The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-06
TRUNK MURDERS.
Instances " here Chests Have Played
Important Parts in Tragedies.
". De S. in Neto York sun.


coveries, trunk has played a conspicuous
part, although not so horrifying a one as in
other cases. A siugularly melodramatic in
cldent has been imported into the intending
Panama prosecutions by the discovery OF
the box Of the notorious Arson and its de-
livery into the hands OF French officials by
the Roumanian government. The advent
ures Of this remarkable person, OF this mys-
terlous and invisible Arton, are more than
romantic; they SAVIOR Of the fRntastlcal
and fabulous, and do not seem to
appertain to our pTosaic fin de steele.
Flying once more before the tracking
detectives sent to Bucharest to seize his per-
son he contrived-when nearly trapped-to
evsde his captOTs, but he was compelled to
abandon his luggage, and a portion Of 1t
contained the evidence required against
him and others The papers found in the
carefully looked and corded box were of a
nature to somewhat CONF ensate for the dis
appointments caused by his escape. The
now historic trunk is qualified to take a
place with many others whose record, X
moro tTagical, had no greater importance,
for IL is with ArtOn as with the mon who,
having ex tied public curiosity by some
deed of daring or audacity, are imme-
diGtely surrounded by an atmosphere of
legends and fables.
Probably before the present instance the
trunk on which the latest interest Fastened
was Michel Eyraud's, the accompliCe Of the
wretched woman BOmpard. who packed the
body of his victim in an ordinary travelling
box and sent it as such to Lyons. lie had
not invented this simple method Of dispOsiug
Of mutilated remains, for over a century
ago-in February, l177-R little old man Of
peaceful demeanor, wearing, according to
the fashion OF the day, violet coat and
knee breeches, and carrying a respectable
gold-headed cane, was seen walking in
the ueignborhood Of the Hotel de- Vile,
in Paris, apparently looking up at tho
houses in quest of some particular sign
or number. He stopped at last before
printed advertisement intimatiug that there
was cellar to let on the premises. He in
terviewed the proprietor. y woman, settled
the terms of the rent, demanded immediate
possession and the following morning, hav-
ing previously stated that hs required tho
cellar 20 store some Spanish wine, he re-
turned, followed by truck on which stood
cask and big box in a linen wrapper.
These goods be had carried into the cellar,
which he locked aud took away the key.
Shortly after it was runored that @ certain
Dame de La Motto, the widow of a former
employe in the stables of the queen, had
disappeared. When last seen this lady ocCu-
pied rooms in the house of q respectable
grocer, to whom she had just sold prop
erty she possessed in the country. This
grocer, called Desrues, was quite unex-
peotsdly accused by one OF Ills creditors of
being the same man who had hired a cellar
near the Hotel de Vile; that he had dropped
into it a huge trunk and never gone near
the place again. These fects we're sub
stantiated by the proprietress Of the cellar
and seemed TO justify the public prosecutor
in ordering the premises to be searched.
The police found the box hale hidden i'll the
darkest portion OF the cellar, and on being
a ~, G,I
body OF woman whose mead had been
wrapped in oilcloth. Nine. de L. Motto
was identified by her earrings. Desrues
had poisoned her in order to avoid paying
the purchase money. BE made c full con-
fession and was racked on the Place de
GreYe.
In 1903 butcher of Melun called Lespi-
nois lured man to whom he owed money
into remote, solitary spot, and having him
fairly in hi; power, bled him as he was wont
to bleed his oxen, and packed him in the
shirt Of cOse in which he forwarded goods to
Paris. labelling it salt meat" The officers
of the octroi, however, detected something
unusual, and Inquiries led to the discovery
of the murderer, who was condemned and
hanged.
It was in a trunk Of English manufacture
that in 1917 the body of wealthy banker
Of Marssiles was found. He had left the
city for journey, credited with having on
him a large sum Of money, in the company
of two foreigners who were never heard Of
or seen since, and, If guilty of the murder.
they escaped punishment.
In 1888 the authorities of Lille were in
formed that a woman named l[looUz the
wife OF q jUuCneyman. was missing. Ths
husbands domicile was searched. During
the proceedings he remained quietly seated
on q corded box smoking pipe, and on be-
ing Intercepted as to what could have hap
pened to his wife, he repeated slowly ana
placidly that surely she could not be very
far. He spoke the truth 80 far that she was
at the time reposng in the truuk-a re
markably small one, which he used as q
seat. During the trial lie was asked how be
managed to squeeze the body of @ we'll de-
yeloped woman into so small a compass, and
without losing his phlegmetlc placidiiy he
ret0rted: "dOns.euC 10 president, there
we're six inches Of room TO spare"
The Low common practice of finding ex
teauating circumstances for the most afr. =
cious crimes was just Gniing favor with
court and jury, so that klOotz was merely
sentenced 20 penal servitude for life.
In 1912 q large crowd had gathere1 in the
yards of the Messsgeries office of Orleans TO
witness the procureur du roi, seconded by q
coamissary and several policemen, inspect
tho luggage stored In large shed on the
premises, chiefly in consequence Of tho
Gec36Fhb!Oh8 nuns ny u C5ELhll DBlHfG,
landlord of the Hotel de pEurope in the
town. As tho men wore overhauling
large trunk he exclaimed that il was the
one. The lock was torn open and tho in
terror revealed G hideously mutilated body
wrapped IN many folds OF linen. Bernard
and many others identified it rs the corpse
OF q porter of the bank who had been sent
tho day before to receive several important
sums IN the city. He had not returned in
the evening, and, as he was known t. have
formed some undesirable acquaintance, al-
though strictly honest himself, suspicious
were directed specially to one OF these, the
agent of an insurance company who had
been seen to euUer with the porter into q
room OF tho Hotel de PEUrooe and had ap-
parently determined 70 possess himself OF
tho mans casa aud mojey bag. In the
stru- gle he hsd killed him and finding C
trunk in the hall had appropriated it, HID
den tie body inside AID had had it con-
veyed to the luggage Office of the Mesa
geries label d fer Toulouse. lie himself
gave ell these particulars at the trial, and
as the papers relating bis execution stated,
"met his fate with the fOrti,ude aud resig-
nation CT true Chrstisu."
Not very many years later the employees
of the STATION OF DorGech, near Nulhause,
casually remarked to each other that n GER
tiau box left u DO called for" SchCitzie
rOth-sweated red-aud called the attention
Of the statiOnmnster to this eEtrGCrdirary
pecuInrity. lie had the hyK examined by
the police. who discovered tie heed ana