Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-03-06
What have you to

Monsieur Quentineaul what have you to
declare at this time"
",Sacre bette de QuentineauP' cried the
exasperated boutiquier 81 am Scipion
Desruelles, shop keeper, numero 10 bis rue
de Seine"
"Then, sir you must be detained" said
the officer.
While he was waiting in the customs
Office a man came behind him, slipped
something in his hand and whispered:
Don't he afraid, Quentineaul They have
nothing whatever against you'll Here's
what | owe your
Desruelles turned quickly, but the man
who had spoken to him was already lost in
the crowd, and Scipon found eight gold
Napoleons in his hand. Mechanically he
put the money in his pocket, cursing this
Quentineau whom everybody persisted in
installing him for.
His baggage proving all right and his
passport not Objectionable, Scipion was
after some delay permitted to start for
Paris, but still under the suspicion of the
authorities that he was not Desrueles, but
Quentineau At Rouen, in the railroad
restaurant, he changed Napoleon to buy
bottle of wine and half chicken. AS
soon as he reached Paris he took a fiacre
and drove to numero 70 Rue de Seine. His
modest sign was no longer there, but in
stead of it one of:
"Lamballe, hairdresser and perfumer."
Astounded, he rushed into the little shop.
"Mme. Desruelles," he said, "where is
she?"
The attendant answered, "In America.
| 1t is four months since she went; at the
summons of her husbandp'
cat the summons of mel'' cried Scipion,
sitting down abruptly. "This is all
dreamp'
Before he could say another word ser
geant de vile entered the shop and laid
bands upon him. "You are wanted, QUEEN
tineau"
81 am not Quentineau-I am Desrueles!"
shouted the unhappy man, but the officer
of the law was incredulous, and bore Scip-
ion off to prison.
He was examined on a charge of coming
and of passing counterfeit Napoleons upon
the cashier of the railroad restaurant at
Rouen, and fully committed for trial as
Quentneau, alias Desruelles, faussaire.
Desruelles employed an able advocate
and laid all the facts before him. 1T is "A
mere question of mistaken identity" said
the lawyer, land of course there will be no
difficulty in proving who you really area
bouti luer of the Rue de Seine, of twenty
years standing"
But the advocate reckoned rather too
hastily. One of the most interesting trials
that ever came off in Paris now ensued.
The advocate employed by Desruelles was
thoroughly persuaded of his clients limo
cence and good character. But the Pro-
cureur Imperial was of a different opinion.
The case was sent before the court d'assses,
and was tried by the president. A great
number of witnesses were called, and the
,hNl.. "a
of the prisoner by the mutual agreement
of parties, for the reason that if the ac-
cused were Desruelles his account of how
he received the gold Napoleons admitted
TO be counterfeit) was probable; but if he
were Quentineau no defense was possible
Quentineau was established to be des-
perate character, who had been several
times convicted of minor offenses, such as
smuggling, and was more than suspected
of being a criminal of much deeper dye-a
counterfeiter and forger.
The testimony of the customs officers at
Havre and of the dame du compton at
Rouen was first taken, and then a mass of
police testimony to prove that Desrueles
was unqJiestionably Quentineau. This
was chiefly from the provinces, Quentneau
having apparently operated very little in
the capital. At the outset the defense eX-
perienced an unexpected difficulty. There
were some hundreds of witnesses willing
to swear that they knew Desruelles per-
fectly well, but not nearly SO many who
were satisfied that the prisoner was that
person. His hardships, his voyages, his
poverty had told upon Desrueles. He was
deeply sunburned, his hair was grizzletl
his hand was hard, his manner nervous
and excited as little like as possible to the
placid shopkeeper of the Rae de Seine
Cnques ionably the accused rtsembled
Desruelles remarkably, and knew as much
about that persons antecedents as if he
were really himself, but then In short,
Desruelles neiShbors were exceedingly
conscientious, and the police exceedingly
positive, and the unfortunate shopkeepeI
was convicted of being not himself at all
but Pierre Quentineau, counterfeiter.
The rebutting testimony adduced by the
advocate general not only convinced the
jury but overwhelmed Desruelles 1t was
a letter which one of his neighbors, g
woman, testified she had received from
Desruelles' wife, from New York, that she
and her Scipion were happily accommo
dated with shop and a thriving custom
in Broadway in that great city! Des
ruelles admitted that the handwriting wa:
his wifes, but the statement impossible
lOT lllt TcttSOn tudU ne WIS Ill Jne ldldlS III
Justice, and consequently could not be IL
New York.
. Pierre Quentineau, calling himself Sci
pion Desruelles, was sentenced to tel
years close imprisonment
The unhappy convict was moved by hi
sense of injustice to carry himself with un
: expected dignity He shed no tears, blu
3 said he felt certain that time would re
g move the evils that now bore upon him :,
heavily. He was sent to Brest, and set t,
t learn the trade of shoemaking. He wa
r one of the most tractable prisoners eve
y confined mt the bagnes.
When ScipiOn had served out three year
: of his sentence an unexpected episode oC
s Cured in his history. Visitors were an
. nounced to Qucntneau. He went to tn
e Office of the prison and found his Mar
a Unique cousin, Pache, and-his wife! ii
o attempted to throw himself into the arm
of the latter, but was repulsed with sever
! dignity.
n ave know you are not Quentineau, blu
r Desruelles," she said but there are crime
h charged against Desruelles -