Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-06-21
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A COMEDY OF ERRORS.
To the Shrewd Paris Police Ohicial There
Was Something Tragic About IL.

To the Shrewd Paris Police Ohiclal There
Was Something Tragic About IL.
Paris is just now shaken with unholy
mirth over the tribulations of commits
sary of police. A certain lady went to
the Bon Marche the other day and stole
quantity of valuable lace She was
arrested forthwith and turned over to
the police. The culprit was invited to
dine that evening and begged the au-
thorities to let her notify her expectant
host, but as the authorities are not ten
der to thieves they calmly ignored her
request That evening M. Prelat, the
police official from the left bank of the
Seine, hired cab and went to the guilty
woman's rooms
There he found so many stolen goods
that he rummaged through the entire
place. and packing all the stolen effects
i'll big black trunk got his cabman to
aid him in taking it down to the car
riage. The next morning the gentleman
whose dinner was spoiled by the absence
of his fair guest called to see what was
the matter. He rang and pounded un-
availingly, so the concierge produced a
pass key, and they both stood aghast at
the terrible condition of the apartment.
The case was plain. A malefactor, prob
ably an anarchist, had got in on some
pretext. The disorder of the room de-
noted that his victim had fought desper-
ately for her life, but he had murdered
her and stuffed her corpse and all the
valuables he could find into a missing
black trunk.
The friend flew off with cries of de-
spair to notify the police Of the quarter
of this awful crime The concierge re-
lated the whole affair to a knot Of Gu
rious bystanders, which speedily ex-
panded into dense crowd. The police
took down the description of the crimi-
nal who stole the black trunk and the
description of the cabman who drove q
white horse, ordered the locks changed
on the apartment so that no one could
enter without the knowledge of the po-
lice and then withdrew with dignity.
Half an hour later, while the crowd was
still staring at the murder stained house,
the cab with the white horse drove up
W Iu6 llOOlJ anu OllO ouppOoOU hiuANS "a
alighted. He was instantly denounced
by the irate concierge, and being utter
ly unconscious of his own supposed mis-
deed was nearly lynched before he suffi-
ciently realized the situation to produce
his police badge, when the crowd re-
spectfully dropped him. We rather dis
like the police in Paris, but we certain
ly stand in wholesome awe of them.
The unoffending commissaire then
found himself locked out of the apart
ment, owing to the precautions Of the
police, and was forced to send for his
colleague to open the door for him. His
search for stolen goods was successful,
as he netted about So, 900 worth. The
only people in Paris who do not perceive
the farcical side Of this situation are,
first, M. Prelat, who came near being
lynched and was knocked about rough
ly by the mob for the preparation of a
crime that never was committed; the
officious friend, who raised all this both
er, and the lady herself, who is gloomi-
ly meditating behind prison bars ON the
inconvenience attendant on her breach
of the eleventh commandment, 'Thou
shalt not be found out. Paris Cor.
Philadelphia Telegraph.