St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-05-27


night and Sunday morning, Petitin' S
store at Grand Coteau, was broken
into, the money drawer robbed of about
$1.75 in small change-all that was in
it-and an attempt made to blow open
with gun powder the door of the safe
which contained about $4,000. The
burglar made an entrance by cutting
the door of the building from it's hinges
with an acknowledgements chisel.
The safe, old style, had large key
hole; Into this he had poured con-
siderable quantity Of powder, enough
of which fell on the floor among some
litter of old paper to have set the build
ing on fire if it had been ignited. At
ter filling the safe lock with powder,
the burglar stuck into the key hole a
twisted piece of printed paper several
inches long. He put fire to this with a
match, and evidently retreated out
side to await the explosion, which,
however, did not occur, and for fear
that the explosion might happen just
as he approached the safe again, and
blow him up with it, he did not 60
back again. The paper burned up to
the key hole, and the fire went out,
without doing any damage whatever.
The change stolen from the drawer
consisted entirely Of ten and five cent
pieces, mostly nickles, and several of
them had holes in them, and others
were defaced, and one was counter
felt of lead, all of which would not pass
and were left in the drawer on that ac-
count, and could be identified by the
clerk. When Sheriff Duson arrived
there he could at first gain no informa-
ton that would lead him to suspect
anyone, but finally Mr.. Mentor Andrus,
the manager of the store, took him to
one side and gave him the remnant of
paper that had been used as a fuse to
explode the powder in the safe lock.
As soon as the Sheriff examined it, he
declared that with it he would be
sure to discover the guilty party. 1t
seemed to be piece Of newspaper, but
it was not printed in any language
known in this country-it was not En-
glish, French, German, Spanish, Greek,
Latin, Hebrew, or anything else that
the best scholars present had ever
seen. The Sheriff Immediately went to
St. Charles College, at that place, and
showed it to the President OF that insti-
tuition, who Immediately recognized it
as part of a paper he had received in
the preceding Thursdays mail +; it was
printed in the Russian language he
had thrown it in the privy on the prem
Uses, and stated that none but those re-
siding on the premises could visit the
privy for fear of some vicious dogs
there. Other parts of this same paper,
were found in the privy. 1t was reas-
enable to suppose therefore that some
one residing on the premises, who had
access to the privy, had made the at
tempt to blow open the safe. The
Sheriff then arrested on the premises
one Willie Buchanan, who was en-
ployed there, and who is we'll known
in Opelousas, where until recently he
acted as barkeeper for several coffee
housas during three or four years. I'm
after his arrest, he confessed
to a gentleman that he was the guilty
party, and informed sthe Sheriff that
he had thrown the chisel that he used
to cut the door down, among the weeds
near his bedroom window, where after
a short search it was found. The CHS
Ell exactly fitted the cuts in the door. He
then delivered the change he took from
the drawer, which corresponded exactly
with the description given of it by the
clerk. Mr.. Buchanan is now in Jail
here, with bright prospects Of having
an opportunity to learn some trade
more beneficial to the country than |
robbery and arson.
Since the above was put in type Blu
chanan has been sentenced to six years
hard labor in the penitentiary.
The OriOle.