Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-04-24


hatred with reference to his uncle, or did he
not?
A. Given after considerable hesitation) I
believe he did say something to the effect that
he hated his uncle, as he had good reason to
do.
Q. You ere here to give evidence, not to
comment. Attend to this question: AT what
hour did you leavethe Cafe de la Source?
A. At little before ten O'Clock.
Q. Did Girard accompany you homes
A. No, he left me at the top of the Rue
Dauphine, saying that he meant to pay a
visit
@. At what hour was that?
A. At 10 o'clock precisely; the bells of st.
Sulpice sounded the hour as we parted.
@. You see this dagger; have you seen it
before?
A. cannot say.
Q. How! You cannot says Did you never
see this dagger in the hands of Raoul
Girards
A. have seen in his possession a weapon
which was very like it.
Q. Exactly like it?
A. Yes.
O. That dagger which you saw in Girard's
possession had q sheath; can you describe it
A. 1t was shaped, remember, like closed
fan.
Q. Was this the sheath? Here the witness
was shown the sheath Of the weapon belong
ing to M. de st. Florent.)
A. 1t might have been; it resembles it.
@. When was it that you saw the dagger ii
55irard's possession?
A. (After pause.) I think about two years
ago. saw it one day lying on Raoul's table
understood that it had been given him by
his uncle to sell. I took it up to examine it
and said that it seemed valuable and would
bring something.
@. You saw it only that onces
A. Yes; was not living with Girard a!
the time; Understood that he was going te
sell it.
Q. But you do not know for a fact that he
did SO?
A. No.
@. On the table in your room, No. % Rue
Dauphine, there was found by the detective
officer Ply, on the night of Wednesday, the
Both, a newspaper, SO folded that a paragraph
relating to the crime lay uppermost, and c
little heap of money; it was you placed those
things shers?eg
A. Yes.
@. With what purpose?
A. To warn my friend that he was in dan
ScI.
q. Then you suspected him2
A. did so at that time. It was an IN
worthy suspicion, of which am ashamed
| I am now as certain of his innocence as Of my
Own.
Gabrielle Dumaine, glove cleaner, Rue dc
rOdeon, gave evidence: That she knew the
accused Raoul Girard intimately; that she
was his betrothed. Interrogated as to whether
she had ever heard Girard speak of his
uncle, declared that she had, but very rarely.
| Thought she had been told Meissner's name
but knew nothing about him, except that he
was rich and misery, and had behaved very
badly to her friend. Did Girard ever use the
language Of enrnity in referring to his u1clei
No; he spoke bitterly about the usage he had
received, and that was all. But his language
left the impression that he disliked his uncle
Oh, certainly; how could it be otherwise
Meissner had treated him shanefully.
O. Did you ever see in Gdrards possession g
long dagger, with curious writing on the
blade, and an oddly-shaped sheath?
A. Yes, once saw such a dagger; Raoul
visited US one day in passing, and showed it
to, Us; it had been given him, he said, by his
un Gle a week or two before, and he was then
on Wis way to sell it il he could find pur-
chase T.
@. WAS that long agos
A v ~, more than year; perhaps two
wears: cannot say precisely.
O. Won Id you recognize this weapon and
its sheath il they were shown youa
A. T think so.
@. Is that ue daggera Shown theponiard
used in the mt rder).
A. 1t is very IKE it; remember the chry-
santhe1num flow " on the blade.
@. Is that the gseaths Shown the sheath
from M. de st. Flo. vnt's collection.
A. believe it is, " one exactly like it.
O. What was the lest occasion on which
you saw the accused?
A. On Monday night, a little after ten, he
tapped at the door of GU. shop in the Rue de
rOdeon. and went to The door and spoke to
him.
@. How long did your con versation lasts
A. Only few minutes.
O. Did he refer to his uncle, as all during
your interviews
A. Oh, no; we talked almost exclusively
about the comedy which Raoul DAD sent to
the Odeon.
Q. Did you observe anything pe ,cuiiar IN
Girards manner?
A. No. did not; to me Raou1 has always
been the same.
Q. You do not think your convers atlon
lasted more than five lninutess
A. am certain it lasted no longer I'll Nan
that. Raoul would not come in, and it W Us
showing at tie time.
Abel Lenormand, journalist, stated that he
had been colleague Of Girards on the staff
Of LIE Petit Monde, q weekly journal now ex-
tinct. Remembered calling on Girard in
company with his friend Tisson, and seeing
on his (Girard's) table a dagger Of Orier tai
workmanship, in a sheath made to imitats
closed fan. Had taken up the dagger and
handled it, adrniring the fine temper of the
steel. The weapon now shown him that
found beside the dead body Of Meissner), if
not the one he had seen in Cirard IS possession,
was at all events its very facsimile. Could
not say exactly when be had paid this visit
to Girard, but thought it must have been at
least q c>.'--71- y"
Auguste Tisson, journalist, confirmed the
evidence of the last witness.
Pierre Roussel, servant at the house No. q
Rue Dauphine, bore witness to the fact that
Grard did not return home until after two
o'clock on Tuesday morning, and that his
coat sleeve was ripped up from the cuff to tbs
shoulder.
Isaac Cohen, moneylender, stated that he
had known the deceased Joseph Meissner for
over thirty years. Meissner was a man of
eccentric and miserly habits. Remembered
visiting him on one occasion, and passing on
the stairs the accused, Raoul Girard, who had
just left his uncle On that occasion Meissoer
had complained bitterly to him Cohen Of his
nephew's conduct, saying that the young
man was scapegrace, a rascal; that he had
been e1tortng money, as usual; and that he
NIeissner) would be ruined if this went on.
Had heard Meissner say more than once that
he expected to be murdered some day, for the
sake Of the treasure he kept in his room.
Had advised Meissner to send the treasure to
his bankers, but he had not done SO; could
l,oo,n 10, boAo Ae,A L; clio