The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-19

confrereS in blindness.
In the early days of his prosperity
3ellanger had employed certain Widow
CannIet. who served as his guide, and
vo11th named Pinson, who drew the little
wagon loaded with the trifles he fabri
Gated. The widow and the lad fell in
love with each other and got married
After five years of faithful service they
had abandoned the blind man to go to
housekeeping, and the poor devil, re-
duced to the company of his dog, had
experienced a considerable diminution
of his receipts. A bitter luminosity was
engendered in the blind man by this.
He did not show it, however, and re-
manned on terms of intimacy with the
Prisons.
On the evening of Feb. 20, 1906, the
Mardi Gras already mentioned, as he was
making his way to the hospital, he
stopped at the Faubourg Saint Antoine,
where his former servants lived. He en-
tered the house, sayingthat he had come
to warm himself for an instant and drink
a few drops with his friends. He took
from his great coat different objects
stove, among them bottle of brandy
After drinking, the blind man took up
his property and went away, remarking
that he was in hurry.
After his departure Nine. Pinson was
about to put in the fire bit of wood
which was beside the stove when she saw
fall from it some black grains which
seemed suspicious to her. Her husband,
on closely examining it, discovered that
The bit of wood was hollow and filed
with gunpowder. The opening had been
very deftly concealed by stopping it up
with big plug. The couple uttered cries
of fright which attracted the neighbors.
They talked the matter over and decided
that the internal machine could have
been brought.only by the blind man. He
alone had been there and, no doubt, had
hidden it under his coat. The Prisons
had no great love for him and did not
hesitate to denounce him without delay
to the commissary of police. An hour
later, Bellanger, who was sleeping tran
uuilly in his chamber, was arrested,
thrown into a fiacre, taken to the force
and jailed on the charge of attempted
assassination. This might bring him to
the guillotine. The chances of the bar
onnes combination were looking up.
Two months afterward the blind man
of good luck was still in prison and was
preparing for his trial at the court of
assNzes. His surname had become bitter
ly deSisory. The authorities had been
minute and malevolent in their investi-
cations. They had discovered the causes
which leo, Bellanger to take vengeance
on the Prisons, had noted his skill in
carving wood, had established the sim
gular haste with>which he had shortened
hisvisit on Feb. 25 and had got together
quite respectable collection of proofs
against him.
Bellanger explained nothing, contested
nothing, He contented himself with pro-
testing that he was incapable Of doing
i'll to any one. Besides, his lot did not
seem to torment him much. The regime
of the force greatly resembled that of
Quinze-Vingts. Prison or hospital, it is
all the same for man who cannot see,
and as he continued his little trade in
lottery numbers he did not lack comforts.
Bellanger appeared before the jury of
the Seine May 10, 1906. His trial at
tracted vast attendance, and it will
readily be believed that his clients did
not fail TO be present. The Baronne de
Modem figured in the first row of the
reserved places. The accused was de-
Tended by lawyer named by the court,
| Maitre Lebon, one of the celebrities Of
| the bar of that time. The proofs Of the
crime imputed to the blind man were
| not abundant, and not one of them was
decisive. Unfortunately, fireworks
| maker, summoned as an expert, boldly
| declared that the bit Of wood contained
enough gunpowder to blow up the en-
tire quarter. The effect of this testi-
mony was terrible. Vainlv Maitra To
bon strove to demonstrate That, even
supposing his client capable Of having
prepared the internal machine, there
| was no evidence to show he had brought
| it to the Prisons house. A verdict of
| guilty was rendered and the court pro-
| nounced the sentence Of death. Bel
LANCER grew white as marble, but, rising
| to his feet and turning his sightless orbs
| toward his judges, said in firm voice,
81 am innocent!' The gendarmes re-
moved him, and that very evening he
was transferred to the prison of Bicetre,
where those condemned to the death
penalty were then confined.
The news of the sentence spread i'm
mediately and excited the lottery gam
blers to the highest degree. The trade
Of the blind man of good luck at once
became very great, and from the depths
of his dungeon he sold millions Of num-
bers. Everybody bought them. The
/ gendarmes, the jailers, and even the
| Judges demanded combinations from the
unfortunate man whom the scaffold was
about to render infallible.
Bellanger applied for new trial, but
his application was rejected on the 18th
of June. The baronne tripled her in
vestment in the lottery drawing of the
18th. On the morning of the 10th criers
spread about the streets, shouting, ac-
cording to the wretchcd custom Of the
| period: "The decree condemning to the
penalty of death certain individual
well known in Paris, Philippe Bellanger
by name, will be executed today upon
the Place de Greve, etc." The time
fixed was o'clock in the afternoon.
Already the prisoner had arrived al
the conciergerie and commenced to suffer
the anguish of the last day of con.
demned man. The Place de Greve was
packed with the curious. The guillotine
was erected. Meanwhile Maitre Lebon
and Maitre Colin had conceived the idea
of endeavoring to obtain reprieve fol
the blind man. The emperor alone had
the power to pardon and, two months
before he had quilted Paris with the EN-
press for Milan, there to be crowned
king of Italy, but in his absence the
chief justice could suspend the execu
ton. A retired actor named Beaulier
bore a petition drawn up by the two
lawyers to him, and his excellency con
sented to submit the case to his majesty
1t was time. The clock showed 9
quarter past 8. The toilet of the con
demned man was finished. Old Samson
the executioner, had given the signal tt
his assistants, and the procession was
about to start for the Place de Greve
when the order to stop proceedings ar
rived at the conciergerie. Bellangel
tainted from joy on hearing the news