St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-05
CRIME AS A TRAD E.
EXISTENCE OF AN ORGANIZED
BAND OF NIURDERERS
Brought Out in Sensational
Trial in Belgium-ThirteeR
Members Sentenced.

BRUSSELS, Aug. 4.-The most sensa-
tional criminal trial in the annals of
Belgium was concluded today at Mons
by the conviction of all but one of the
accused In August last the cottage
occupied by an old man named Hendrix
ana his young wife. who were popularity
supposed to have money hidden in
their house, was set ON fire
and destroyed. The charred remains of
the couple were found in the ruins, and
it was at first thought they had been
burned to death. Facts came to the
knowledge of the police, however,
which led to an investigation being
made, when it was found that Hen
dirk and his wife had been murdered.
Both were found to have terrible
wounds in their heads and necks, in
fticted with some sharp instrument that
had hearty decapltated them. The cot
tage had been set on fire in order to
destroy, if possible, all evidence of the
mu1d-r. The police began TO search
for tile guilty persons. it beng evsdent
that several had been concerned in the
crimes. 1t was learned that a
Oae-armed man named Van
Ham had been seen in the
vicinity Of the cottage on the night of
the murder. Van Ham was arrested at
Journal and at once made tull
confession. He described how the deed
had been committed, and ascribed tine
first idea of the crime to man named
Dumeunier. The revelations of Van
Ham. served as the basis for further
inquiry. and the police gradually traced
the existence OF -
An Organized Gang
q =. t. d., Il
of the Center, of which Van Ham was
the leader. This band have for years
been carryingaon a system of robbery
and piilage. breaking into railway,
grounds, stores, pilfering from country
cottages ami farm houses, and, in eng,
case. robbing a church. No fewer than,
sixty railway roDDereS were traced to,
members of the band. ~
The headquarters of the band was at,
lonely country inn kept by weuial-
named Josephine Godeau, who, tOgetheE.,
with another woman, were soon Ill cES2,
tody. The police found the inn hahds:
somely furnished and full of rich stdffs'
and valuables. Altogether thirteen
members of the band were arrested dnd
placed n.trial at special sitting of the
Hainaut assize court. Two huDdfeH
witnesses were called by the prose GU;
ton and the evidence against the ac-'
cuSed was overwhelming. ~
| Van Ham. Dameneuier and DelhouX
were found guilty Of the! murder Of
Hendrix and his wife, and they were
sentenced to death. The other mem.
bers OF the band were convicted Of
burglary and other crimes, and were
sentenced to prison. A man
named Quevis was condemned 10
twenty years Imprisonment at
hard labor. Bullieu and Lacroix, two
others were condemned to fifteen years.
while the remainder OF the prisoners
were given shorter terms. One of the
women, a Nine. Smoos, was acquitted.
| The trial excited the greatest interest,
| and the crowds seeking admission to
| the court room were so large and unruly
that large attachments of police were
assigned to keep order.
Van Ham has already served several
terms of Imprisonment. On one occa-
sion while i'll prison he feigned insanity
to secure his removal to a lunatic asy
| lum. He was successful. and shortly
after made his escape. The police fountl
no trace of him until after the Hendrix
| murders