The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-30

and begged that ! would repeat all that
/ had heard.
saw now what deadly import my de-
position might be; and believing as did
that Barberon had spoken under the in
fiuence Of great excitement, / should have
liked to attenuate his words But this
Was impossible. NJ. Willard had heard
a report of our conversation from some
eavcs-dropper, and he put such adroit
questions that was compelled to unfold
everything. / could not help admiring
the little mans inquisitorial skill. When
had finished he took pinch from a
silver snuff-box and exclaimed in tri-
umph: There! What do you say to that,
Barberon9
Il say nothing cried Barberon, saw
agely. 4 am tired of your fendish
torturing, and will answer no more ques-
tons
THE chain of evidence against you is
complete enough already; when we have
heard Madame Perreau, we shall doubtless
get the completing links said M. Vril-
lard. That will do for to-day; return to
your cell and mediate
! Thereupon the two women rose and
clamored again for their seventy-five
thousand francs. They seemed to think
that the prisoner had got the money in
his pockets They were hidden to be
quiet, and we were all dismissed together.
! confess that at that moment | was more
strongly convinced of Barberon's guilt
than had been before, and it was only
as matter of conscience that ! re-
solved to suspend my judgment until
Madame Perreau had been questioned
That lady might be able to throw some
light upon the circumstances that had
preceded and followed Madame Barber,
on's death; she would be forced to say
whether the Doctor had begun to WOO her
before or after becoming widower.
Madame Perreau had escaped to Bel
gium, and the detectives who had been
sent after her could not induce her to
return. As there was no proof of her
being accessory to the murder, it was not
possible to demand her extradrtion, and
the detectives could only urge that, if she
declined obeying the Procureur's sum
mons, she could never again set foot in
France without being imprisoned. For
this she cared little. she said: but her
obduracy was shaken by hints that some
of her property OH French soil might be
siezed under writof outlawry. At last
Maitre Farcy charitably undertook to
travel to Belgium and bring the widow
back, having previously obtained a
written promise from the Public Pros
ecutor that she should not be molested
in any way. Madame Perreau, her little
girl, and Farcy, all returned together to
A one night, and this event gave a
new FLIP to public excitement. Madame
Perreau's nerves we're in shattered con-
dition, and at her first conformation
with Barberon in NJ. Vrillard's presence
she had a fit of Mysteries. The Juge
d'Instruction did not improve her condi-
tion by suggesting his belief that Barber
on had intended marrying her solely that
he might murder her and her little girl,
ard inherit their property. This idea
had not occurred to the widow, but it
forthwith seized upon her imagination,
and haunted her like a nightmare. She
became Barberon's worst enemy in
Weighed against him, recollected sus-
picious facts about him, and thereby
found grace in M. Vrillard's eyes.
The indictment was now complete.
The prisoner was committed for trial, and
obtained leave to read, write, smoke, and
confer with his legal advisers He cnose
Farcy to defend him, and that able bar
rister went daily to the prison and had
long interviews with the wretched man.
This displeased tie widow but she dared
not say 80; for Farcy had acquired great
ascendency over her. He was'how her
only friend. The poor woman dared not
stir outside of her house because Of the
impertenant way in which people stared
at her, and nobody cared to visit her be-
cause her foolish flight had provoked
inquiries as to her past life, and brought
some disreputabIe facts to light. 1t ap-
peared that Madame Perreau had been
rather light-heeled fower-girl before
marrying her late husband, and she had
been in prison for vagabondage; she had
been fined for chickering's with the police,
and she was born of parents who had
spent the better part of their existences
in yaol. There was nothing very hienous
in all this, but it was hard upon the
the widow after years of faultless living
to have youthful peccadiloes trumped up
to her shame, and she would have felt
more forlorn had it not been for Maitre
Farcy's kindness.
It is needless to say that Farcy affected
if he did not feel, the superbest convic,
ton in Barbcron's innocence, and in his
ability TO get him acquitted. He ended
by partially convincing Madame Perreau
aud he sought to convince everybody
! else; but not oversuecessfully.
/ You gee that's all nonsense; if one
listened to those lawyers nobody could
go to gaol or be guillotined, glumbled
old Colonel Tianchot, as we were playing
whist one evening. Barberon's guilt is
as clear as monday
4 can not say that I think So was my
reioinder. 4 think we ought to wait till