Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-12


Place d'Armes at Arras; and there in July,
1776, he came into the world. Eugene
Francois, a, the boy was called, grew up as
tonishingly tall and strong; but q more
good'for-nothing little scapegrace never
hopped gutter. At years old he was the
terror Of all the cats and urchins in the
square, and was commonly remarkable for
two black eyes and jacket rent in tatters.
At IL he was sent out with the bakers
basket, and began to pick up friends among
the thieves OF the slums. In this society he
quickly learnt how to provide himself with
pocket money. He fished up coins from
the shop till with feather dipped in glue;
he sold the loaves and rolls out of his
baskets; he pawned the coffee spoons; he
robbed the hen roost In this last exploit ne
was once detected by pair Of chickens in
his breeches pockets thrusting out their
neads below his apron. At length his father,
weary of drubbing him without avail, had
him locked up for q fortnight in the city
prison. But all was useless. No sooner was
he taken home and pardoned, than he broke
the money Golfer with q crowbar, helped
himself to 940, and ran away to sea.
He reached Ostend with just shilling.
But he was not fated to become siilor. As
ne was looking for a skipper who would let
him work his passage to America, he
chanced to hear Merry-Andrew blow his
trumpet on the platform of his show. A
Merry-Andrew's was the life for Vidoc9! He
spent his shilling on pint of gin, treated
the trumpet-player to bumper, was by him
presented to Cotte-Comus, the director of
the show, and was accepted as a learner.
But Vidocq's Joy was brief The show conf
bined troop of acrobats with collection
OF wild beasts; but Vidocq as tumbler
proved an utter failure-the grand fling
nearly killed him, and the chair-leap broke
his nose. He was reduced to scour the
lamps and sweep the cages, to be kicked
and beaten, to make his dinner of crust,
and to sleep with the Jack-pudding. In
month his aspect grew so wretched
that his master, looking at his
scarecrow garments, drenched with
lamp grease and tattered by the
monkeys, his hair in tangle and his bones
peeping through the skin, cried out in
ecstacy that he would make splendid can
nibal. In order to renearse the character,
he bought bludgeon and tiger skin, and
bade him glare and gibber, bound like an
cock. But raw cocks were not to Vidocq's
liking. He refused; the master cuffed his
ears; and Vidocq, snatching up his blud-
geon, was about TO knock the master on the
head, when the whole troop rushed upon
him, and kicked him out OF doors.
Then he Joined the keeper Of a Punch-and-
Judy; but he neglected the puppets to kiss
the keepers wife, and was speedily obliged
to fly. Then he decided to return to Arras.
In return for food and lodging by the way,
he undertook TO carry the pack Of an old
peddler, who was waxing weak with age.
The peddler, who sold drugs, cut eorns, and
sometimes pulled out teeth, turned out to be
a askinfiint, who kept him starved on mutton
broth and turhips, and lodged him for the
night in barns, In one Of which he shared
his pile OF fodder with camel and pair OF
dancing bears. When at last he sheaked
into the shop at Arfas, his own mother
scarcely recognized him. lie was welcomed
like the Pfodlgal. but as TO making him
baker, they might as well have tried 10
make a baker OF Getls Genus 6afshgs
6Htahgl
For now he took a whim 10 be a soldier
His lamilF consented, aud he Joined troop
Of Ghasseafsr VidBeg, Al 10, was siE feet
high, an admirable fsneeF, and ~ ready fef
q quarrel as MePeHtt9 IN short time he
Was known 10 MI the regiment by the name
of Reckless Within sin months hs ought
In ID duels, in two OF which he killed his
man, When hs was neither lying In
The hospital Win Fapler=tbrust Fs=
the dungeon OF the etads for breach of
discipline, he was engaged 10 making love
TO half the pretty girls In ArTas IN this
pursuit. bis dashing air and handsome
figure, his ruddy checks, brown Gurls, and
gray-blue gllttering eyes, we're aided by q |
tongue ~ alb aud wits assubtlo ~ Hatan's |
at tha ear OF Eve.
Az length bis troop was ordsrsd Into
aetloBj but Vidonq, In u skirmlsh with the |
Auslrlans, received u bullet In bis log, and |
was sent home 10 recover When no re-
entered Arras, he found the Relgn Of Terror
there before him. A gulllotino stood In the |
fish Market u white old man was fastened
to the plank aud, rs directing spirit, on q |
platform raised above tho terror.stFIcken
crowd. stood that filthy grnnlng devil, |
Joseph Lebon, supported on his saber |
Vldocq saw the knife fall and the old |
mans head drop off, His blood ran cold, |
and doubtless would have run still colder, |
had he foreseen how soon that knife would |
threaten his own neck,
He had scarcely been q week In Arras,
when, on stealing out one morning to fight |
u duel with o lrumpet-majOr, u band Of |
rank poltroon, had denounced him to Lebon.
Vidocq, accused Of having spoken evil of |
the JaGoblns. was shut up In O garret, In
which crowd OF captyes OF the noblest
families were kept halt-starVing, with the
guillotine be ore their eyes. That he did
not mount the scaffold In the fish market
that he did not, in the pleasant phrase then
popular, look through the little window and
sneeze into the sack-was owing to q lady.
A certain Mademoiselle Chevalier, whose
brother was Lebon's assistant, interceded
Tor him, and obtained his liberty.
Mademoiselle Chevalier was lean aud
ugly, and also, rs il turned out, tickle. But
sne set her cap at Vidocq, and inveigled him
10 marry her. Unluckily, the honeymoon
was scarcely over, when, on coming home
one evening unexpectedly, he heard the clat-
ter of saber, and espied soldier. Vidocq
pursued and caught the fugitive. A duel
was instantly arranged; but Madame Vidocq
played him new trick. Before the time
appointed for the meeting he was seized by
The police. was dragged before Lebon, was
accused by his wile's friends OF treating her
with cruelty, and was expelled from Arras. J
II.
He was now a wanderer on the earth, At
irst he joined q gang o. sharpers. Then,
lrmed with forged credentials, he set up as
/ captain-Captain Rousseau OF Hussars.
U nder this character he made acquaintance
With rich old baroness of Brussels, and
became engaged to marry her. But, vaga-
,ond, deserter and forger as he was, he
acked audacity to become bigamist. At
he last moment he revealed so much Of his
rue story that the baroness recoiled from
lin in horror. Next day she sent him a
ich casket with 900 louis-d'ors. But he
,ever saw her lace again.
. He tossed away his money with such speed
hat he was soon without a shilling. He