St. Paul daily globe., 1888-07-15

was about fifty years OF age ana uIl-
married. He dealt in valuable gems of
all kinds, and his customers were
among the wealthieSt and most distin-
guished personages. He occupied the
house alone, his nephew, Pierre Boum-
cry, assisted him in his business during
The daytime. On the first floor were
three parlors, where he used to receive
his customers. On the floor above he
kept his jewels, and slept every night
In the same apartment. The doors on
the second floor were lined with steel
and secured with patent locks. Out
side the rear windows strong iron bars
were placed. To each window was an
iron shutter, which was carefully fast
ened before dusk every day, and never
opeHed until nine o'clock in the morn
ing,s In these shutters were small holes
for ventilation. A stairway ran from
the upper apartments to the parlors be-
low. : The doors at the top and bottom
of this stairway were iron-clad and pro-
Vided with s4rong fastenings. Mon
sieur Montedour'S meals were brought
from a restaurant; and, when he found
it necessary to leave his abode, his treas
ures were carefully locked up and his
nephew was left i'll charge of the house.
Pierre Boumery was twenty-five years
Of age, of medium height, strongly built
and quiet and pleasant in his ways. lie
had been with his uncle since he was
thirteen years of age, and knew all his
ways. His uncle paid him literally, and
his work was light, as he had all his
evenings to himself.
Early in November of 1854, two young
men rented apartments three doors
from Monsieur Montedour's abode.
They were both good-looking and gem
lemanly, and were known as Victor
and Henry Graverend, brothers. Their
apartments were on the top floor, and
they were very regular and respectable
in their department.. On NOV. II they
notified Madame BOutfetard, the land
lady, that they intended to leave and
paid up all they owed. That night they
entertained three friends in their rooms
and had a merry time. Suddenly the
mirth ceased and the two young men
left the house quietly with their friends
and never returned,
THE MURDER OF MONTEDoUR.
The next morning when Pierre Boum-
cry reached his uncie'S house he failed
to gain admission. and finally called the
attention of the police to the fact. The
door was forced and on examining the
parlors everything was found in order.
On ascending the main stairs the door
of NJ; Montedour's sleeping apartment
was found open. The shutters were
still closed, but the gas was burning
brilliantly.
On the bed. right opposite the door,
lay NJ. Montedour dead. His night
clothes and the bedding were saturated
with blood and half adozen stab wounds
in the neck and breast showed that lie
had been brutally murdered. A small.
ivOry-handled dagger lay on the floor by
the side of the bed. Strange to say,
nothing in the place appeared to have
been touched, though, Oh eXaming the
closets where valuables were kept,
large sum of money and several highly
valuable diamonds and other stones
were missing.
The only explanation which Pierre
could offer was this: The doors of the
stairway from the parlors below were
all fastened as usual. The door OPEN
Ing on the passage near the head Of the
main stairway was unfaStened. The
bolts and lock were unin iured. NJ. Mon
tedour had been aroused bya ring at the
front door and had been foolish enough
to admit some one. Who it could have
been was mystery to Pierre, but he
supposed it was woman, as he had on
several occasions found small articles OF
ladies' apparel in his small bed room.
He could in no other way account for
the crime. This woman had murdered
his uncle. unlocked the closets with his
keys, taken the money and the dla-
mOndS. relOcked the closets, returned
the keys to the leather bag i'll NJ. Mon
tedour'S inside vest pocket, let herself
out by the door opening on the passage
and quilted the house. The police lis
tened to this theory and could certainly
see no other as reasonable explanation.
ONLY THE WOMAN THEORY.
Detectives carefully examined the
dwelling. The skylight was fast
ened with hasp inside, but there was
pane of glass absent, and it would not
have been difficult for any one to reach
through from the roof and nnfasten the
hasp. Then descent by the ladder that
was fixed there would have been easy.
The thief and the murderer might have
left the same way, and fastened the
hasp after him, so as to divert suspicion.
But how about the door?
Monsieur MOntedour had evidently
been in bed when he was murdered, and
probably asleep, for there was no sign
would have retired without seeing that
the room was properly secured? 1t was
the very height of improbability.
Still the detectives examined the roof.
The house was one of a row with flat
roofs, and person could easily pass
along from one dwelling to another.
The neighboring residents were visited
and questioned, and the only suspicious
circumstance was the fact that two
young men who occupied Nine. ROUTE
tard'S top floor for fortnight previous
had quilted the place Oh the very night
of the crime.
Nine. Rouffetard, however, was sure
they were respectable, and had nothing
to do with the murder, and related how
friends had spent the evening with
them, and how all had departed quietly
about l 80 in the morning. The officer
on the beat remembered seeing five
young men come along the street. They
separated at the corner of the Rue Ma
tigDon, two going one way and three
another. He observed the two closely
and was satisfied they were the broth
erS Graverend.
Here the affair rested. 1t was envel
voped in mystery. The woman theory
she? M. Montedour was buried, ant
his nephew, as the only heir, went into
possession of his estate.
PIERRE'S OLD FRIEND,
Soon afterward Pierre sold the house
removed his business to the Rue dt
Rivoli, and protected his goods will
safes and weIl-paid watchmen. He
married, resided on the Rue de la Bien
faisance and kept good establishment
without any display. His wife died an(
left him with an only daughter. Agnes
In February. 1874, at o'clock in the
evening, there called on Pierr,
Boumery, at his residence, gentleman
whose card bore the name of Victo
IIo