The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-31

stIl, those remarkable eyes, with their
long. dropping lashes, and ine pa'e, dehcate
face, to bear witness 10 DIS iuen.l.y anu
without the least hesitation ueciareu nun
10 be the same boy who nad gu,uee Ine 70
the house where had been roODeo on tpc
evening Of January %, 1862,
The boy did not seem al all disconceiIeo
at my recognition, and even sm''eu ia
sIfybfIy supeTcIIlous manner, as though ne
self M 9seli secure from any discovery re-
sn, anil from nv Identification. The au.
shori,ies had been unable, as Yet, to elicit
any information from him. he oameu al
their attempts at questioning nun WIN
skill and cunning almost increo,o.e ", ~
vo,,no AN offender. All at once was sur
nrised al an exclamation from my husDand'
who stood near me: AMI
0Good heavens - he said, bali audib'y,
"I believe I see through the whole plan;
what a b,ockhead was not to have th0ugnt
Of II before But IL was neatly planneo
and carried out, by Jove 1t wns!"
He crossed the ball to where Colonel
STYLES was sitting, and, after speaking 10
him for few minutes In a low, buried
manner, he asked leave to call witness,
who he believed might throw some light on
The matter In hand. Permission having
been granted, he said ia loud voice.:
"The man calling himself Jules Fetier,
body-servant 10 Colonel Styles, and now
present in this hall, Is requested to STAND
forward"
For the first time since our entrance the
bows face fell. and he looked perplexed
and rather dlsmayed. There was move
ment in the crowd, as though some one
were irving TO effect departure from the
door: but the attempt being promptly rus
trated, saw them lead into the witness Dox
the French servant who had accompanied
nv husband abroad, but who had left his
service on his return to England. After
some time passed in making inquiries, and
eliciting very little from the cautious man
before US, he was searched, and many letters
of his present employers were found upon
him; also a pocket-book, which contained
memoranda proving great deal against
himself and his two accomplices-his wife
and the boy in the dock before US. No one
else seemed concerned in his fraudulent
transactions.
On further search the whole system OF
his roguery was unfOlded piece by piece.
He would take service with gentlemen
about to travel, imposing on their credullty
with false references, and gaining their
confidence by his wel-trained demeanor
and intelligent conversation. once safely
out OF the country, be would commence
bis nefarious schemes, and, with the ala
OF his clever wife and child, carry them
out successfully. Nothing was ever Tor
gotten that could lead to the desired end.
No fraud was started until the details had
been thoroughly mastered by his accom-
plices, and the plan well matured. 1t is
impossible to say how many people he had
defrauded in different ways.
He had soon found out how matters stood
between my husband and brother-partly
from bis own researches and partly from
conversation be overheard between mis-
master and a brother ofiicer-and, consider
ing the situation a capital one for practicing
his system upon, he had at once commune
Gated with his wife and unfolded his plans
to her, sending her the signature distracted
from one OF Richards letters to act as de-
coy; and also the handkerchief which
Ralph happened to have taken among his
own, to throw suspicion on my brother as
being accessory to the robbery.
Before the examination concluded the
sergeant, who had been so long on the look
out for the perpetrators OF the deed, asked
my husband how he had recognized the
boy as being the son OF his former servant.
Ralph laughed slightly as he replied:
81 believe / should have made the best
detective OF you all had be- on the spot.
thought | recalled the boys features as
being in some way familiar TO me, bit could
not determine Of whom he reminded me;
however, as he stopped to speak to the
warder, the mystery was revealed in mo-
ment by strange stroke OF luck"
Turning TO the boy. who had lost his
courageous air and was looking crestfalen
and frightened, my husband babe him hold
down his head. For the moment he re-
fused, but on the order being peremptorily
repeated he obeyed reluctantly.
From one side OF his head TO the other,
contrasting strangely with his thick dark
curls, was streak Of white bair about half
an inch wide, which shone like silver in the
sunlight; then bidding the elder man re-
move the cap he wore, be babe him also
stoop forward, which he did, with a NUT
tered exclamation; and there again we saw
the same strange white band shine out on
his closely-cropped head.
No link seemed wanting to complete the
chain of evidence against the offenders, and
the elder was at length forced to admit that
tue DIOOlo WClt tOO siiOuS lol Nun w patbiC
against. He begged that his wife, to whom
he seemed really attached, might be treated
lenently, as she was slowly but surely dy-
ing from cancer. The statement was after
ward proved to be correct, and the woman
was removed to a hospital, where she lin
gered but short time. The father and son
were fully committed for trial, and duly
found guilty. The sentences imposed upon
them were OF severe nature, owing to the
number of accusations brought against
them.
can only hope that when their term OF
Imprisonment has expired they may find
people less easy to impose upon and better
able to resist their Vaccinations than was
the lady OF Captain Ralph Branscombe,
who fell so easy prey to their duplicity
and cunning that memorable evening OF
January %, 1S69.-1me.