Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-04-10


viuirs real estate III Paris, Amiens and Pro-
wins; railway and mining script; a number of
gold watches, articles of jewelry, and precious
stones cut and uncut; and sums of money in
French and foreign gold, estimated at not
less than $4,000 francs. This inventory SUI
perintendent Ledru handed in to the judge of
Instruction, together with sealed parcel
containing the books and papers of the muir
dered man.
The officers Lambert and Regnaud corrob-
GRATED the testimony of their chief as to the
finding Of the body Both agreed in the opin-
ion that Messner had been stabbed while
sitting at his writing table, and had then
fallen from his chair to the ground. Lam
bert stated further that having been ordered
to examine the cabinet OF small bed-closet off
the sitting room, he had found the window
wide open; also that the marks of muddy
boots could be traced on the floors of both
rooms.
DR.. Cosse stated thai, at the request of Super
intsndent of Police Ledru, he had visited this
place last night, and made an examination of
the corpse of Joseph Meissner. Death had
resulted from stab under the right shoulder
blade, which had perforated the lung and
caused copious hemorrhage. The rush Of
blood to the mouth would doubtless choke
the unfortunate man, and prevent his utter
ing any cry. Death. if not instantaneous,
would Immediately follow the infection of
the wound Had been shown the foreign
looking dagger found beside the corpse, and
bad satisfied himself that with this weapon,
no other, the mortal blow must
anu zen struck. The blade of the dagger
nave l. >dged exactly fitting the orifce in
was tnree- In the body of the deceased.
Ine ciotnes an the hour when he had seen
1uttIIOSdC0G Us 10 %afad that bo had ar
the corpse, DR.. Cosse ST. .,opt S.15 O'Clock
rived on the spot at a.. ,,rm an onin;on
Asked as to whether he could II. = had been
as to the time when the murde. ,ppear
committed, replied that, from the :. to
ance of the body, he should suppose Lille =
have been extinct for at least - hours The
fact that the blood from the wound had COM
pletely soaked into the wood of the floor
made "a hours a still more likely period.
DR.. A. de Bourbon, surgeon at the Hotel
Dieu, concurred in the evidence of Dr. Cosse.
The fatal wound had certainly been dealt
with the dagger found beside the corpse. 1t
was flesh wound, inflicted at O. distance of
an inch and a half below the right clavicle,
and avoiding all contact with the dorsal
vertebra. Death from such wound, in the
case of an old man like the deceased, would
probably ensue in about five minutes time.
From the appearance Of the body and the
coagulated blood had little hesitation in say
ing that the wound had been inflicted late on
Monday night or early ON Tuesday morning.
The janitor, Mouton, recalled and re-
examined, answered as follows:
@. Your room opens from the passage lead
ing into the courtyard of this housed
A. Yes.
@. Your room has glazed door?
A. Yes.
=. SO that one can see, from the janitor's
room, every person who enters the courtyard
from the Passage de Mazarin, or vice versaa
A. Yes, if one is looking out
Q. Naturally. You have already stated
that Meissners habit was to return home
punctually at nine o'clock. Did you observe
him pass your door at that hour Monday
nights
A. He came into the room ON Monday night
at that hour to take his key and his candle
before going upstairs.
Q. As all your tenants are in the habit Of
doings
A. Certainly
Q. And this was the last occasion on which
you saw Joseph Meissner alivea
A. The last.
9. Now, can you tell me with any certainty
what persons passed your door going into the
court between nine and ten oclocks
A. am certain that no one passed between
nine and half-past nine excepting M. Stanis-
las
Q. And who is M. Stanislass
A. One of the tenants on the fourth floor He
came in about quarter-past nine, took his
key, and wished me goodnight.
Q. And you are certain no one else passed,
up to half-past nines
A. Perfectly certain.
9. Why do you say half-past nine?
A. Because at that hour went out.
@. Wherea
A. First to the shoemaker's, Rue de Biche,
to fetch pair of boots belonging to one of
the tenants. Then to the wine-shop at the
corner Of the Rue st. Andre, kept by M.
Bastoul, where met two of my friends, with
whom I played several games of domi-
noes; returning home about ten minutes past
eleven.
Q. You then closed the outer door of your
passage for the nights
A. Yes.
9. Your usual hour for doing so is elevens
A. Yes, but On Monday night was
quarter of an hour later
To be Continued.