Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-05-22
A CURIOUS STORY.
How NeapoIeon III. saved Murder
err From Justice

Edward KING writes from Paris to
The Boston Journal: The memoirs
and souvenirs of the imperial regime
continue TO flood the market. The
latest of these productions is from the
pen of one of the great ladies of the
court who, was a familiar at Com
piegne, and who gives us many
piquant sketches OF the brilliant life
led there by Napoleon III, and his
numerous favorites. Among other
stories told by this gossiping lady is
one which so well illustrates the cor
ruption of the second empire that |
will repeat it here.
1t appears that at Compiegne there
was for years mysterious parsonage
WHO came and went among the guests
like one of them, and who seemed to
be an a footing of perfect equality
with them, yet concerning whom no
one knew any thing definite If his
name was asked by some one newly
introduced at the imperial court, the
answer was, ooh, that is NJ. Funt;"
and that was all. Who was NJ. Funt2
No one except the emperor and his
private agents appeared to know, and
they met all appeals for knowledge on
the subject with impenetrabl. silence.
Funt was accounted by many as
police agent who took note Of every
thing that they said, and reported it
to the emperor. So visitors at Com
piegne and at the Tuileries gradually
became afraid Of NJ. Funt, aud gave
him wide berth when they could do
so without fear of wosnding his sus-
capabilities. After the emperor's
death the truth came out, and this
lady, auth0ress of the memoirs, has
now Published it to the world. 1t APP
pears that when Napoleon took re-
fuse in Switzerland, in the castle of
Arenemberg, in company with his
mother he received many favors at
the hands of the president of the con-
federation. Napoleon. as is well known,
never forgot a friend, nor an enemy
either, for That matter And when
he assembled the French throne he
did everything in his power to further
the interests of the Swiss president,
who, meantime, like all good republi
cans, had come down to be simple
citizen. In short, Napoleon told his
old friend that he would grant INN
any faver that he asked
One day murder was committed
at Boulognesur, Mer. A lover shot
dead the wife who, after having for a
long time been untaithiul to her hus-
band, repenUed, and announced her
intention of severing the unholy
liaison, and returning to him. The
lover, as soon as he had committed
the crime, went into hiding in a
miserable fishing village on the coast.
The imperial police were put on his
track and he was soon found. AS
they were about to deliver him up to
the justice, the police were greatly
surprised to receive an order, to
quash all proceedlngs-not TO let the
public know that the criminal had
been discovered, and to annouce to
the murderer that he was free. Much
mystified the agents did as they were
bid. The wretched lover, who was
no other than the Monsieur Funt,
who in later years so excited the
curiosity of the ladies of the count at
Complegne, soon discovered that his
head had been spared because he WAS
near relative OF the ex-presldent of
the Swiss confederation, who had be-
friended Napoleon. 1t was enough
that the ex-eflicial had mildly ex-
pressed his horror at the prospect Of
having criminal affair even remote
ly connected with his family record.
Napoleon slenced the whole affair at
once.
M. Funt went to the Tuileries and
threw himself at the emperor's feet,
asking to be allowed to devote the re-
mainder of his life to the imperial
service. His request was favorably
received, and, as we have seen, Ma
poleon faithfully skept the wretched
mans secret to the last. But how
general must have been the corrup-
ton of an epoch when defeat of JUS
tice was possible merely that friend
might be obliged.
That is the way the tale is told; |
give it for what 1T is worth.