Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-05-06

q. At what hour was that!
A. At 10 o'clock precisely; the bells of st.
Sulpice sounded the hour as we parted.
Q. You see this dagger; have you seen it
before!
A. l cannot say.
Q. Howl You cannot say? Did you never
see this dagger in the hands of Raoul
Girards
A. l have seen in his possession weapon
which was very like it.
Q. Exactly like it.
A Yes.
Q. That dagger which you saw in Girard's
possession had sheath; can you describe it!
A. 1t was shaped, remember, ike closed
fan.
9. Was this the sheath? Here the witness
was shown the sheath of the weapon belong
ing to NJ. de st. F1orent)
A. 1t might have been; it resembles it.
q. When was it that you saw the dagger III
Girard's possession!
A. (After a pause.) I think about two years
ago. l saw it one day lying ON Raouls table:
understood that it had been given him by
his uncle to sell. l took it up to examine it,
and said that it seemed valuable and would
bring something.
q. You saw it only that once!
A Yes; | was not living with Girard at
the time; | understood that he was going to
sell it.
Q. But you do not know for fact that he
did so?
A. No.
q. On the table in your room. No. 2S Rue
Dauphine, there was found by the detective
officer Ply, on the night of Wednesday, the
Goth, newspaper, SO folded that a paragraph
relating to the crime lay uppermost, and
little heap of money; it was you placed those
things there!
A. Yes.
q. With what purposea
A To warn my friend that he was in dam
ger.
O. Then you suspected hims
A. did SO at that time 1t was an I'M
worthy suspicion, of which 1 am ashamed.
[ am now as certain Of his innocence as of my
own.
Gabrielle Dumaine, glove cleaner, Rue de
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 enmity in referring to his uncle!
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 shamefully.
q. Did you ever see in Girard's possessions
long dagger, with curious writing on the
blade, and an oddly-shaped sheath:
a. Yes, l once saw such dagger; Raoul
visited us one day in passing, and showed it
to us; it had been given him, he SAID, by his
uncle week or two before, and he was then
on his way to sell it if he could find pur-
chaser.
Q. Was that long agos
A. Yes: more than a year; perhaps two
years; L canpot say precisely.
.. Would you recognize this weapon and
its sheath if they were shown you.
A think so.
Q. Is that the daggers Shown the poniard
used in the murder).
A. 1t is very like it; 1 remember the chry-
santhemum flower on the blade.
O. Is that the sheaths Shown the sheath
from NJ de st. Florent's collection.
A believe it is or one exactly like it.
Z. What was the last occasion on which
you saw the accused!
A. On Monday night, little after ten, he
tapped at the door of our shop in the Rue de
rOdeon, and 1 went to the door and spoke to
him.
q. How long did your conversation lasts
A. Only few minutes.
q. Did he refer to his uncle at all during
your interviews
A. Oh, no; we talked almost exclusively
about the comedy which Raoul had sent to
the Odeon.
q. Did you observe anything peculiar ia
Girard's manner.
A. No, L did not; to me Raoul has always
been the same.
.. You do not think your conversation
lasted more than five minutes!
A. I am certain it lasted no longer than
that Raoul would not come in, and it was
showing at the time.
Abel Lenormand, journalist stated that he
had been colleague of Girard's en the staff
of LIE Petit Monde, 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 Oriental
workmanship, in sheath made to initiate a
closed fan. Had taken up the dagger and
handled it, admiring 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 Girard's possession,
was at all events its very fac-simile. Could
not say exactly when he had paid this visit
to Girard, but thought it must have been at
least couple of years ago.
AugusJe Eisson, journalist, confirmed the
s~.den@a oc tho last witness
Pierre Roussel servant at the house No. %
Rue Dauphlne, bore witness to the fact that
Girard did not return home until after two
o'clock on Tuesday morning, and that his
coat sleeve was ripped up from the cuff to the
shoulder.
Isaac Cohen, money-lender, stated that he
~. known the deceased Joseph Messner for
over thirty years. Meissner was man or
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 Meissner
had complained bitterly to him Cohen of his
nephew's conduct, saying that the young
man was a scapegrace, rascal; that he had
been extorting money, as usual; and that he
(Meissner)'would be ruined if this went on.
Had heard Meisscer say more than once that |
he expected to be murdered sorne 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 |
ret bear it to be out of his sight. When
Meissner spoke of expecting to be murdered,
it was without reference to any individual.
The Police Sergeant GARNER gave evidence,
that, or the night of Monday, the 24th, he had
been stationed i'll the Rue de Biche. Remem- |
bered that, while standing at the street corner,
a man had passed him, walking very fast, in
the direction of the Passage de Mazarin.
The man was Of middling height, end slimly |
made, wore a low-crowned hat, and had no |
greatcoat. Confronted with the accused. de-