Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-04-02
CHAPTER ".

| hOP1i tSSA'
CHAPTER ".
| I was strolling down the. Boulevard St
Michael, after attending the lecture On Ro-
man law, when l met by chance Thouvenot, a
friend of mine, and law student like myself.
Thouvenot proposed a game of billiards; and,
feeling the need of distraction after my late
effort of industry, agreed
We went to the Cafe de la Cigarette, where
the young ladies who serve you aroall dressed
alike in red, and where everything is very
gorgeous. We played several games at bill
lizards and had several glasses of beer, spend,
ing the afternoon thus very agreeably. Then
Thouvenot said all at once:
''My dear fellow, have proposal tc
make.n
.sWhat is thatg'
''That we go for walk that we visit the
Morgue"
"And why the Morgue, Of all placesF'
"Why9 because all the wSrld is running
there to-day, and we may as well run too.
Have YOU not read in the journals this morn
ing of the murder of Joseph Meissnera'
"Ah, have been told Of the murder of this
man. Did you know him9'
ssTo my cost; be was the closest,tisted Jew
in the Quarter"
"Impossible. Think Of my friend Levi
Jacob"
'sHe was infinitely worse than even your
friend Jacob. Some poor devil has murdered
him out of revenge, fancy. But you really
must hear the details of the affair; they arc
curious, l assure you. 1t is the most promis-
inq mystery since the affair of Menilmontant.
Euphraise, my angeP-to one Of the young
ladies in red-''be good enough to bring me
The Figaro. All, here is the paragraph.
Listenl"
The paragraph which Thouvenot read me
from The Figaro was as follows:
stMURpER IN THE PASSAGE DE MAzARIN.-
Last evening the inhabitants of the Quarter
ies Ecoles were thrown into excitement by
the intelligence that frightful and mysteri
ms crime had been committed in their midst.
Mons, Joseph Meissner, Of Jewish nationality,
and by profession money-lender, had been
found murdered in his room, No. 13 Passage
ie Mazarin. The facts, SO far as yet known,
are these: About a quarter-past seven last
evening man out of breath and in state
Df extreme agitation presented himself at
The bureau of police, Rue des Saints Peres,
declaring that murder had been committed.
Tnterrogated as to his name and avocatlon,
declared that he was called Jean Mouton, and
that he was ianitor of the house No. Is
Passage dc Mazarin, between the Rue st.
Andre and the Rue de Biche. Declared
further that one of the tenants of the house was
Monsieur Joseph Meissner, q Jewish money
lender, who had room and cabinet on the
second floor. That Joseph Meissner was
man of eccentric habits, and, among other
singular instructions, had given him, Mouton,
this-that if on any day he failed to appear at
s o'clock, the hour at which he invariably
went out to dine, his room should be forcibly
entered without loss of time. On this even
ing-the evening of Tuesday-6 o'clock had
sounded from the church of st. Augustin,
and Meissner had not appeared. Such a thing
had never happened before, the old money
lender being always remarkably punctual.
The ianitor became uneasy, remembering
the instructions that had been given him.
{ He waited till the bells of st. Augustin tolled
the quarter, then went upstairs and listened at
the door of the room. Not sound was to be
! heard. He sought to peer through the key
. hole. but the interior of the room was quite
dark. and he could see nothing He came
downstairs again; went up second time;
the same dead stiffness. His uneasiness grew
to alarm; nevertheless, he waited till struck
from the church tower, then went to ask
{ the advice of his friend and neighbor, the
, sieur Francois Bastoul, publican. Bastoul,
having heard Moutons story, strongly advised
!. him to do as the old man had bidden him, and
/ offered to help him in breaking open the door.
|, Having provided themselves with crowbar,
/, they went up to Meissner's room; listened,
, called knocked, shook the door; no an
swer They then forced the door open
{ with their crowbar. The sight that met theil
ewes filled them with horror. The corpse of
4 Joseph Meissner lay before them on the
1 floor, in the middle of a great red stain that
{ covered the planking The body lay upon
{ it's face, huddled together as if it had fallen
E from the chair that stood in front OF the
writing table. The furniture of the room
{ had been thrown into confusion, and the cab.
i inets and lock fast places bore the appearance
of having been forcibly opened and ransacked
= At first the janitor and his companion
s were too much Mortified to do, or think of
ANYTHING; but at length Bastoul proposed
; that they should instantly close the door
without touching tho body where it lay; and
, that, while he himself kept watch outside
4 Mouton should run at full speed to fetch tht
g police This he did; and Superintendent
Ledru, having taken down his story, at once
accompanied him to tho scene of the crime
t Everything was found there as Mouton haf
e described it. We are Informed that tn
r police have discovered, beside the corpse G
Joseph Meissner, a dagger of foreign manu-
e facture, used beyond doubt in tho commission
of the crime; al3o Gn ivory wrist stud, will
e an initial ON it, in ell probability dropped b,
a the assassin. It is thought that these acti e
cannot fail to give clew to the discovery G.
t the guilty person. Meanwhile, the ja4toy
q Mouton, has been placed under survc...l,,le.
!! "Well, Marsal, what do you thin.i of II. :;
t said Thouvenot, as he laid down the pa..,.
/. and relit his cigar. "Was not right in Gu,
= ing it promising mystery?'
"Certainly. This will flutter the Ru
Jerusalem, should think. The police hay