The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-04-01
CATISSON COUSSAC.

| enDCT0u Tile dO L11ulORcSy WACIO III
adjutant one morning informed us W
had an important undertaking on hand
An honest, poor man, master mason
had been assassinated at his own home
Faubourg Montmailler, no one knowing
who had committed the crime. 1t wa
in September, and we had an agreemen
to clear the roads for the marmed chas
seurs. The adjutant, NJ Boudet nov
promoted to the rank of captain, recon
mended to the quartermaster that tn
men redouble their vigilance, and i
they found under the chestnut tree O
along the road doubtful or suspicion
characters, to arrest them. The entir'
round was guarded, for the order haC
been dispatched to Chateau-neuf, to Am
5ayac, to Saint Sulpice and Lauriere
Bellac and Rochechouart. Such orders
are somewhat perplexing, 1t will no
do to depend too much upon the appear
ance. There are those of unfavorablt
.nien who are most worthy. l once
| knew a person whom they might have
| guillotined, or at east sent to theg galleys
for his looks. Al, well, he was a man
to whom in every other respect they
would have given the Montyou value.
He supported number of people, and
distributed to the poor all he had; a
saint, upon my honor, yet with the head
of a galley slave; while others who would
| be granted absolution without confession
suddenly come to manacles. But they
told us to arrest. and we arrested ped
dlers, beggars, as yellow as their wallets,
even idiots, who roamed unknowingly
over the country. Not one seemed
capable of making way with Father
Coussac. Time passed, and the assassin
of Faubourg was still unknown. Discov-
cry was not easy; we had SO few indica-
lions to guide us, and the affair was one
of mystery.
One day when I was at the guard
house beautiful girl, with black eyes
like mulberries, and red bps like straw
berries, came toward me, saying:
"Have they any news of the assassin !?
I am the daughter of Leonard Coussac." !"
That was something worth hearing.
She spoke with SO much energy and feel
ing that felt ashamed of not having put
into custody the wretch who had killed
her father. Then tried to excuse my
self, saying how meager was ou: infor-
nation regarding the assassin, and this
and that, but she looked at me so steadily
1 became embarrassed and said suddenly:
well, miss, would risk an arm or a
limb to catch the rogue for you"
And 1 spoke the truth; yet it was not
perhaps professional duty that made me
say it, but those velvety black eyes
"Only, said, 1--WE must have a clew"
"a clew? 2" And then she shrugged
/. IL t., L.
"The handi What hand ?"
Then Catisson Coussac related to me
the story of the crime, which confess
chilled me.
1t was one evening in September.
Poor, honest Coussac had at his house in
Faubourg Montmailler some money
which had been intrusted to him by his
patron, NJ. Gabourdy, the contractor,
about 10000 francs, with which he was
to settle two biEs-one with a plasterer,
the other with lumber merchant. Hav-
ing, upon this particular evening
finished his repast, Father Cous-
sac and his daughter remained
downstairs after mother Coussac had re-
tired, he reading his almanac as he sat
near the closet containing the silver, and
she knitting a wool stocking. 1t is nee
essary to explain that there was gar
den back of the house, and, facing this,
a window, the height of man, the shut
ters of which were generally closed, but
which on this particular evening, the
worthy man, being trifle warm, left
open. He read there, under the sky
light by a small lamp, and Catisson
heard him turn over and over the pages
of his almanac. She has often told me
that she felt, while working mechan-
ically, a little drowsy, by this noise of
the paper, so regular, and by the tick,
of the pendulum, and that, suddenly
raising her head from her work, to yawn
and see if it was not time to go to sleep,
she saw, believing at first that she was
that she dreamed; that she had
the nightmare-she saw between the
folds of the shutter, passing, moving
softly, softly, hand, large hand, but
with something frightful about it that
Catisson remarked at once, the four fin |
gers, almost as large as the thumb, be-
ing all of the size, as though cut by line, |
yet they were not cut, only terminated !
in this frightful way; and this hideous |
hand glided along the shutters, evidently |
seeking to open the blind noiselessly. !
Then it remained motionless, as though |
its owner knew that Catisson had discov- |
cred him. For a moment she believed |
she had not seen Alright, that the |
light of the lamp had dazzled her |
sight. But when she opened her |
eyes, very much frightened, there |
was the moving hand, with its enor-
nous even fingers. Catisson wished |
TO scream, but seemed strangled by that |
terrible hand. Then she suddenly arose, |
and, seizing her father by the sleeve,
pointed to the hand on the blind. But |
1t the same moment that old Coussac
turned, the robber quickly pushed open
the blind, and a current of air extin-
yuished the lamp in a cloud of flame
and smoke, leaving Catisson and her
father in darkness. Coussac, hearing
he sound of heavy body leaping into
,he room, tried to find a knife with
which to defend himself, and more es-
oecially the money, but before he could
open the cupboard he was seized by the
throat, and felt a stroke against his
neck, then down near his heart. Catis-
,on screamed, divining all, though see
ng nothing, but heavy blow rendered
1er powerless. The poor girl was in a
,aint, she could not say how long, and
when she recovered found herself in the
over hall, where Mother Coussac,
vhiter than her robe, sought to rouse
poor Leonard, who pointed to the breast
IS if to say; %Wound in here-no rem
,dy." sEl
OF course the closet where Coussac
had placed the money was broken open
md the bills were stolen. Such night
he Faubourg Montmailler will long re-
nember it. They aroused the neighbors
nd searched the garden, where they
ound footprints, which they measured.
hey searched everywhere. In the
neantime Coussac died, and the old
mother was beside herself. Catisson,
alf out of her senses, saw ever that
rightful hand, with the four even fin
ers gliding over the oak shutter, like a
pider or a crab.
AS you can imagine, we made every