The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-06-17

tors of the murdered man, and claimed q
share Of bis property, alleging that she
was his wife, legally welded to him near
ly fifteen years before:
Though there could be little doubt of
the validity of her claim, the executors,
who were personal friends of the murder
ed man, considered it their duty to con.
test it, and the alleged widow at once in
stituted u suit against the estate.
The claimant, who, though evidently
on the shady side of thirty-6ve, was still
q remarkably handsome woman, had al
most universally the public sympathy,
aud the verdict that awarded her claim
was received by burst of applause
throughout the courtroom.
Graciously acknowledging it with a
bow anal a triumphant smile upon hel
face, the woman was about to leave the
room, when a man dressed in black, with
u scrap of red ribbon in his buttonhole
advanced and laid his hand upon hel
arm.
"Not so fast, madam, if you please" he
said. "The case is far from being ended
yct.''
The look of triumph faded from the
woman's face, leaving it deadly pallid as
she turned and faced him.
"Who are you, and what do you mean
by this outraged" she gasped.
my name" the man answered, calmly,
''is Jules Chasson, Of the Seventh Divis-
ION of Detective Police, and arrest you
for the murder of Henri Dcspenard, once
your husband.''
The audience were struck speeches.
by his words, even the court sharing the
general surprise.
"rh1s is certainly remarkable pro-
ceeding, NJ. Chasson,' the judge said, at
length, land one, must say, that requires
further explanation.
(which you shall have, my lord" the
detective answered with respectful bow.
''1n the first place, then, this woman was
really married to NJ. Despenard, fifteen
years ago, in small village in the south
of Normandy. After few months, how.
ever, she elopcd with another man, and
for more than seven years; following NJ.
Despenard heard nothing from her, which
in the eyes OF the law annulled his mar
riage. Therefore, when he again married
1t was perfectly legal, and the lady now
unjustly under sentence for his murder
was lawfully his wife. I say unjustly
accused n.y lord, for the real murderess
is the woman who now claims her wild
owls dowery."
| The detective paused moment, and
all eyes turned upon the woman by hia
side, and were startled by the change in
her countenance. It was paid to the
very lips, which were slightly parted, as
if to utter words which her voice refused
to speak, and her eyes stared into vacan-
cy and look as it she once more saw
her victim, arisen from his grave and
standing before her.
"About year after his second mar
riage." the detective went on, "thc first
wife returned, and commenced a regular
system of blackmail upon Monsieur Des-
penard, which for his wifes sake, he SUBJ
mitted to until about week before bis
death. Then, when he refused to SUBJ
NIT any longer to the extortion, q scheme
OF almost tiendish subtlety entered her
mind. Through the connlvance of Mad
anne Dcspenard's maid, she gained ad-
mlttance to the house when the lady and
her husband were absent, and possessed
herself of the revolver and shoes which
were afterwards found in the we'll. The
lady's story of being attacked by a wo-
man was true, and the shred of lace was
torn from the shawl for the purpose of
atixing it to The shutter. This, howcv-
er,was after the time when, ascending the
veranda, the murderess, pcering through
the window, saw her victim seated in a
chair reading. His face was half-turned
towards her, and, raising the revolver, she
took deliberate aim and fred
| A wild, blood -curdled laugh ringing
through the apartment interrupted the
detectives narrative, and the breathless
audience once more turning, saw that it
proceeded from the arrested woman, whose
eyes were rolling wildly, and upon whose
lips foam had gathered.
! Her crime had been found out by man 8
ingenuity, but the retribution had come
from an avenging God. The sudden shock
Of discovery at the very moment she had
deemed her success complete, had over
thrown her reason, and she was an incur
able maniac.
The detective had not spoken without
proofs tc support his assertions, and the
wronged wife, now the object of public
sympathy, was at once released from con.
inement, and restored to her children.
Still it was months before she fully re-
covered from the terrible shock she had
experienced, and before then the woman
who had SO cruelty wronged her had still
further paid the penalty OF her crime. In
one of her paroxysms Of maniac fury she
had burst blood-vessel and expired.