The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-01-28


| Only one of the officials dissented from
this opinion. This was the detective
who had examined the woman's hands sc
closely. He was young, and had an
ambition to distinguish himself. AS yet
IN his year upon the force he had not
had case upon which to exercise his
talents. He thought he saw, did this
young mouchard Pierret, a mystery in
this affair, and an opportunity to win the
envy of his comrades.
Ambrose Purvois, the husband of the
dead woman, disappeared from the Rue
Feron, despite the watchfulness OF
Pierret, and little later Pierret was
sent with two of his comrades upon q
secret mission to Troulon.
In the latter part of the year 1866
there appeared in Paris the Count Hor-
ace Crolssart, accompanied by hand
some woman, who was, be acknowledged,
the countess, his wife. They rented a
magnificent furnished hotel in the Rue
DIES Martyrs, and very speedily made
| themselves known to society. The count
| was man of fashion, lavish in his ex-
pendltures, and it was not long before
he was accepted by society as one of its
| favored "set. The countess at the
opera, and the reunions and receptions
| OF the nobility, was received with all
that difference usually bestowed upon
! the pOssessors of wealth and title.
The count donated largely to charity;
his equipage was among the finest to be
seen IN the public drives, his establish
ment luxurious in its appointments.
One day his valet was missing-and in
|
sarlly obliged to take q new one, who
was recommended as being in every way
proper. He presented certificates from
two or three of his former employees, all
OF whom were in the best society. He
was gem of fellow, ready, expert in
his duties, sharp eyed and seemed to an
tlcipate every desire of his master,
His term of service as the count
valet had extended to the third month
when In the month of April the valet APP
peared before the project of police, and
sending in his name was Immediately re-
ceived by the official, alone.
monsieur lie Project, he said, "the
time has come. The drama is in its last
act"
The project smiled.
4" And you have played your part per-
fectly, do you think?"
THAT Is for you to Judge, Monsieur.
The last scene is Ont only remains for
you, the manager, to close the perform
aSce."
p" You began your part" said the pre-
feet, Gin January, 1868, in the Rue Fer
ron. You have been playing three years.
Have you succeeded In making your
share IN the work interesting ?"
Monsieur lie Prefect," said the new
valet, " [ have concluded my work, and
now, as the Detective Pierret, | say to
you, the Count Horace Croissart is but
another name for Ambrose Purvois, who
murdered his wife, Lizette Purvois, in the
Rue Feron, and cOncocted, adroit villain
that he IS, the story of her having killed
herself"
"a fine piece of work, ell, my friend
Plerret. Now, how did you learn your
part-the first as well as the last act 90
When L accompanied the commits
saire to the Rue Feron and saw the
woman weltering in her blood, I said to
myself here is chancellor you, Pierret,
to earn name for yourself | examined
the body after the surgeon. [ examined
the woman's hands. What [ noted !
kept to myself. [ saw that the razor
was clutched in the left hand of the
woman. Then | examined the fingers
of the right hand. | saw by the APP
pearance of the thumb nail and that OF
the foretinger that she was In the habit
of biting her nails, as some people do
when in deep thought. Now a left
handed person would lnstinctively put
their left hand to the mouth first; but
here you see the nails on her left hand
were smooth perfectly pared. There
fore, had she committed suicide she
would have drawn the razor across her
throat with her right hand. Evidently
the weapon had been put in her hand
after she had fallen, by her assassin.
81 kept my own counsel. | watched
this Purvois. l inquired into his habits
and his ways of lie. I discovered moth.
ing OF any consequence save that he and
the woman apparently lived happily to-
gether; and from the postmaster l learned
that in the week of the murder he had
left a letter bearing the postmark OF
Mar8eilles and directed to Lisette Pur.
vols. Now had the contents Of that let
ter anything to do with the murder
Who received the letter? Not the WON.
an, but her husband. L was sent on 6
mission to Toulon. When L returned
Ambrose Purvois had disappeared. ]
did forget the case, for it was then that ]
came first to you.
"Then one day [ saw this Count
Horace Crolssart. Despite the change
in his appearance, [ recognised III him
my missing Ambrose Purvois. | follow.
ed him, became acquainted after month
or two with his valet-induced the Wallet
to leave him for Ahetter place which
secured for him in the family of the
Baron Montgiron, and by ruse and the
trick of false letters | obtained his ~.
sition with the count l found that the
countess, despite her fine airs, was not Of
high birth--in fact, that she was nothing
but his mistress, and that there was
secret between them.
cone day [ happened to euter room
adjoining that in which they were con.
versing. Iheard loud words. Slipping
into a closet between the two rooms
through the thin partition I heard heI
say, Il have been your tool long enough
/ believe 1t was you who killed my sister
Give me what | want-One half-and le
us separate. We can no longer live to
gether.'
"When that conversation was ended
[ knew that l had the count, alias Am
brose Puryois. The whole thing was
plain to me. This woman, the count SIS
was the sister of Purvois' wife. This
sister, living in MarseiIles, had writer
, to Lizette, telling her that by the dealt
of an uncle the two sisters were heiresseS
of fortune of 800, 900 francs-that this
wretch Purvols had suddenly resolved tC
, rid himself Of the sister, who wa. biz
wife, and thereby leap at once into he
, | snara of the fOrtnne by his claim DC hn,