The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-12-28
MADAME coURRAINT.
How the Mystery Surrounding
Her Death was Solved.
A Clever Detectives Successful
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES that
Evidently Lei.

! IarlS. DICK Oi l'e sisoD WIS s...Isi
room, used as a kitchen and eating
rooms, and upstairs were four other
room. Mex, door 10 Ranui lived IA
Madame Courraip,, who soi,: reIi- i,us
books aud pictures. relies, crucii.Aes,
and such like. and was in much favor
with the more pious residents and the
priests. The latter often wen: into
the small room in the rear cf the
Msdame's shop, and drank cog :lc.
Madame's only companion WAS a
young woman. named Marie Paillot,
somewhat comedy. but seldom appear-
ing outside the premises.
With Rsoul resided his wife aud
her nephew. Louis Martin. q voun-
fellow of eighteen. or nineteen. who
attended q religious seminary with .
view to entering the priesthood.
Between Madame Courraint and
Monsieur Raoul feud existed. arising
out of an alleged trespass hv the
former on the rear premises Of the
latter, in the autumn of 1868. TIE
question was decided in the court in
favor of the Madame. and from that
time on the relations between he
parties were not friendly-a fact well
known to the neighbors. One morn-
ing in December. 1868, some stale
fruit was thrown from Madames
dwelling into Raoul's yard. Ra"nl
threw it back, and also lot Of other
rubbish. including pair of old boots,
which he charged had been hung
there by his neighbor. Al aiierca-
ton followed, during which. Madsme
called Raoui a theft and his wife a
procuress. Raoul was wild with rage,
and used threats.
three days later-that is, on the
morning of December l7-Mai.me
COurraiDt was found in bed. dad.
The young woman. Marie Pallet. III
formed the authorities, and the Judge
Of Instruction. answering 30 our
coroner, took charge Of the case.
Madame slept in the front room
Immediately above the store, and her
companion, Marie. in the room above
that. The stairs ran from the rs.;n
in the rear of the shop to the room in
the rear of that occupied by Madame.
and in like manner 10 Maries apart
mebt. Examination shaved that the
door leading from the room ia tile
rear of the store TO the yard nigh:
have been easily forced from the cat
side, the lock being somewhat old and
insecure. Entrance TO the entire
dwelling could thus be obtained. Tie
night before Marie had washed out
the yard and well saturated the
ground, so that the marks Of her feet
were distinctly visible in the sell. Tie
marks of other feet were also visible.
They began among those of Marie close
to the fence which separated Madame's
ward from Raoufs. and they LED to
Madame's door. Impressions OF the
same feet were likewise found in tie
passage, in the rear room and on tl,r
stairs leading to Madame's bed roam.
Frost had come in the night, ami
the footprints were well preserved.
Dicot. a clever detective. was pm, an
these footprints. and the household at
Etienue Raoul was kept under
surveillance. No footprints were
found in his yard. but then the grou:.d /
had not been soaked the night before. I
This at first puzzled the detective until .
Marie's explanation was given. E:riy !
in the morning the sun began to ,ha@
the frozen footprints 10 Madame Caar-
RANTS yard. Dicot went IF in haste
and returned with pan of warm
plaster. Selecting very distinct
he built small wall OF clay
around it; then be poured in the
plaster. Ia ten minutes he hal Il
perfect cast of the footprint. Not
with that, he turned an empty
bucket over an impression to preserve
it as long as possible.
In the meantime it was found that
Madame had been strangled as she
lay asleep. She had probably slept
hard. for there were signs of her hav-
ing taken some cognac before going to
bed. She had sat, for some time APP |.
by the round table on which
the bottle and glass still stood. She
had also amused herself by drawing
figures on the table with the sr;l'
liquor and her finger. The detective
examined this table very atten,iveiy
and made a few potes. The theory
was that the assassin was from Raoul's
premises. RaouHs boots were examip-
ID. He had two pairs. but neither
tilted the marks in the yard of
Madame. While Dicot and the Judge
# Instruction were consulting, 40
,fficer entered.
Monsieur, said he to the Judge. {
L founG these Oh the roof Of an GGi-
,ouse in Rsouls yard"
He brought from behind him ;.air I
f old boots soiIed with mud. /
Dicot took one of the boot, and
it. Then he placed i; over r
be plastet cast winch lay on the
able.
1t covered it precisely. a
"Very good" said the Judge; C
that will decide it. Now determine /,
hose boots these are, and you have d
be assassin"
Dicot smiled obviously. p
ut may be-" said he; "but it is i
' no means sure. These boots were d
;dden away. Why? Because tney p
ould betray some one. Why then.
ere they hidden away on the b
remises of the very msn VIII m they
ould betray? For these boots are q
aoui's. See there is his name." v
And Dicot showed the words, Il
Etieune Raoul." written on the lin- p
e on the top of the boots. 0
1--WE must arrest Raoul, neverthe. h
s., said the Judge. and he drew out L
.la.oI 80 a., IT, L..l.i