The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-01-29
Sensational Crimes of a Paris Police,
man.

Sensational Crimes Of a Paris Police
man.
A recent Paris letter says: The trial
of the policeman, Provost, who murder
ed and mutilated ieweler named Le-
noble, took place at Paris on the Sth
inst. As it is some time since the crime
was committed it may be of interest to
give a summary of its horrible details
In the evening of September 10, between
and 9 O'Clock, two women named
Thirty and Calmel, were struck by the
strange appearance of an individual who
was passing along the Rue La Chapelle.
Clad in a long blue blouse, with silk
! cap on his head, this man, of singularly
tall stature, carried a black basket on
his arm, and as he came up to the open
ings of the sewer he took parcel out of
his basket and threw it down the sewer,
| giving it push with his foot. The two
women followed up the man until he
disappeared in a side street. They
| picked up bone to which some flesh
still adhered and took it into chemists
| shop, where they were told it was the
bone of human arm. The COmmissaire
of Police being informed of the fact
| caused searches to be made that very
night in the sewers of the quarter, and
| so fragments were found, which when
! put together formed the body of man !;
the head alone was missing The wom-
an thought that the mark on a blouse
resembled Provost, the policeman, who,
it was found, had on that evening ex-
changed duty with another on the pre-
text that he was helping a friend to
move. Provost was sent for and
] questioned on the way he had employed
his time; his answers were confused
The Commissaire of Police then brusoue-
ly confronted him with the remains, and
asked him where the head was Pre-
vost lost countenance, and confessed
that the head was in his rooms. The
police made an examination of the
rooms, and discovered not only the head
of the victim, but also a quantity of
jewelry and the instruments that had
been used for cutting up the body
Light was soon thrown upon this lu-
gubrious history. The victim was a
commission agent in jewelry. He had
had relations with Provost, who wanted
to buy a gold chain, payable in monthly
bills of 25f. The bills were to be signed
at Prevost's lodging on September 10
While Lenoble was showing his wares
Provost struck him on the head with g
heavy iron ball that is used for screwing
up the connecting links between railway
carriages. Before being a policeman
Provost had been butcher, and remem
boring his old trade he took knife anC
a chopper and cut up the body Of hi
victim. This operation took him nearly
all day, and, after throwing the piece!
into the sewers, he went at 9 O'Clock
and supped at a wine shop. He slept a
his lodging and returned to his duty the
next day as if nothing had happened
1t was soon discovered that Provost was
not novice in the art of spiriting away
cumbersome cOrpses. In 1876 Adele
Blondin, woman of Belgian origin
had mysteTiOusly disappeared. Thi:
woman, who had been in service fifteeT
years, had had a little income of G6(
/ year left by her former mas
ter. She became the mistress o.
Provost, but did not live will
him. She went to see Provost and never
returned, and has never been seen since
, Provost was not suspected at the time
! but after the assassination of LenOblt
an inquiry was opened; traces of blood
were discovered on the floor of the lOdg
, ing that he had occupied in 1876, anC
t on being taken to the spot he confessed
that he had strangled Adele Blondin IL
{ order to get possession of her money
/ anu llAdJ lC udO CNtJ ~ ICl DOugS l3lLONi
the pieces into the sewers and buried
t the head outside the Notifications. TIL
j court was crowded in spite of the wealth
f er. The cold brutality of the Grim
l caused intense interest to be taken in tn
: author of it. Besides, a sensational
g criminal trial is one of the things, which
g like first representation at the theater
/ has the privilege of exciting the atten
/ ton of all Paris The proceedings be
f gan with the reading of the acte d'GccaI
I S0tiOa. The examination of the accuses
= tended to show the generalization of tn
crime; he admitted all the facts as re
5 CARDS the murder of Lenoble, as abov
? related. The first witness called was tn
! COmmissaire of Police, who gave Pre-
] vOst a good character, and said that b
S was liked by his comrades. Other wit
: nesses gave testimony to show that Pre-
vost had had in his possession the prop
erty of Adele Blondin. The examination
E of the witnesses having been concluded
= the Public Prosecutor demanded a pitt
= less sentence. The counsel for the &C
= cused made warm appeal to the mere.
? of the Jury, who, after a deliberatiOn o
20 minutes, brought in an affirmative
verdict on all the points, without exten
uating circumstances. Provost was
consequently, condemned to death.