Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-16
The Statw Tellet.
THE MISSING PAPER.

THE MISSING PAPER.
One of the most singular cases which are
to be found in the police records of bloody
deeds committed in Paris is that of Nine
Rouquelaire, who was murdered in her resi-
dence, II Rue Danton, on the night of the
10Th of June, 1878.
The last that was seen of her alive was
at g. o'clock in the evening by one OF he1
servants, to whom she gave an order con-
cerning his service on the following morn
ing, which indicated that she and NJ. Jean
Beauchamp, her lover, were about retiring.
The servant, as he testified at the prelim-
mary examination, saw, as he stood on the
threshold of the door leading from the hall
into the salon, Nine. Roquelaire in her
dressing-gown and her toilet arranged for
the night; he also, saw NJ. Jean making a
cigarette and reclining his face toward the
door, in an easy chair. Monsieur was
frowning and seemed angry, although he
said nothing. Evidently he and madame
had been quarreling.
The last that was heard of her alive was
at II o'clock, by her maid, who, having the
privilege of absence for the evening, was
passing through the hall toward the stair
case leading up to the servants quarters.
Then she was entreating Beauchamp to
forgive her. He had evidently accused her
of some offence -"perhaps," said the maid,
"of infdelity." The girl paused and listen
ed for moment.
Then she heard NJ. Beauchamp-and "his
anger was terrible; his words fierce and
threatening," and then she heard madame
eXclaim:
''Strike me, coward. 1 have sacrificed
everything-honor, position, friends-for
you. Strike me; kill me. You have had
everything else from me that could give F;
now take the last, and now-mon dieul-
the4imost worthless of my possessions
You have found new love. I read it all.
Every days life for the past three months
has been turning over to me new leaf
in the revelation of your nature. l have
nothing to live for. Kill me, coward ~
The maid, trembling and frightened, pass
ed on. She also added to the statement:
They had often, but not so violently quar-
relied while she had been in their service.
Early next morning the servants, three in
number, met as usual in the kitchen. The
man-servant, who was also NJ. Beauchamp's
want narrated what they had seen and
heard on the previous evening.
Francois then, at 8 o'clock, went up stairs
and knocked at the salon door to receive
monsieur's orders. There was no sound
within. Only the echoes of his tapping on
the door.
According to his testimony, madame usu-
ally slept late; monsieur was always in
dressing gown and slippers and in the salon
reading the Monueur, which was laid at his
door, never later than s. Sometimes he
rang for his valet before 9; sometimesawait-
ed his coming.
An hour longer, and then finding no signs
of life within, the valet ran out and sum-
moned a sergeant-de-ville, who burst in the
door.
An appalling spectacle fixed the gaze of
the little group gathered on the threshold
of that chamber, and held them motionless
as if they had been suddenly transformed
into stone images.
There nearly in the center of the floor, in
her night robes, lay Nine. Roquelaire's
blood. The white linen robe, with it's
lace work and embroidery, resembled a
crimson shroud. The face was mutilated,
crushed and almost out of human shape.
The terrified maid servant uttered Shrek
Of horror and fell to the floor unconscious.
Even for the moment the ergeant-de-ville,
Injured as he was to scenes of murder, was
for an instant awe-stricken by the ghastly
sight Then, recovering himself, he start
ed away, and in half an hour returned with
other officers, the commissaire and sur
geon.
Examination showed that the woman had
been literally pounded to death with some
blunt, heavy weapon, stamped on, and her
body and limbs mashed almost into the
semblance of pulp. Near this tremendous
horror was blood stained scrap of paper
a portion of a sheet of note paper. One
scrutiny revealed scrawled upon it, with g
blunt pointed pencil, these words:
"Your life was mine. I have taken what is
mine. You are now in the arms of death, more
steadfast lover than you had living; one you
cannot betray. JEAN
Over the pencil scraWl were two finger
marks in blood in the form of a cross.
This was all. Nothing was disturbed
Madame's apparel was in its usual place
her jewelry, watch and bijouterie where
she had placed them when undressing. Nc
weapon was found. There were CORY finger.
marks on the door and its casing.
But Monsieur Beauchamp, what of him
Search showed that q small travelling val.
Use was missing from his chamber ; that he
had changed his clothes, taking the discard
ed suit with him. On going out he had evi
IDENTIFY locked the door of the salon and tax
en- the key with him.
Specimens of his writing were found, and
an expert declared that the pencil scraw
upon the blood-stained paper very closely
resembled his method of writing, changed
of course, by the action of a terrible menta
excitement upon his nerves.
There was no doubt in the minds of thu
officials that he, in aft of ungovernablt
rage, and possibly crazed by jealousy, hac
committed the fearful crime, and then, re
covering his reason, had sought safety il
flight. Two Of the most expert detective
from the Projects Office were soon on hi
trail. They traced him to Marseilles, thence
to Bordeaux, where he took sudden change
of route and went to London.
Here he was arrested and brought back t.
Paris.
When informed of the crime of which HI
was accused he fell into species of stupor
and for three days was apparently uncon
scious.
Recovering, he alternated from protesta
tions of innocence to bewailing the death
as he asserted, Of the only woman he eve