The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-10
"You might at least tell me of what

am accused.
'Of the willful murder of Count Louis
de Kergaradec in the hotel of the Running
Stag at Senlis on the night of September
-, 1881, and of the robbery of his valise,
which contained, among other valuables,
the two articles found in your possession"
l burst out laughing. Nothing else ?"
said.
"Not that I am aware of," said the
magistrate. "Please sign this paper after
reading it. 1t is our conversation just
now."
signed, and as / was leaving the room
the magistrate added in a most paternal
tone: ''Yes, Just try and remember how
that amber pin came into your posses
sion. 1t will really be worth your while
to account for it. A demain."
That evening l was transferred from
the depot to Mazas Jail, where was put
au secret. This rigorous measure did not
affect me at all, as had no friends to see
and no letters to write. I had had an
idea of writing to the English embassy,
but, knowing how unwillingly interfer
ence is made with the justice of coun-
try, as soon dismissed it.
The first question that the magistrate
asked me on the following morning was:
What were you doing at Senlis on the
night of Sept. u, 1882"
said: 81 don't recollect having been
there at all in that year"
"Do you deny ever having been in SEN
lis at all ?"
"No. Formerly l often used to pass
through it while exploring the forest of
Chantilly, and, now that l come to think
OF it, did sleep there one night that L
had missed the last train"
"Was it in the month of September
"Yes. Now 1 remember. 1t would be
the 10th, 11th, or 18th. My birthday is
on the 9th of September, and l had re-
ceived present of Go that year from an
uncle of mine, which l spent on an ex-
cursion in the forest"
Every good. 1t is we'll to be so frank
AS matter of fact, it was on the 18th, as
we have learned by examining the hotel
woman's register for that year. You are
entered by your present name, and as a
man of letters There can be no doubt that
it is YOU. The age and nationality in
dicated are yours also"
A witness was then introduced in the
person of Nine. Perrin, the proprietor OF
the Running Stag inn. She recognized me
at once as one of her dodgers on that night,
and her testimony was confirmed by that
of an old servant of hers, who had shown
me to my room.
After these had SAID all they had to say,
the magistrate dismissed them, and pro-
ceeded to examine me as follows:
"You left the hotel early on the morn
ing of the 18th, and took the first train to
Paris You afterward disappeared. Where
did you go?"
Il stayed in Paris a week and then went
to London, where have lived since. My
affairs improved considerably, and l am
now successful man"
"Ah! Well, and about the pin? Have
you remembered how you got itp
81 have been cudgeling my brains all
night on the subject, but L cannot re-
member"
The magistrate looked astonished. l
had been so artfully frank so far, he
thought, in admitting what it was impos-
sible to deny, that my inability to explain
away this circumstance seemed to him ex-
traordinary.
cit is unfortunate" he said 'In fact,
a number of unfortunate circumstances
are against you. BY the way" he added
abruptly, what has become of Pierre
Bastide?'
'Pierre Bastide? never heard that
name before"
''Yes, Bastide. The man who was in
the hotel the same night as you were, and
who is suspected to be your accomplice.
At first we thought that he alone was re-
sponsIble, but since we have found these
articles In your possession
"Do YOU really think, Monsieur le
Juge," 1 said, ''that if l had murdered
this count TO rob him, 1 should carry
about on my person, and in full promi-
nence, such very damning evidence
against MYSELF"
"The crime is an old one. You may
have thought it was forgotten. But we
do not forget here"
"Entn," said, al know nothing about
this murder. | never heard of it. / slept
soundly all that night, and went back to
Paris at 3 in the morning, and passed the
rest of the time that l remained here in
the hotel des Grands-Augustins / re-
membered its name last night. / am a
respectable man, and whatever fortune
/ have l owe to my own industry and
good fortune"
"Your statement will be tested Mean
while, let me put before you the position
in which you stand. You seem to treat it
with Indifference, and l must warn you
that it is very serious one. On the 10th
of September, 1881, Count Louis de Kor-
garadec, an eccentric old gentleman, ar
rived at the Running Stag hotel The
ecceQJrlClty OF the count consisted IN al
ways carrying with him all the money at
his disposal, which, as he was a rich man,
was usually a large sum. His valise, be-
sides change of linen, contained a GER
tain quantity of bank notes and few of
the antiquarian treasures of the count
He was great collector of curios of all
sorts, and if he always had so
much money about him, it was to be
able to close a bargain at once for
anything he might come upon in his
travels. On the 18th man passing by
the name of Pierre Bastide, and describ-
ing himself as a cafe-waiter, came to the
hotel and took the room at the top of the
house. On the 18th you came, and after
inspecting several rooms insisted on hav-
ing the one adjoining that in the occupa-
tion of the count You refuse supper and
go to bed at a remarkably early hour The
next morning-you had taken the pre-
caution Of paying your bill in advance
you leave the hotel hurriedly at 5 in
the morning while it was still dark. At s
o'clock Bastide comes down to breakfast,
eats quietly, pays his bill and goes away
with his knapsack on his back. At IL o'clock
the woman of the house goes to wake
the count, who never rose before that
hour, but is unable to do so. The door is
locked, and the key is not inside the lock.
The woman, seriously alarmed, has it
broken down and finds the old gentleman
lying dead in his bed, with his right tenn