Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-05

him wherever he laid down 10 rest. rs he had
own.
As the clang Of the cable cars had long since
ceased, and the passers>by on the avenue were
getting few and far between, TIE SrAR man at
tempted to take his departure Not, however,
TILL Emile had extracted promise from him TO
do all In his power to further the memorial
plans was he allowed to go in peace The last
that was seen OF the mysterious being was his
ll-clad figure fitting along under the sharp
black shadows Of the electric light In the direc-
ton OF the Capitol grounds.
HIS LONG HAIR
The other afternoon Emile was arrested on
suspicion Of arson, . suspicion which, however,
was happily unfounded. and taken to the sta
lion house. When one Of the officers took of
his queer topknot to search for concealed weap-
ons, as thew said, his matted locks dropped
clear to his waist. He said that he would rather
die than have them cut off as they increased
his brain power and made him phvsically
stronger, which latter may be the case. ~ he is
said to be very powerful, though past the prime
Of life and having endured much from exposure
and privation.
HIS LoDofNaa
Where this wanderer Of the night makes his
home no one knows. and the only light that he
will shed on the subject is that he sleeps wiz
boss and a mooL" Not-long ago he SAYS the
'mool' rolled over on him, hurting him so
badly that he could hardly move for many
days; SO from this it is supposed that he occu-
pies a stable. with its four-footed inmates for
bedfellows.
The person who knows more about Emile
than any one 10 the little old lady who keeps the
little cook shop where he took the writer and
from her was learned some interesting facts
about him.
IN A BARRIcADED CELLAR.
When she bought the property she now occu-
pies, some eleven years ago, she found the er-
ratio Frenchman sleeping in q cellar on the
floor, without astick Of furniture, and there she
allowed him to remain at the fsrmer landlord &
request. The cellar door was covered inside and
out with numerous bolts and bars. When asked
why this was 30 he replied that those on the bare
inside were to prevent any one from getting in
and those on the other side were to prevent
him from getting out. SO that ii was double
protection. He seemed always fearful that as
sassins would kill him at night. and TO frustrate
their imagined designs he procured q coin and
slept in it. SO that if they managed to break in
they would see the coffin. suppose that il con-
tanned a dead body and go away.
When the great food Of 1889 drove him from
the cellar he was given q bed to sleep on in a
little upstairs room. but he did not seem to
fancy his new quarters and finally began staying
out at night, but where 1t could never be
learned.
During his stay in the house, says the old
from the blood spattered on the wall near his
bed and other Indications she believes that he
ate them. having made reference at different
times to that practice during the siege of Paris
HIS DUTY ON COOP FRIDAY.
One of the most remarkable incidents re-
lated of him by the old lady is that on one
Good Friday morning he suddenly disappeared
saying that he had some duty that he must per
form. That night he returned tired and hun.
gry. and with his back all bloody. Ii was after.
ward learned that he had gone to a lumber
yard, procured two pieces of lumber, one OF
them over twenty feet long. from which be had
made a cross. and this he had carried away be
'yond the Jail and planted it upright on the
commons. When demonstrated with on ac
count of this crazy freak be said that he only
hoped that his work would not be molested.
PERHAPS OF NOBLE BIRTH.
The old lady further told the STAR reporter
that she has good reason for believing that
Emile is the natural son OF a French nobleman
and asserts that until recently he was in tie
habit Of receiving a monthly stipend from
France, but tina. now the money has stopped
coming, and he supports himself best he i,
able. She also declares that he never begs. but
is known ont of his own scanty means to have
several times aided persons in distress. win
ter or ago one of the gentlemen at the Capt.
tol who knew him took pity on his ragged con-
dition, and QUILTED him with new suit OF
clothes and a pair Of shoes. but Emile in turn
gave it to some one be thought needed it NOR,
than himself, and returned to his old rags
Indeed, rs regards some of his characteristics
he is of an exceedingly tender nature.
AT THE CAPITOL.
While Congress is in session Emile haunts tn,
Capitol and can be seen almost on any afternoon
in the gallery of the House or Senate, where b,
attracts considerable attention by his queer ap
pearance He also does little lobbying in be
half OF his own projects. All the older mem
bers know him and treat him kindly and evel
good naturally listen occasionally to his rain
bow plans for improvements and moonshin
schemes for Fastening the millennium.
Free to rcam about at will, Emile ia a poor
harmless creature, sane on most subjects bu
the ones dearest to his heart That he hal
some deep secret connected with him, some in
teresting history, is pretty certain, and il il
almost certain likewise that il will never be re
vealed, at least not by his own confession.
In this city Of cranks Of all kinds and classes
Francois Emile, the samson OF engineers.
easily ranks as chief among the entire collec
ton.