Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-04-29

stirred out of doors till q, he, Mouton ha,
not been surprised or alarmed by his non-ar
pearance up to that hour. Stated that Meiss
ner had repeatedly enjoined him to force al
entrance into his room any day that he di,
not appear at & o'clock. Interrogated as t
whether he knew what motive Meissner coul,
have for giving SO singular an order, replie,
that he was unable to guess, unless it were
fear of what had actually happened
of being murdered in his room.
Francois Bastoul, publican, gave evidenc
as to the finding of the body in exact agree
ment with Moutons statement to the police.
Leon Ledru, superintendent of the burea,
of police, Rue des Saints Peres, stated tina
at twenty minutes past seven on Tuesda,
evening Jean Moutcn, janitor, presente'
nTmseH at rne bureau and gave information
OF the murder. He, Ledru, taking with him
the officers Lambert and Regnaud, thereon
accompanied the janitor, Mouton, to the
house No IL Passage de Mazarin, where they
found the sieur Francois Bastoul awaiting
them outside the door of this room. Bastoul
assured them that the door had been un-
opened previous to their arrival. On OPEN
ing the door, they found the dead body of
Meissner lying close by his writing chair, as
ii he had fallen from it on being struck The
body was cold and rigid. Beside it was found
dagger of foreign manufacture, stained
with blood, and wrist-stud Of ivory,
with the initial G.. on it. These articles
were now at the Morgue. Had ex-
amined the various lock-fast places in
the room. Nearly all Of these were open; one
or two had their locks forced; the most had
apparently been opened by their proper keys,
a bunch of which was found hanging in one
of the locks. Most Of the drawers, strong
boxes, etc, bore evidence of having been ran
sacked to the bottom; but if any valuables
had been removed, I. easure to a very large
amount had been left behind. He, the superin-
tendent, had drawn up an inventory of articles
of value found in the several lock-fast places
before sealing up these receptacles This in-
ventory comprised drafts to a large amount
on the Bank of France and the Credit Lyon
nais; rentes, three and five per cents; the
titles of real estate in Paris, Amiens and Pro-
Wins; railway and mining script; number of
gold watches, articles of jewery, 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 Su-
perintendent Ledru handed in to the judge of
instruction, together with a sealed parcel
containing the books and papers of the muir
1ered man.
TIE officers Lambert and Regnaud corrob-
orated the testimony of their chief as to the
finding of the body. Both agreed in the opin-
ion that MeisSier had been stabbed while
sizing 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 or 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 that, at the request of Super
intendent 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 a 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 infiction of
the wound. Had been shown the foreign
looking dagger found beside the corpse, and
had satisfied himself that with this weapon,
and no other, the mortal blow must
have been struck. The blade of the dagger
was three-edged, exactly fitting the orifice in
the clothes and in the body of the deceased
InterrogateG as to the hour when he had seen
the corpse, DR.. Cosse stated that he had ar
rived on the spot at about S:15 o'clock.
Asked as to whether he could form an opinion
as to the time when the murder had been
committed, replied that, from the appear
ance of the body, he should suppose life to
have been extinct for at least IL hours. The
fact that the blood from the wound had COM
pletely soaked into the wood of the floor
made "A hours still more likely period.
DIR. 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 a distance of
an inch and half below the right clayicle,
and avoiding all contact with the dorsal
vertebra. Death from such a 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:
O. Your room opens from the passage lead
ing into the courtyard of this house!
A. Yes
q. 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 versa:
A. Yes, if one is looking out.
O. Naturally You have already stated
that Meissners habit was to return home
at nine O'Clock. Did you observe
him pass your door at that hour Monday
night?
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
doing?
A. Certainly.
Q. And this was the last occasion on which
you saw Joseph Meissner alive:
A The last.
Q. Now, can you tell me with any certainty
what persons passed your door going into the
court between nine and ten o'clock.
A. | am certain that no one passed between
nine and half-past nine excepting NJ. Stanis-
las.
Q. And who is NJ. Stanislas?
A. One of the tenants ON the fourth floor. He
came in about quarter-past nine. took his
key, and wished me goodnight.
.. And you are certain no one else passed,
up to half-past ninea
A. Perfectly certain.
Q. Why do You say half-past nine!
A. Because at that hour l went out.
Q. Where.
A. First to the shoemakers, Rue de Biche,
TO fetch a pair Of boots belonging to one of
the tenants Then to the wine-shop at the
corner of the Rue st. Andre, kept by NJ.
Bastoul, where I met two OF my friends, with |
whom / played several games of domi-
noes: returning home about ten minutes past |