something
on the counter which attracted his atten-
ton. 1t was four lines OF blood red,
forming a pa1allelogram about twelve
inches by six. A moments thought
showed him that the stains marked the
spot where the stranger had rested his
valise.
| THE GLOVE.
The next day, December 3Oth, two la
borers were crossing the woods near Pc
rela Chaise, when they saw glove lying
on the ground. One of them picked it
up, remarked that they might find the fel-
low to it for what they knew before long,
It was leather glove, of good make, and
mad upon it little dark streaks, sticky
and smelling disagreeably.
ut is cobbler's wax said Jean Laborde,
one of the laborers.
"Not bit Of it," replied the other,
named Paul Stekner; no cobbler's wax
ever smelt like that. Besides, what
would glove like that do with cobbler's
wake"
cit is cobbler's wax" Jean persisted
'dont know, for isn't my sisters hus-
band shoe-maker?"
The men bet bottle Of wine as to the
nature of the streaks on the glove, and
Jean said:
"When we get home tonight we will
20 to my brother-in-law's, Jacques JAG
quis, and hear what he says"
When Jacques saw the glove, he ex-
amined it very carefully, and then asked
where they got it. On being informed,
he said:
eyes, that is cobbler's wax;'' and then,
lifting piece of. leather from the coun-
ter, he pointed to four deep red lines
forming paralellogram, and added:
"And that is blood!'
'sWhat do you mean2" Jean asked in a
surprised tone.
''Never mind, brother, just YETI was
the answer; "you may know by and
b."
Two DAYS afterward 1t was known
through the city that Jules Benteau, a
youg physician of much promise, had dis
appear, and that no clew could be OBJ
| tanned as to his whereabouts. The facts
| relating to the occurrence were carefully
collected by the authorities. It appeared
| that during the afternoon of December
Goth gentleman called at DR.. Benteau s
| residence and gave his name as Monsieur
'Santerre. He saw the doctor privately,
| and the latter, contrary t. his custom,
made no entry in his register. At SIX
o'clock the same evening the gentleman
| again called at DR.. Benteau's in cab,
and the doctor quilted the house with
him. Whither,they drove was not knowk.
The doctor was not seen after that, so far
as testimony went. The gentleman who
called for him was a thick-set man, with
exceedingly dark, heavy beard, and wear
ing gold ring in his left ear. The cab
in which he drove away with the doctor
was traced to the Foubourg st. German,
but beyond that nothing respecting it
could be ascertained. szs. III .tzss=.:ssscg=s
On January 8, 1859, Jacques Jacquiss
heard Of the disappearance Of Dr.. Ben
eau. Then the vallse and the blood-like
I stains on the counter in his little shop
came up to his recollection. Next morn
ing, early, he was crossing the Point Neui
to his business, when be saw q crowd
gathered on the quay below: He went
down and saw a woman and an officer,
with leather valise, lying on 9 slab be-
tween them. a x.=.:s ttszf,s.. Es.1:.s.
The woman was telling how she had
lost q metal tankard overheard, as she was
washing the. day before, and how, when
Ishe was fishing for it that morning, she
brought up the va1ise. The crowd stood
around and listened. The shoemaker
thrust his head as close as he could to the