Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-10

/ 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 Desrueiles, but
Quentineau. At Rouen, in the railroad
restaurant, he changed a Napoleon to buy
bottle Of wine and half "A chicken. As
soon rs 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 il one Of:
"Lamballe, hairdresser and perfumer."
Astounded, he rushed into the little shop
"Mme Desruelles," he said, where is
she2"
The attendant answered, an America
1t is four months since she went; at the
summons Of her husband"
AT the summons of mel" cried Scipion,
sitting down abruptly This is all a
dreamw
Before he could say another word ser
geant de Vile entered the shop and laid
hands upon him. you are wanted, QUEEN
tineau.'
81 am not Quentineau-Ia am Desruellesw
shouted the unhappy man, but the officer
Of the law was incredulous, and bore Scip-
ion of toprison.
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
Qucutineau, alias Desruellcs, faussaire.
Dcsruelles 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 ara
boutiquier of the Rue de Seine, Of twenty
years standing
But the advocate recboned rather too
hastily. One of the most interesting trials
that ever came of 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'assises,
and was tried by the president. A great
number Of witnesses were called, and the
whole question turned upon the identity
Of the prisoner by the mutual agreement
Of parties, for the reason that If the &C
cused were Desruelles his account Of how
he received the gold Napoleons admitted
TO be counterieiU was probable; but if he
were Quentueau no defense was possible
Quentineau was established to be des-
perate character, who had been several
times convicted Of minor ofTenses, such as
smuggling and was more than suspected
Of being a criminal Of much deeper dye-a
counterfeiter and "A forger.
The testimony of the customs officers at
d
Rouen was first taken, and then mass of
police testimony 30 prove that Desruelles
was unquestionably Quentineau. This
was chiefly from the provinces, Quentineau
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 hard-hips, his voyages, his
poverty had told upon Desruelles He was
deeply sunburncd his hair was grizzled,
his hand was hard, his manner nervous
and eXcited-as little like as possible to the
placid shopkeeper of the Rue de Seine.
Unquestionahly the accused resembled
Desruelies remarkably, and knew as much
were really himself but then In short,
Desruelles' neighbors were exceedingly
conscientious, and the police exceedingly
positive, aud the unfortunate shopkeeper
was convicted Of being not himself at all,
but Pierre Queutineau, 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, a
woman, testified she had received from
Desruelles' wife, from New York, that she
and her Scipion were happily accommo-
dated with shop and thriving custom
in Broadway in that great ethyl Des-
ruelles admitted that the handwriting was
his wife's, but the statement impossible,
for the reason that he was in the Palais de
Justice, and consequently could not be in
New York
Pierre Quentiueau, calling himself Sci
plon Desruelles, was sentenced to ten
years close Imprisonment.
The unhappy convict was moved by his
sense of injustice to carry himself with I'M
expected dignisy lie shed no tears, but
said he felt certain that time would re
move the evils that now bore upon him so
heavily. lie was sent to 3rest, and set to
learn the trade Of shoemaking He was
one Of the most tractable prisoners ever
confined at the bagnes
When Scipion had served out three years
of his sentence an unexpected episode oc-
CURED in his history. Visitors were an
nounced to Quentineau. He went to the
Office of the prison and found his Mar
Unique cousin, Pache, and-his wife! He
attempted to throw himself into the arms
of the latter, but was repulsed with severe
dignity.
I'VE know you are not Quentineau, but
Desrueles," she said; but there are crimes
charged against Desruelles."
Scipion demanded an explanation and
his release, but madame was inexorable.
NJ. Pache then told him to wait. Through
influence and the facts presented by the
Martinique cousin, the court of cessation
had consented to re-eXamine the question
as TO his identity "Of course you are Des-
ruelles, said VI. Pache, confidently, "and
mean 10 prove it, if it costs me million"
After you are shown TO be not Quentineau
but Desruelles it will be time enough to
60 into madame's grievances.
Desruelles was now brought back to
Paris, and VI. Pache set to work to estab-
lish his cousins identity
The notary he employed suggested that
NJ Jules Favre be retained as advocate
and that eminent lawyer consented to take
the case, but two days later sent a note de-
clininingto serve on account Of the pressure
of uncomfortable circumstances. NJ. Plon-
goulm was consequently retained.
.1.I . L..