The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-02

pal were in France he made away with the
proceeds, and neither of them got a cent
from the stolen property. The bonds were
Kept IN New Orleans and were captured by
the police, aud the money went in lawyers
fees and court charges, or was also captured
on Bertin's person.
Still, Berlin was free man, and in con-
dltion to carry on his profession. His next
attempt at burglary was failure. the first
one he made. he was detected in the act of
breaking into a store on Royal street, near
where he had formerly operated. He drew
his revolver-for he always went armed
and kept the police at bay until he could
make his escape.
A short time afterwards an unknown
burglar entered the house of Joe Bressac, on
Grav1er street, between Rampant aud Basin.
BreSsac was reputed to have a large sum of
money on hand, and the burglar evidently
knew this, for he entered the house and Sc
cured the plumber. He was slipping quietly
out when he stumbled over Bressac himself.
The latter shouted "Thief" and the next
minute was struck over the head with an
iron crowbar and his skull crushed in, the
wound ultimately producing insanity.
The thief escaped into the street, but not
before the alarm had been given. The
police caught sight of the escaping burglar
and pursued him. The burglar had two re-
volvers and showed fight. He kept half a
dozen at bay, slipped over a fence and dis
appeared. Several days afterward the
police caught him IN an empty lot on the
corner of Canal and Galvez streets, hiding
in the tall weeds growing there. A desper-
ate battle ensusd. Again he showed fight
against superior numbers. and when his
ammunition was exhausted he plunged into
the Galvez canal, close by. The canal was
grown up with canes and reeds, and the
police We're unable to see the man they
hmm for Ia
protected as In cane-brake. completely
hidden from view, for the weeds and grass
were taller than he. The policemen we're
unwilling to go into this ambuscade, and
simply surrounded the cane, firing into the
reeds from time to time. When, after a
while, a way was finally forced into this
cane-brake and the burglar captured, it was
found that he was wounded in several
places, 50 seriously in the leg as TO render
him lame for life. He had received several
shots in fleeing from the police, but his
pluck kept him up.
The wounded burglar was taken to the
Charity hospital. He refused to give his
name or any account of himself, and,
strange to say, the police could not identify
him. 1t was not until week afterward
that it was discovered that he was the great
Pierre Bertin. the terror of the police. AS
soon as this was known he was removed to
the Parish prison, although it was scarcely
to be supposed that in his wounded and
lame condition he could escape.
UNIQUE DELIVERY.
Berlin was not made for prisons, and
stayed but few days behind the bars His
mode of escape was simple but clever.
Confined with him was q former pal, Bor-
delais by name. Bordelais' woman called
at the prison on visiting-day to seq her man
and his friend Berth. They were in the
Wit eli vuba cha S-ho i
pie or delicacy of some kind The turnkey,
as he opened the big iron gate of the prison,
stopped to examine the pie, lest it
might contain some files or other
tools that would help the prisoner TO
break Jail. As he did so the pie was
clapped over his face. 1t was a mass of
cayenne pepper. The unfortunate man
dropped tle keys a1d howied with pain.
His mouth, his eyes, his nose were full of
red pepper. For days his face was inf AIMED
by the awful poultice, and he narrowly
escaped loosing his eyesight. His fellow
turnkeys ran to his assistance, but Bertin
and Bordelais were ahead of them. They
turned the big key, opened the iron gate,
and stepped out into Orleans street and
locked the door behind them. The
police pursued. As they turned the
corner the officers were not over
fifty feet behind and were certain they
would capture q lame and wounded man.
They turned the corner expecting to grab
them only to find no one there. Berlin and
Bordelais had disappeared as though in air.
just how their mysterious disappearance
was accomplished was never explained. The
police were completely baffisd, and could
never explain it. There was nothing but
the street and the high walls of the Parish
prison, but somehow or other the prisoners
were gone.
For several months nothing was heard of
Berlin, and it is doubtful whether he would
have been captured but for treachery
again. The police laid hands on BordeIais
and he betrayed the chief. When the police
knew his whereabouts a large force was
sent to capture him, he was believed to be
SO dangerous. The woman in whose house
he lived sold him, and the police were able
to spring on him from behind a d capture
him without shooting ARRAY. 1t was
well they did, for when they ex-
amincd the house in which he was
located, a milk house out on the Gen
tilly road, couple of miles from town,
they found he had nade arrangements for
a desperate resistance. The house was a
very arsenal, filled with pistols aud weapons
of all kinds Berlin usually carried two
revolver5 and a slung-shot. He mad besides
these several guns III his house so arranged
as to fire automatically from the windows
and doors. The door was barred and pro-
teCleu SdiilSI Dul.6t5, anu, WIN MS Sprldg
guns, he could easily have held out in his
bomb-proof against force Of fifty men or
more.
Bertin'S successful career was closing.
This time he failed in his defense, and a
verdict Of guilty was rendered against him.
He fought as usual in the courts, but it was
affirmed, and he was sentenced to the peni-
tentiarJ; went TO Baton Rouge anu donned
striped clothing for the first time.
xvho hat yad hi
apprehension for the end of his term, for he
had given notice that he intended to kill
the traitors the moment he was free man
ag lin.
But when he finally got free the situation
was changed. His old pal, Capdeuelle, was
dead. having been killed in st. Louis, and
Bordelais, against whom he had sworn
vengeance, had disappeared. Finding him
self too we'll known t. the police. he emf
grated to the City of Mexico, where he
remained several years. The police knew
nothing of his Mexican career beyond the
coincidence that number of skillful' burg
laries occurred there about the same time as
his visit
Finally the news came from Mexico that
he had been killed, and the papers published
obituaries of him and recalled some of mis-
desperate deeds. He slipped back quietly
to New Orleans after his death had been
generally advertised here, and a number of
burglaries are now attributed to him, with
out, however, any evidence to support the
charge.
Rartiu now caroas hafora tba ,,,,h1io