Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-14
CONFESSED A MURDER.
STRANGE STORY TOLD By A YOUNG
FRENCHMAN.

Captured by Fleet Farmers-Jumped over
q Stove to Escape From q Village store
Jailed on a Peculiar Commitment
Charged With Several Ofenses.
A handsome, well-proportfoned young
Frenchman was arrested out In McCandless
township Saturday night on suspicion of
numbering a woman and of having COM
mitted q couple of robberies which occurred
there the previous night. Yesterday he
was placed in Jail. Justice of the Peace
Kroeger, in making out the commitment,
failed to insert the prisoners name, the
charge on the document being indefinitely
stated Is suspicious character, which there
has been robbery, also said man has con-
fessed ct committing a murder"
Warden McAleese refused to receive the
commitment until properly illed out with
the name of the prisoner, but when he heard
of the trials the constable had undergone to
get the Frenchman to Jail he relented. The
prisoner politely wrote his name, Coucheoy
Constant, OH the commitment himself and
was then locked up.
Verging Upon Delirium Tremens.
Constant is either lunatic or Is recover
ing from an attack of delirium tremens, ac-
cording to the Jail officials, who know all
the symptoms we'll, and they think his con-
fession about having murdered woman Is
the imagination Of disordered brain. All
delirium tremens subjects imagine they
have killed people.
The fellow was noticed about McCandless
township several days ago, wandering aim
lessly about. He was well dressed. cleanly
in appearance and conducted himself with
propriety, except that he was several times
found sleeping under the corn shocks in
Farmer Joseph RftcheY's fields. On Friday
night two houses were burglarized in the
township.
Suspicion attached to no one in particular
until Saturday night. There was II turkey
rattle in one of the village stores that even
ing to which the male population turned out
strong. Pending the time the proprietor
got through with his customers the men sat
around the stove in the rear of the store
telling stories and gossiping. Constant was
there, sitting back in the corner. He couldn't
talk q word of English, and the conversation
did not interest him, but the room was warm
and he evidently made up his mind to stand
it as long rs possible.
Jumped Over the Stove and Fled.
Suddenly his patience seemed to leave
him. He stood up, glared wildly at those
around him and shuffied to get out. The
farmers were packed around SO close he
couldn't get out except by jumping over the
stove. 1t was big jump, but the French
man was equal to it. He made the leap and
had reached the door before the farmers
realized what had happened. With cry of
"Vive la Francaiser' he dashed down the
road into the darkness.
without knowing why the farmers fol-
lowed and captured him q mile or more
away. Some real or faDcied evidence was
brought forth to show that he was the rob-
ber. Constant was frightened. A French
man to whom he talked said Constant had
confessed to killing a woman. No details
were given, but that was enough. The farm
ers were satisfied they had desperate
character. Two of them were placed on
watch over him and kept him ali night in a
room in the constable's house and yester-
day he was brought to Jail.
A plate glass cutters tools were found in
his pockets and it is believed at the Jail that
Constant came from either Creighton or
Ford City. The commitment against him
is indefinite and unless a new one is pro-
duced the prisoner will be released in a day
or two.