Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-01-01
areer Of Crime.

he THAI Of The pollcrmlps Provost, who muir.
dars i and moiIatcd q jcTelcr named L.noble,
took pIac3 81 Paris Oh III" S'h uto. AS it is
some tne since lhe crime was committed it
MAJ D. OF !atcrest 70 give q summary OF its
horrible details. 10 the evening Of Sept: amber
10, betWceb eight sud nine O'clock, two women
nam0d Thirty AID Calmel W.rc struck BY the
strgrIc appGsrsn1a IT an Individual who was
paserg aiOSg INC Rue l.. Chspciie. Clad 10 q
io2g blue bi US, With elk cap On bis head
this nau CT singular tall statue carried black
basket u: his aln, aud as be came up to the
openings Of tue sewer be t0ok parcel ouc of his
basket an threw Il d0aa tie s.wsr, giving il
! push with bis loot. The two wuuen follow
cd tho uian uutii nc disappear d in side
street. they liCked up Bone TO which
! somc fish stii! adhered ani tlot il iulo
cnemlsts shop, where they Were told it was
| tho boue Of a humao ara. The C1mmss3irc
OF Pullca being informed o. the f,ct oaus
searches to be made that very night 10 the
sewers of the quarter, aud eighty fragments
were found. which whcn put gether form d
tho bed! OF mao. Inc head alone was MIS-
! Ing. The woman tn 'ught ihat the man in
| h.rusa resem5ied Pr vost. tie p5orman, who,
| it Was touud had OF tia: cy, nrrg exchanged
| helping tiirad &c n &c. Provost Was sent
| for aud questioned % the way he mad employ cd
bis tpi', his answered w"rc coafuSed. The
Commlssalre OF Police lhru bIu, auely con
! ircatCd him with the remalns, aod asked him
where he head vas. Provost les: counteuance,
| a0c confessed that the head was 10 his rooms,
| Inc ,Jllca nlaGc 81 CEaui1allln oil the rOums,
| and Cl-corcfcd bet ooy thc head OF the victim,
bet a!s0 iaGily OF ] :wsry aud the iosrru
| taen's tbs, b d been Us d for cutIius up the
| b0dg. Light Gss sooG thr Wi upon hi. ugu
brious history. The vcrm Wss q commission
epent ir jowclry. He bad hsd relations With
| Provost who y9auted to buy gold chain, nav
able in mouti l2 bits IF psf. The bills were 10
be signed at PrcvasS5 lodging on Septeubrr
10 While LsboOie WAS showing his war Pre-.
vost struck hun ou tue head with hesvy iron
ball that is used tor so:cwing W. the connecting
lick. between railway carriages Before being
q policeman Provost mad been y hutoher and
| remembering bis old trade be TO, k kuife and
a chopper end cur up the b dy of his vc;in.
ih;s operation took him nearly oil day, and,
alter II + wing the pi,c inc the sewers, he
Heut at ulna n'c OK and supp,d At a wioc shop
lie s'ep: 1t his lodging sud returned to his duty
the mex day as il I hing had happened. 1t
Wss sGon 5iscoy. red that Prevo5t Was not q
novice 10 the arr Of apiritng awoy Gun belsome
cQrpses. 10 1876 Adele Bordu, woman Of
Belgian origin, had mys.criousy disappeared
ibis woman, who had heen 10 service fifteen
years bad tai little lnc1me of EGO year
lett her BY Der turmcr master. She became
tue mistress OF Provost, but did not live with
bin. She went to see Provost aad never rCI
'urned, and has never been seen since. Provost
Tss not suspec ed OF the time. but sitter the
assassin ton of Lenob!e 81 Inquiry Was opened
tr'c S + blood w9ro discovered on the haor If
he lodging that be hrd occupied in 1876
and on being taken to the spot be confessed
tnat he had struggled Adele BIuudiu iu
order 70 get possession of her money,
and that be had cut up her body, throwt
shs pieces into the s'Wcrs and buried
the hoad outside he forlii,atioRs. The oour
was crowd 10 spite of the weather. The cold
brutality OF the crime caused Intense interest to
be taken &c The author CT it. Besides, a scnsa
t'ooa! c'iUlual trial ia one Of the tbiogs which,
like hist representation at the theatre, hss
ne priv!ii Sc Of exciting the affection of all
PArls. The proceedings began with tbs read
lns nt the aote j Accusation. Tho examination
OF the accused teaded 10 show the premcdita-
tloD OF the crime be admitted all the facts as
regards the murder OF Lanoblc, az above re.
lated The fr,t witness c.t!ed was the Counts
ss!so Of Police, who gave pcyost a good chsrac-
or AND said &c wes liked by bis comrades.
Oiher Witnesses gave testimony to show that
PrcVost had had II bis possession the property
Of Adele Bioodiu. The cxaminsloo Of the
wltucSs having beer ooacIud. 4 tho Pu0lio Pros
eeu:or demanded ptilcss sentence. The
c0unSel ior tie accused III lte warm appeal to
the mercy Of tie jury, Tho, after de|iberation
OF 'wnnty mlnues, brought 10 al affirmative
veld CT on all the points, without exteDuating
circumstances Provost was, consequently,
Condemned to death.