Western Kansas world., 1885-08-08
That is the Mani"

ludG Is Lut Hdui
Pierre Louard and his wife lived, in l
$50, on small estate near Lesay, i
Poitou, France. They had three daugh
ters, Marie, Louise, and Agnes. On
July morning in the year named Pierr
found man asleep in his stable. 81
was about % years Of age, shoeless, hat
less, and with only few miserable rag
to cover him. Moreover, he was hal
dead from starvation and exposure, HI
said he was the son of a physician a
Chalons; that his father had been con
yicted of crime; that his mother had diet
broken-hearted; that his friends ha(
spurned him, and that he had sold tht
little property he had and wandered
away in search of some spot where be
could earn living and remain unknown
Louard procured MIN clothes, took hin
to the stream that flowed near by anG
furnish him with everything needful to
make him look respectable. Then Nine
Louard gave him a hearty meal and
spoke to him with motherly kindness
The end was that they took Afghan into
their family, and be on his part showed
great aptitude at farm-work and the care
ofcattle.
Though Louard possessed fine old
dwelling, beautifully situated, he had
but little land, and was barely able to
make subsistence for his family. For
merly he owned fine estate, but un-
fortunately he had aspired to be an in
ventor, and the result was that he had
parted with acre after acre of his patri-
mony, and achieved nothing with his
mechanical labrs. In the rear wing of
the dwelling was room which Louard
specially claimed as his. There he had
latlles and furnace, and all the tools
and materials which his mechanical pur-
suits demanded. At the end of the
corridor, directly facing the entrance to
Louard's workshop, was a room occu-
pied by Frederic Bucny, son of MN.
Louard by former marriage. This.
Buchy was % years old, uncouth. some-
what ignorant, and dissipated.
On the night of Aug. 2, 1860, about 9
o'clock, Nine. Louard and her eldest
daughter. Marie, were seated in small
parlor near the main entrance of the
dwelling. The door was open, and
view of the wide center staircase could
be distinctly had by the occupants of the
room. Suddenly there was a sound of
hasty footsteps on the stairs, and mother
and daughter turned their eyes in that
direction. Buchy appeared on the first
landing, IN his shirt-sleeves.
"Wby, what is the natter" Nine.
Louard exclaimed, rising and fastening
into the hall. AS she reached it Buchy's |
feet flew from under him, and he fell |
with great force, striking his head on the |
hard oaken stairs. He lay there sense |
less. On being raised blood flowed from |
a wound in the back of his head. Medi- |
cal aid was summoned by Aigan, who |
came in at the front Goor, soaked with a |
heavy rain, almost Immediately after |
the accident. The doctor declared that
Buchy's skull was fractured, and next |
day he was removed to the hospital at
Poitiers.
In the meantime NJ Louard had not
been seen. 1t was no uncommon thing
for him to remain all night in his work |
shop, and even until late the next morn
ing. Though it was suggested that he
should be summoned Aign ran opposed it,
saying that he had been moody and re-
served for some days past, and knowl-
edge OF what had befallen Buchy no hit |
have serious efectupon his mind.
Let us remove Buchy," said Afghan,
and then we will invent q story about |
his having gone to visit his uncle at Pru-
eIlly."
Nine. Louard yielded to his suggestion,
but when noon next day arrived she de-
to see whether her husband
was in his workshop. On going thither
she found the door locked, and her re-
peated applications for admission were
Greatly alarmed, she tried
20 break open the door, but was unable
% do so. Afghan, who had gone with
Buchy to Poitiers, had not returned, and
she, therefore, sent Marie to the village
IF Lesay for the blacksmith. He came
With his tools, and soon broke open the
ioor. Louard lay bacs in an old fash
oned easy chair, with his throat cut from
sar to ear. On the floor, at his right hand
'ide. lay shoemaker knife, which he
lad used for the cutting of leather wash
,rs for screws. The blood was over the
loor, and had spurted out upon the desk
,efore which the old man was seated.
)n the desk lay sheet Of paper. The
ben lay at its side, and the ink was on the
eft hand side. He had evidently just
,een writing before his death. The pa
yer on the desk bore three or four lines
n Louardis handwriting. The paper was
spotted with blood. It contained the
ollowing word:
"MY DEAR LOUISE: I know not how to
announce to you what l am about to
write. am afraid it will give you great
shock. l shall now end my life"
From the left side pocket of Louards /.
,oat an envelope protruded. 1t contain
ID letter from q lawyer of LYONS an
the fact that Louard's cousin,
Leon Creuzot, had died and left Louard
'ole heir to an estate Of 5000, 900 francs.
This Creuzot Was older than Louard, and
had been q successful and miserly mer-
:hant. Louard and he were orphans and
brought up together by an aunt at Leeay.
Ali agreed that Louard had committed I