St. Landry democrat., 1882-03-25

He wound up with glowing scene that
And took his seatNto mediate on his stupen-
dous lie.
Century Magazine.
HOW FRENCH DETECTIVES WORK.
Some five or six years ago, being on
a visit to Paris, went to see a TREND,
a French gentleman 1 had known for
many years, who, with his wife and only
daughter, lived an second in small
house in the Fauborg St. German. l
found the family one and all in the
greatest possible excitement. During
the night their domicile had been broken
into, and property to the value OF about
thirty thousand francs, consisting OF
plate, jewels, money and bonds had
been stolen. My friend was by no
means rich man, and the loss was to
him very serious one. The strange
part of the affair was that no one seemed
to have the slightest idea by whom, or
how, the lost things had been taken:
They were kept in large iron-clamped
chest, which was never moved out OF
the sale manager, and which was
found in its usual place next morning,
but with the lock forced open. The
servants of the family were only two in
number, and consisted of an elderly
man and his wife, who had been in the
same service for more than ten years.
They did not sleep on the same floor as
their master and mistress; but, as is
usual in Paris. occupied a room some
stories higher in the naansarde or attic.
Tney had key by which to let them
selves in from the back stairs to the
kitchen in the morning; but at the time
of the robbery neither one nor the other
had been in the dining-room where the
chest was kept, until after my friend s
daughter had found out what had
happened. The lady Of the family
had locked the chest-it was her usual
habit-before she had retired to rest
the previous night. The key was
found hanging on q nail at the head Of
her bed, its usual place. The theft must
have been committed between eleven
p. M, when the chest was locked, and
eight a. M, when her daughter discov-
erred the loss. The concierge declared
that no one save those who lived in the
house had passed his lodge during those
hours. The door of the apartment open
ing on the main staircase was found
locked, and the key on the inside. Al
together it was most mysterious bust
ness of which no one could make any
thing save that the property had van
ished, therefore it must have been taken
by some one.
My friend resolved to go at once to
the Rue de Jerusalem--the Scotland
Yard of Paris and ask the authorities
to inquire into the matter. / suggested
an agent de police or policeman from
the nearest station might be called, but
was told that that was not the way that
they did things in Paris. The police.
men that keep order in the streets, and
those whose business it is to discover
what has become of stolen property, are
two departments perfectly distinct from
each other.p Being anxious to see how
our neighbors managed affairs of this
kind, and whether they were better uE
to their work than our London de-
tectives, accompanied my friend to the
Prefecture de Police, where he sent in
his card, and we were at once ushered
into the presence of quiet-lookine
elderly gentleman, one of the soNs-cbe]
of the department, who looked more
like bank manager, or head clerk II
q large mercantile house, than man
whose occupation was to indicate where
the thieves and others who were
.'wanted' could be laid hands on.
A Frenchman is nothing if he. is MOI
polite. The individual into whose sane
dum we were shown welcomed us with
a civility which nothing could exceed
He heard my friends story from first tx
last, made q few notes with pen in |
kind of diary which he had on his desk
and now and then asked a question o.
two respecting the house and apart
ment which had been robbed, the ser
wants, visitors and other matters. Blu
he did not detain us long. The inter
view was over in twenty minutes. Tit
..sous-chef them told my friend that b.
would send one of his subordinates tt
see the chest the next day. In tn
= meantime would my friend prepare
list. and as minute description as pos
.sible of the property that had beef
,stolenp As rule Frenchmen, no mat
ter to what rank of life they belong
have the greatest possible respect TO
all who are in any way connected witt
the police, and never dream OF disput
ing what they say; but my friend wa
somewhat annoyed at what he deemet
useless delay, and asked whether tn
uolice-aoent could not be sent at once