Wichita eagle., 1888-06-03


evidence OF the last witness
Pierre RoUssel, servant at the house No. Is
Rue Dauphiae, 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 be
had known the deceased Joseph Meissner for
over thirty years. Meiss,er was a man of
eccentric and miserly habits. Remembered
visiting him On one occasion, and passing On
the stairs the accused, RaouI 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 scapegrace, a rascal; that he had
been extorang money, as usual; and that he
Cdeissner would be ruined if this went on.
Had heard Meissner say more than once that
he expected be murdered some 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
not bear it to be out Of his sight. When
Meissner spoke Of expecting to be murdered,
1t was without reference to any individual.
The Police Sergeant GARNER gave evidence,
that, on the night of Monday, the oath, he had
bcSA Sls1llOLlcu III LIE IIUS u6 blCle. Rplpnls
bered that, while standing at the street corner,
man had passed him, walking very fast, in
the direction of the Passage de Mazarip.
The man as OF middling height, and slinly
made, wore a low-crowned nat, and had no
greatcoat. Confronted with the accused. de-
clared that Girard's figure resembled that of
the man whom he had seen. This was after
ten o'clock; thought it must have been nearly
half-past ten, but had an impression that the
half hour had not Yet struck. 1t might have
been only quarter past; it might have been
twenty minutes; could not say with certainty,
but thought it was near the half hour.
Superintendent Ledru stated that he had
made a careful examination of the court and
exterior of this house, No. 13 Passage de MAJ
arin. Round three sides of the court was
trellls of stout wood, reaching to distance of
about two feet from the sills of the windows
on the second floor. Beneath the window of
Meissners bed closet the trellis bore marks
as If some one had recently climbed up by It:
the paint was scraped off, and here and Ihers
spar had been cracked or broken. There
were marks also on the sill of the cabinet
window and footprints on tie floor, showing
that in this way an entrance had been gained
to Meissner's room.
Q. In searching Meissner's room on the
night OF the murder in what position did You
find the key Of the room doorl
A. The key was found hanging on nail
near the door.
q. IN order to reach the cabinet window by
means OF the trellis work, would any special
degree Of agility be requiredl
a. In my opinion, a very special degree OF
agility would be required. l should consider
it feat Of gymnastics.
The janitOr Mouton, recalled and re-exam
ined, stated that there was 10 Duplicate KEY
to any room in the house. 1t was Meissneri
custom, when IN bis room, to hang his door
key cn tha nail wLere it had been found by
the po-ics. Had frequently seen it hanging
there.
The Officer of Police Lambert stated that
according to Instructions, Le had walked ei
bis fastest pace from the head of the Rue
Dauphiae to Nine Dunaire's shop in the
Rue de IOCeon; thence by tho Rue dc Condo
and tho hue de B.che to tie Passage dc
Mazarln. The time taken to cover tbs dis
tance had been 13 minutes 90 seconds.
NOTE BY THE JUDGE OF INSTRUCTION.
Il. As to the time when the murder wa.
committed medical testimony goes L
prove that the dagger wound from which
Melssner died was inflicted at e late houI
on Monday night. The occupant OF tie roo,r
next to MeisSners, Jules Pernet, tho copyist.
heard dull, heavy noise such as would be
caused by the fall Of the murdered man: this
he believes, was after 10 o'clock The candle
taken upstairs by Meiss2er at o'clock would
says the Janltor Mouton, bur N for about an
hour and half. Meissner's body was found
lying in front of his writing table: on the
table we're sheets Of paper scrawled over with
unfinished calculations; he bad been working
ut these when suddenly stabbed from behind
his pen was found on the foOr The candle.
was still burning when tie fatal
blow was struck; consequently, if Moutons
statement be accepted, the murder was COM
nitted before 10:30.
y. As to Girard's connection With the ef .
fair.-Here we have an uncle nOtor.cusly Itch .
a neplow notoriously poor. We have ample .
evidence of the existence of bad feeling be-
lween this uncle and nephew. Mouton is
witness of a violent scene between them
Cohen hears Meissner call his nephew O rass
al; Marsha most reluctant witness-testi
les that on the night of the murder Girard
his uncle as cur and declared
.hat he hated him
i,
S spent by Grard and Marsal at the Cafe dc
a Source. They leave the cafe together at @
itt.e before 10; at the head Of the Rue Dau.
'hine, where they reside, Gira1d quits his
riend, saying that he has to pay visit: IC
'clock Is striking as they separate. Girard
,oeS straight to the Rue de lOdeon. to the
esidence of bis beTothed, Mile. Dunaine
le remains with her, speaking on Indifferent
ubjects, for very short time, not more than
i've minutes. After Girard leaves Nile.
)unaine there is no direct evidence as to his
movements.
"1t is now little after 10 o'clock-aboui
en- or fifteen minutes. About this time
'olce Sergeant GARNER, at his post in the
sue de blche, is passed by man of niddline
eight and slimly made, who hastens in the
Erection of the Passage de Mazarin. The
hid Sophie Mouton Sees the figure of q
-aliish, slenderly-built' man glide swiftly
asst her window toward the court of the
ouse; it is, she thinks, at some time either
tide before or little after 10 that she sees
his man pass. 1t is true that the evidence
9th of GARNER and of the child Sophie
touton is indefinite with regard to time; but
ne evidence OF the one supports that of the
ther. The Officer of Police Lambert has
-alked at a swift pace over the route fol
wed by Girard on Monday night; it took
i'm about thirteen minutes So far as the
uestion Of time is concerned, the man who
assed GARNER in the Rue de Biche and the
IAN who was seen by Sophie Mouton at No.
Passage de Mazarin may therefore have
cen one and the same person; and that per-
N may have been Raoul Gnard, the &C
used.
Beside the dead body of Meisner are
'und an ivory wrist-stud bearing an initial
=, and japanese dagger with which the
ime was committed. Girarri, when arrested.
found to have at one wrist button match
hot Il. i