Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-22

Cy % tuOuSuO tutIc SItdutu d III
umphant smile as he DOTTED his hat and
exclaimed: Bon jour, mesdames ct
messieur! I hope zat me leetle patient
ees ware we'll dis morning.
Mrs. Staunten took this occasion to
inform me that upon her daughters
complete recovery she would become
Viscountess Grenet. Somehow my mind
seemed prepared for the statement, and
/ was not in the least surprised This
singular man had become completely
dominant over the mind and action of
the mother, and the daughter had
seemingly lost all will of her own In
few days Mrs. Staunton left for the
north, her object being to purchase Vir-
ginia's trousseau. 1t was well under
stood that an international marriage
would take place upon her return. As
soon as she had gone the Frenchman,
possibly fearing some unexpected de-
nouement, urged the performance of
hurried ceremony, to which the poor
girl, in her enfeebled state of mind Of
fered no resistance, and he spirited her
away.
The marriage was performed in Sc
cret, only priest and the necessary wit
nesses being present The couple had
been gone 36 hours before they were
missed. The vulgar precipitation of the
ceremony, it's profound secrecy and the
clandestine departure very naturally
aroused suspicious of foul play, and
more speculation was INDUCED in by
the guests of the hotel Inquiry was
made, and it was found that Grenet had
at different times obtained very power
full and mischievous drugs at certain
pharmacy. These drugs could not pos
sibly have been used for any good pur-
pose in Virginia Staunton's case.
''The discovery of the fact that such
medicines were in the Frenchmans S pos
session Immediately explained to me
the cause of Virgie's alteration of mind.
I had been fool enough to think it due
to the violence of her fall from the run
ming horse and the fever which was
consequent The scoundrel's scheme
now became quite apparent. Finding it
impossible to win the girl by fair
means, he had resorted to foul Con-
triving to bring about the accident
which stunned her, he imposed upon
the mother the belief that he was ma
val surgeon and thus secured the oppor-
tunity of administering his poisons.
The whole thing was now clear to me.
Why had been so confeundedly stupid
not to see it before?
Immediate wires to Mrs. Staunton
in New York city and Philadelphia
brought no response. Valuable time was
being lost, and Vicomte de Grenet was
meanwhile speeding on with his help
less victim to nobody knew where.
Three days after the comte's departure
news came that Mrs. Staunton had been
found dead in her berth between Wash
ington and Philadelphia, cause of death
supposed to be an overdose of morphine.
The body of the i'll fated woman was
held awaiting directions The suspicion
of murder was now added to that of
malpractice and abduction, and the case
was Immediately put into the hands of
the authorities. Knowing the Stauntons
as well as | did and being aware that
the only relatives of the family were
very distant ones, living somewhere in
go north and superintend the funeral
rites of the dead woman. You may well
suppose that it was with a sad heart and
many self reproaches that looked upon
the cold face of my kind and good
friend. I felt that by my confounded
stupidity and inactivity I was in way
responsible for her death. [ resolved
then and there to rescue her innocent
daughter and hound the villain down,
cost what it might.
1.-THE purpose of that resolve remains
unaccomplished Years have elapsed
since Vicomte de Grenet absconded from
Asheville, carrying with him an imbe
cile girl whose intellect he had willful
ly destroyed. The villain is still at large
and will probably never be found unless
some Nemesis in the shape of retribu-
tive justice claims him for her own.
The skillful service of an army of trained
detectives has failed to unearth his
whereabouts, and after the expenditure
of thousands his pursuers are no wiser
than before. Having traced him to
Paris, where he carried his stolen bride,
his identity was lost. The inquest held
over Mrs Staunton decided that her
death was caused by some powerful
drug placed in her hands by an un-
known person, with mischievous in
tent. That Grenet intended her death
I do not believe. He probably calculated
upon the loss of her reason and gradual
decline. He was far too shrewd not to
no inin
would naturally attach to him.
Investigation Ieoved that Vicomte
de Grenet was formerly waiter upon
a Liverpool liner; that he subsequently
settled in Philadelphia as an aspiring
barber and later came south in the role
of nobleman. In st. Augustine, Fla,
he was the toast for an entire season as
Baron de Frisse. Upon leaving Ashe-
vile Grenet proceeded directly to New
York and there took passage on the
French line to Havre, from thence to
Paris 1t was learned from the officers
of the Gasgogne, upon which ship the
couple sailed, that the vicomte register
ed for the voyage under the name of Jean
F. Viennet. During the passage the
strong constitution of the unfortunate
girl rallied under the influence of the
bracing sea air, and her mind became
clearer At lucid intervals she realized
the horror OF her situation and would
plead to the captain for succor. Her
irate husband would explain these ac-
tions as the freaks of wild and diseas
ed imagination and force her to return
to the cabin.
cone of the stewards testified that on
several nights he had been attracted to
Viennet's cabin by the sound of blows,
followed by piteous shrieks and walls.
The captains attention was called to
this and Viennet forced to explain. He
said that his wife was raving maniac
and frequently assaulted him in this
manner He was compelled to overpow-
er her by force when she uttered these
shrieks and groans In truth, the heart
less villain was no doubt trying to force
the helpless girl to sign her property,
which amounted to S700. 900 in her own
name, over to himself.
''In Paris the same brutal treatment
was continued. Virginia Staunton, a
beautiful American girl of wealth and
Dosition. was kent locked in a close