The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-05
THE HEADLESS CORPSE.
A Revolving Murder That Shock ed
the Gay Parisians.


Charonne, in the Quarter de la Roquette, is
huge tenement building, and one of the
shops on the ground floor is occupied by an
individual named Vacheresse, who stored
his goods in couple of compartments in
the cellar, which runs under the entire
building. Recently, while searching for
some goods in one of Vacheresse's compart-
ments. workman pulled down q lot of boxes
and suddenly got view of something which
made him shake all over and then dash out
OF the cellar and up the stairs. There, upon
long box, uncovered by the displacement
OIL the pile Of outside cases, was the naked
body of man. The feet were crossed and
one hand was upon the stomach while the
other lay at the side of the body. One would
nave thought that the body had been pre-
pared for burial but for one awful fact-the
head was gone. 1t had been hacked en-
tlrely away by some rude instrument and
the body terminated in the stump of the
neck.
In short time magistrate, a detective,
several police and doctor were looking at
the body. The doctor decided that the man
had been dead at least foriv-eight hours,
that the head had been cut off in some place
other than this cellar, and that his death
iiad peen caused either by strangu lation or
by blow upon the head.
HE police searched the cellar assiduously.
They found a few spots of blood upon the
stairway and leading from it to the stains
at the end OF the neck. But they found no
trace OF clothing or of the instrument with
which the murder was committed and the
head chopped off. They did ind the blood
stained cord which might have been used in
stranglng the dead man. But there was
nothing to indicate who the man was, who
his murderer was, or how the body had
been got to that place. The detectives
worked hard, but az noon the next day they
were still entirely without clew. 1t began
to look as though this was to be added 10
the long list OF mysteries of Paris.
The detectives finally found that the
houstkeeper was permitting a certain
person named Naubourg to occupy q small
room, for which she collected the rent with
out saying anything TO the proprietor.
They. however. found that Vaubourg
never received any visits. They were about
to give up when the housekeeper said: I'm
fact, | haven't seen hin since Saturday
morning. He went out early. He had a
bundle OF linen under his arm" AS a
measure of precaution the room Vaubourg
had occupied was searched again. The de-
tectives found that the sheets and pillow
cases had been stripped from the bed.
They began to search for Vaubourg and at
10 o'clock that same night caught him in
front Of the tenement, to which he was re-
turning. He was cool and calm and the
police AT first thought that he was innocent.
The magistrate questioned him closely,
however.
Did you not bring some one home with
YOU in the last few days?" was asked.
Vaubourg hesitated, then said 81 did
bring friend home with me-"
And who was this friend ?"
NaubOurg hesitated still longer. His
hands were twisting nervously, although
his face betrayed no agitation. At last he
said:
% His name is Boutry."
And where did you take the sheets the
housekeeper saw you going out with?"
" took them to a washerwoman. They
were soilei, and / did not want the house
keeper to see
Now" said the magistrate, why don't
You confess that you stranglcd your friend.
and that the sheets were soiled by his
blood?"
Il have not strangled any one, sir"
said NaGbourg, who was again perfectly
collected.
They locked him up, and then found that
Boutry had disappeared from his lodgings
the Thursday, before, and that the headless
corpse was his. They also found the
washerwoman, who said that the sheets
were stained with blood when Vaubourg
brought them to her.
When VaubOurg was confronted with all
THIS be shrugged his shoulders and said:
Oh, well, might tell and be done with it.
| did kill Boutry. We came in together
Friday morning. We had both been drink
ing. We ate some potatoes and went tie bed.
In the night Boutry turned over and, in
uulIS IT. puSHeu HE 50 LIldL aWOke. llaI
made Inc furious. l leaped upon him and
accidentally killed him.
when saw that he was dead pulled
out the bed and hid him behind it. He lay
there three days undsturbed. l was think
ing all the time what to do with the body.
The odor began to be unpleasant. Then
the cellar occurred to me. lit candle and
went down into it, finding the place |
wanted. l went back to my room. took the
body IN my arms and carried it into a side
passage of the cellar. 1t was then clad in
shirt. L took off the shirt and proceeded to
remove the head. | had decided that with
the head and clothing gone the body could
not be Identified.
u had no instrument but my knife. 1t
was easy work until / came to the bones
had to bend it until they snapped. Then
decided to carry the body into further
compartment | settled upon that OF Vache-
resse. | went back and took the body |
supported the legs with my lett arm and
held the arms with my right Thus the
body was with its feet in the air and its
head down. ! had TO stop to rest several
times.
81 hid the body behind the boxes. Then
L went in and got the head. cut off the
nose, the upper lip and one ear and buried
them in a corner of the cellar l hurried
back to my room with the rest Of the head
| wrapped it in Boutry's clothing, which l
had stripped from his body in the cellar
In the morning took it to the place where
Boutry and | worked together and threw it
into n Vault -