Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-04-24
-elssller spoke OF expeca.ng 60 be murdered,

been only quarter past; it might have been
twenty minutes; couldno say with certainty,
but thought it was near the half hour.
Superintendent Ledru stated that he had
made careful examination of the court and
exterior of this house, No. 10 Passage de MAJ
arin. Round three sides Of the court was a
trellis Of stout wood, reaching to distance of
about two feet from the sills of the windows
on the second floor. Beneath the window Of
Meissner's bed closet the trellis bore marks
as if some one had recently climbed up by it.;
the paint was scraped off, and here and there
spar had been cracked or broken There
were marks also on the sill of the cabinet
window and footprints on the floor, showing
that in this way an entrance had been gained
to Meissner's room.
Q. In searching Meissner's room on the
night of the murder, in what position did YOU
find the key Of the room door?
A. The key was found hanging on a nail
near the door.
Q. In order to reach the cabinet window by
means of the trellis work, would any special
degree of agility be reqlireda
A. In my opinion, very special degree of
agility would be required. I should consider
it feat of gymnastics.
The janioor Mouton, recalled and re-exam-
med, stated that there was no duplicate KEY
to any room in the house. 1t was Meissner's
custom, when in his room, to hang his door
key ON thu nail where it had been found by
the police. Had frequently seen it hanging
there.
The Officer of Police Lambert stated that
according to instructions, he had walked at
his fastest pace from the head of the Rue
Dauphine to Nine. Dumaine's shop in the
Rue de fOdeon; thence by the Rue de Condo
AID tho tue de Biche to the Passage de
Mazarin. The tire taken to cover this dis
lance had been Is minutes 20 seconds
NOTE BY THE JUDGE OF INSTRUCTION,
81. As to the time when the murder was
committed. medical testimony goes tc
| prove that the dagger wound from which
Meissner died was inflicted at late hou
on Monday night The occupant of the room
next to Meissner's, Jules Pernet, the copyist
heard a dull, heavy noise, such as would be
| caused by the fail of the murdered man: this
| he believes, was after 10 o'clock. The candle
taken upstairs by Meissner at o'clock would
says the janitor Mouton, burn for about an
hour and a half. Meissner's body was found
lying in front of his writing table; on the
| tableware sheets of paper scrawled over with
unfinished calculations; he had been working
at these when suddenly stabbed from behind
his pen was found on the floor. The candle
therefore, was still burning when the fatal
| blow was struck; consequently, if Mouton's
statement be accepted, the murder was com,
mitted before 1880.
| "2. AS to Girards connection with the at.
fair.-Here we have an uncle VIGOROUSLY rich,
| nephew VIGOROUSLY poor. We have ample
:. evidence Of the existence of bad feeling be-
tween this uncle and nephew Mouton il
witness of violent scene between them
| HFoio, L.,
cal; Marsal-a most reluctant witness-testi.
lies that on the night OF the murder Girard
stigmatized his uncle as cur and declared
that he hated him.
| 'sChristmas eve, the evening of the murder,
is spent by Girard and Marsal at the Cafe de
la pnrcc EhssE feave TIE cafe together at a
little before 1o,,s at the head of the Rue Dau
phine, where they reside, Girard quits his
| friend, saying that he has to pay visit; 10
| o'clock is striking as they separate. Girard
| goes straight to the Rue de POdeon, to the
residence OF bus betrothed, Mile. Dumaine
he remains with her, speaking on Indifferent
subjects, for a very short time not more than
| i've minutes After Glrard leaves Nile.
| Dumalne there is no direct evidence as to his
movements.
sit IS now little after 10 o'clock-about
ten or fifteen minutes. About this time
| Police Sergeant GARNER, at his post in the
| Rue de Biche, is passed by q man of middling
| height and SHINY made who hastens in the
| direction OF the Passage de Mazarin. The
child Sophie Mouton sees the figure Of a
'talhsh, slenderly-bullt' man glide swiftly
| past her window toward the court of the
house; it is, she thinks, at some time either
little before OF a little after 10 that she sees
this man pass. 1t is true that the evidence
both Of GARNER and of the child Sophie
Mouton IS indefinite with regard to time; but
the evidence of the one supports that of the
other. The Officer OF Police Lambert has
walked at a swift pace over the route fol-
lowed by Glrard on Monday night; it took
him about thirteen minutes. SO far as the
| question OF time Is concerned, the man who
passed GARNER in the Rue de Biche and the
man who was seen by Sophie Mouton at No.
ID Passage de Mazarin may therefore have
been one and the same person; ard that per-
son may have been Raoul Girard, the ac-
cused
"Beside the dead body of Meissner are
found an ivory wrist-stud bearing an initial
| g., and japanese dagger with which the
crime was committed. Girard, when arrested,
is found to have at one wrist a button match
ing that found in Meissner's room; the button
at the other wrist is gone. The japanese dag
ger is a rarity; only one other like it has been
found in Paris, in the famous private collec-
ton Of M. de ST. Florent. At one time, as has
been proved by several witnesses, Girard had
in his possession dagger exactly resembling
that found beside the corpse of Meissper.
This weapon of Girard's was inclosed in a
peculiar fan-shaped sheath, which has it's
counterpart in the sheath belonging to the
dagger of NJ. de st. Florent. There is no
proof that Girard ever parted with the dagger
seen in his possession.
Sin what way does Girard explain these
circumstances, which combine 30 terribly to
prove his guilt? The story wf"ch hs tells n
perfectly connected. If his explanation breaks
down, it will be from no contradiction in it,
but SIMPLY from its essential incredibility.
Gerard declares that, swayed by a sudden
impulse, he went on Monday night to demand
money from his uncle; that he entered the
room by the window, knowing that the Jan
itor had orders not to admit him; and, hay
ing entered, found the corpse of Meissner II.
ing in pool of blood.
'sIf the story be set aside, there is but one