The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-08
THE HUNCHBACKS.
Remarkable Story of Three Brothers
Who Lacked Exactly Alike.

Remarkable Story of Three Brothers
who Lacked Exactly Alike.
Three brothers, all humpbacked and all
alike in appearance, lived in BesancOn. One
of them killed a man, but not being taken
on the moment the prosecution could only
swear that one of the three brothers had
done the deed.
Rather than put an innocent man to death
the Judge let the guilty one escape, but to
avoid further Inconvenience of the kind he
banished all from the province.
One settled In Paris, became rich and
married; the others. after nearly starving in
England. returned and paid visit to their
more fortunate brother.
The master OF the house was abroad when
they knocked, and the poor wife was
troubled more than little by the visit
My husband is very jealous" said she
to them, while she was giving them some
thing TO eat. You must go to the further
quarter of the town and never come here
again; but I'll make your brother look to
your wants"
While she was speaking she heard her
husbands knock, and cried out:
Follow me if you value your lives"
She ordered the servant not to open the
door I'LL she should return, and then con-
veyed the brothers down the stairs and
locked them in the cellar.
Her husband sc0lded for being kept out
so long. but good dinner restored him to
good humor, and at night he went out to
pay visit.
The wife then went down to the cellar,
and there found the TWO brothers dead.
What was 10 be done? She sent fOrs a
strong Auyergnat, brought him down stairs,
showed him one corpse, which she had pre-
Vl0uSly taken out OF the cellar, ana promised
him louis dor OH his return after having
thrown it into the River Seine.
Il, H. IL ~
popped the body into the sack, took it to the
bridge and shook it into the river.
Returning for his reward, the wife dis
puted his claim, as the body was still lying
outside the cellar door.
Here the Stupeted man saw what he firmly
believed to be the corpse he had thrown
from the bridge, and. resigning himself to
destiny, he got it into his sack and went
through the ceremony for the second time.
Coming back he was terrified ana enraged
by finding the tWice-dToWned corpse knock
ing at the door.
Are these your tricks, MASTER" said he.
"Ah, Monsieur Ghost, clever as you are, I'll
settle you the third trial"
SO saying, he forced the poor husband
into the sack, carried him to the same spot,
and effected the same discharge.
ms time he returned in triumph, for the
wife, ignorant of her husbands fate, and
having no more cOrDSeS to remove, paid him
twice what she had covenanted and gave
him glass Of wine into the bargain
Your good health, madam" said he.
"You are better than your promises; but |
earned it, l found the humpbacked rogue,
or bis ghost, knocking at the door after l
had thrown him ia second time"
"Oh, wretch! you have drowned my hus-
band" cried the woman.
While she was screaming and he was
standing in amaZement the gens-d'armes
entered, secured both and sent them off to
prison.
Next day they were brought before the
magistrate of the quarter and examined.
The poor wife concealed nothing; the Auv-
ergnat was called upon for an explanation,
and while both were waiting sentence the
three brothers, full of life, but with very
pale faces, were uShered into tha room.
Some fishermen stationed near the bridge
had saved the three.
The unmarried men had only been dead
drunk in the cellar, and the submerssiOn
and the consequent pulling aud hauling, and
ejectment OF wine and water, had recovered
them from their drunken lethargy before
the natural time
On their first appearance before the
magistrate they could give no explanation
Of their visit to the river, AMI the husband
had, no idea of the cause Of his being seized,
but his wfe'S explanation made all clear.