The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-12-11
A DETECTIVE CAT.
Though Quite Innocent, She Played
Her Part Well.

On the morning of january 10. 1877,
the police of Paris were in a state OF
commot:on over a crime perpetrated
during the night just past. The safe IN
the bank of Briux Brothers. on the Rue
du Quatre Septembre, had been opened,
and over so, 900 francs removed. There
was absolutely no clew to the thieves.
The doors and locks We're intact, and
not a mark indicated that any violence
had been used. Moreover, the Brothers
Br,ux lived over the bank. One of
them. Charles. was absent IN London,
and the other, Henry, had remained in
the bank long after the clerks left. He
had seen that every thing was properly
left for the night. and had then retired
to his apartments by a private stairway,
carefully locking the double door be-
tween the count,ng-rooms and the
dwelling above. At this time it was
nine O'Clock, and, leaving his attendant,
Colbert, an old and faithful servant, in
charge. he visited the house of his friend,
Monsieur G%ourgaud, on the Rue Latitte.
There he remained until ten minutes
past twelve, when he returned home.
Mons. Henry BriuX was subjected by
the authorities to a very rigid examina-
ton, but he was mistaken in his state
nent that the money was safe in the
metallic stronghold when he retired to
his apartments. The last thing he did
WAS to see TO that very thing. When
the clerks left he fastened all the doors
after them. when he retired to bis pri-
vate room where the safe was. All his
affairs were in excellent order. His
business was squared up to Il dollar.
and the firms assets were two millions
over its liabilities.
Here was a puzzle for the very as
tutcst of the astut2 detective force of
Paris. What could they do? Where
wa there the faintest c,ew to the crime:
Not a mark, not a scratch-''nothing
with two ends as one of the officers
said-was to be found about the place
that ought not to be found there, or
that was not there the previous day.
The chief of police and his aids came
and saw, and went away conquered.
In what direction must the authorities
took for something to guide them in
their inquiries? Ordinarily, when a
burglary was committed. some token
remained which tod the story. at least
in part. Frequently the way in which
it was done indicated the kind Of
thief that had been at work.
Very often the detectives could
tell from the method of the burglars the
very mcn who had been concerned in
the crime. But here they were at sea
and apparently helpless, Neither was
there anything in the nature OF the
property missing which would help the
officers to trace it. Only bills of the
Bank OF France had been taken. Nalu-
able securities had been left.
, All. there wa one fact which Mon
sieur Henry Briux did not think of until
later in the day. When he locked up
the counting-room on the evening of
January ~, he left his faYorite cat in
his private room. The next day it was
gone and no n knew any thing about
it. The inference was that it had
followed the thief or thieves ont and
perhaps been lost in the street or killed.
Monsieur Paul Briux, the father of
Henry and Charles, was born and
reared in the seaport of Brest. He was
a worker in wire, and made fancy cages
for birds, squirrels, white mice and
other animals, upon which men, women
and children are fond of practising the
crucI.y Of kindness. Not far from him