The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1880-08-27
A Remarkable lmpOsture.
BY HUBERT ii. DUvAR.

Though this story may be set
down as utterly improbable, 1t is
but a simple narration of facts that
actually took place. 1t can be sub
stantiated by the criminal records
of France, under the Empire, aud
even vet in the Partisan detective
bureaus, one will hear them
speak of the Affaire de Maurin.
Mademoisselle Maurip was an
actress of unmistakable talent and
remarkable beauty. She had been
the iavorite of the people for sew
eral years, aud had managed, by
her talents MS well as by many to-
kens of admiration from private
admirers, to accumulate quite Il
large tor une. She owned an ele-
CANT bijou houst, tke furnishing of
which alone cost a little fortune,
where she gave the most recherche
suppers to, if not the most aristo.
cratic, at least, the most brilliant
part OF Parisian society. just,
however, in the height of herpopu
larity, II rapid consumption, that
utterly baflled the doctors skill at.
tackled her, and she died in less
than three weeks.
There could attach to no one the
slightest suspicion Of foul play.
That her death was natural one
was evident toeverybody. She lay
in death placid as If asleep, and
even a hiut rose tint seemed to
linger on her cheeks aud lips.
The whole of Paris, almost, fol.
lowed her body to its hast resting
place in Pere la Chaise, while her
executors, two cousins from a dis
tant province, come to take posses.
sion of her property. Her house
was offered at private sale, while
the furniture was ADVERTISED. Ito be
sold at public auction.
The tastes of the dead actress
had been some thug delletanti, aud
she had collected together many
choice little bits of painting and
statuary, as well as other valuable
articles of vertu. The sale was
largely attended, and large prices
were anticipated for everything.
Hardly had the auctioneer put mp
the first lot, however, than a man,
with lady closely veiled upon his
arm, came up to the desk and said,
in a voice that could be distinctly
heard throughout the room:
81 forbid the sale ~
In an instant all eyes were turned
upon him with surprise.
Recognizing in him well-known
notary, the auctioneer asked by
what suthority he did so.
"By authority of this lady, the
owner, Mademoisselle Maurin."
As the words fthislips the lady
raised her veil she wore and show.
ed the face--paler aud thinner iu.
deed-but Enthusiastically that of
the actress who had been buried a
week before in Pere la Chaise.
Her story was soon told, and was
convincing from its very simplicity.
The first sensation she had known
was of lying out in the open air,
with the starlit sky above, and
three rough looking men, their
faces concealed by black masks,
standing over her, and regarding
her with every expression of amaze.
ment, by the light of dark Ian
tern. Realizing at once that she
had been buried for dead when she
really was only in a state OF trance,
and that she owed her escape to
these men, who were professional
resurrectionists, she offered theman
amount so large that they instant
ly saw that it was to their interest
to save her life and restore her to
her proper position. The reaction
of the shock upon her nervous sys.
TEN, however had been SO great
J that she bad been utterly incapa-