St. Paul daily globe., 1884-11-07
PARTISAN MYSTERY.
The hysnertous DtsapPsarahee Of a serrGns
is the Queen City.

fSs the Queen City.
Paris, writes Edward King from Paris 10
the Boston Journal, is still the city mysteries
of wierd and strange crimes-and the pop
ulation dearly loves a good old fashioned
blood curdling criminal mystery. The con-
eierges dote on 1t. They sit in their loges
after nightfaIl, in this October season, when
the darkness falls early, and talk with hated
breath Of the latest sensation in the specially
which they so much affect This sensation
is Pei Now Pei Is scientific, experiment.
ing kind Of clock maker, = man Of inven-
tons-one whose restless, piercing eyes,
flashing behind his spectaeles, have fright
ened many person who looked in his face,
say the coneierges. One day Pei came to
live at Montreuil, near Paris. He had n
small house and only one servant, named
Marie Boehmer. he shut himself
up in laboratory filed with
strange instruments and noxious look
ing fluids in green jars on the shelves. He
worked al night, as II he had boen seeking
for the philosophers stone. He now and
then walked abOad, but the neighbors seemed
to shuu him as II by instinct. One day the
stAntly complained Of burning pains in her
stomach. Some good souls went to attend
her, promising to return at early morning.
When they came next day they were met by
the philosopher Pei. 'She mas gone away,
he said. ''Gone zwayr they repeated in
establishment. ''Why, we feared she would
not live through the nightr' Nevertheless
she has gone, she asked me to go for a cab,
rrhfrh a. aha
went of in the cab. did not hear the di-
reetion she gave 70 the driver, but probably
she has gone to hospital" This singular
statement satisfied the neighbors for only
twenty-for hours, ut the end OF which time
they searched the hospitals. No Marie Roeh-
mer. Then they began 10 gossip and from
gossip they proceed 10 denunciation. The
result was that the philosopher Pei, who
Was found calmly perusing his
abstruse studies, was arrested and
walked of to Paris prison on suspicion of
having murdered and concealed Marie Boeh-
mer. Now came one person who told how
Pei had been seen carrying mysterious pack
ages away at night 20 throw into the stream
since the girls disappearance. Now came
another who had found package Of human
hair in the well of NJ. Pei. "He is a poi
soner," said everyone, and the concierges
added that he was a magician who had sold
his soul to the devil
In prison Pei behaved like true philosO-
pher, and the police authorities were very
much mystifed. They found nothing at
first In his dwelling which seemed to indi-
cate crime. His laboratory was flied with
things which indicated that he was a pro-
found student Of toxicology. He said that
he was an inventor, that be had invented a
new powder which the government had
tried, and which would have been adopted
bad not q cannon charged with this powder
exploded on the day of the decisive expert
ment and blown an officer to pieces. This
trifing accident appeared to have prejudiced
the government against Pers invention.
His story concerning this powder proved
true. He added that he had never been
married, had always lived quietly with only
one servant, like the one who had Just dis
appeared, and, heaven bless her, he didn't
know whittier she had gone.
But Pel's statement that he never been
married was presently shown to be untrue by
no less parsonage than the brother OF his
deceased wife, who now appeared upon the
scene, and stated that Pei had married his
sister, who had quite a little dOwry, and that
shortly after her marriage she died, in horri-
bic suffering. Pei had been living In the
Avenue Klesson, disappeared soon after the
wife was buried, for there was no lnvesti-
cation, although some Of the friends thought
the circumstances OF the death unnatural.
''Now," SAYS the brother, II believe Pei
poisoned his wife, and propose To have the
body, which has been buried year, exhumed
and examined" At this, Pei, who bad
shown agitation on being confronted with
this brother, was greatly distressed. The
police returned 10 his house at Montreuil,
aud this time succeeded In finding
a broken furnace, which showed
signs OF recent use. They conclude
that be first poisoned and then cut up and
burned the body of Marie BOehmer; that be
poisoned his wife, and meantime a dreadful
story has come in about a servant leaving his
service in 1876, declaring that her master
was trying to poison her. Pei still denies,
but evidence seems accumulating TO crush
him.
The mystery is in the motive which has ac-
tuated Pei, If, indeed, he has committed
these crimes. The police incline TO think
that he has done all the crimes Just for fun,
as the Pomeroy boy tortured other children.
That he is an adept in the composition OF
poisons there is no doubt. but he had no
reason for poisoning his wife; he has rca-
sonsbly large income from his own property,
and as 10 putting his servants out of the way,
il could only have been done for the love OF
crime. II is thought that be will be proven
TO be professional poisoner. But he may
be in nnoccnt aud the ''yictlm of circum-
stances" For the moment he is greater
sensation than the meeting of the chambers,
or the new air ships, or the forthcoming
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