Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-14

nouement, urged the performance of a 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 se- cret, only priest and tho necessary wit nesses being present. The couple had been gone 36 hours before they were missed. Tho vulgar precipitation of tho ceremony. its profound secrecy and tho clandestine departure very naturally aroused suspicious of foul play, and more speculation was indulged 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 Frenchman's pos session immediately explained to me the cause of Virgie's alteration of mind. I had been fool enough to think it duo 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- irving to bring about the accident which stunned her, he imposed upon the mother the belief that he was n 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 confoundedly 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 I did and being aware that
  very distant ones, living somewhere in the far northwest, felt it my duty to go north and supcrintend the funeral rites of the dead woman. You may well suppose that it was with a sad heart and many self approaches that looked upon the cold face G my kind and good friend. I felt that by my confounded stupidity and inactivity was ill way responsible for her death. I resolved then and there to rescue her innocent daughter and hound the villain down, cost what il might.
 ''The purs1se of that resolve remains unaccomplishcd. Years have elapsed since Nicomte de Grenet abscOndcd from Asheville, carrying with him an imbc- 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 pursuors 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 ill her hands by an un- known person, with misChievous in- tent. That Grenet intended her death do not believe. He probably calculated upon the loss of her reason and gradual decline. He was far too Shrewd not to | foresee the dangerous suspicion which would naturally attach to him.
 investigation proved that Vicomte de Grenet was formerly waiter upon 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 tho | French line to Havre, from thence tC Paris It was learned from the officer: of tho Gasgognc, upon which ship tho couple sailed, that the vicomte register ed for the voyage under the name of Jear F. Viennet During the passage tn, strong constitution of the unfortunate l girl rallied under the influence of tn, bracing sea air, and her mind becam, clearer. At lucid intervals she realized the horror of her situation and would plead to the captain for succor. Hcl irate husband would explain these nc tions as the freaks of wild and diseas ed imagination and force her to return to the cabin.
 "One of the stewards testified that oI several nights he had been attracted t, Viennet's cabin by the sound of blows followed br piteous shrieks and walls The captains attention was called tc this and Viennet forced to explain. H, raid that his wife was raving mania, and frequently assaulted him in thi: manner. He was compelled to overpow CT her by force when she uttered thes shrieks and groans. In truth, the heart less villain was no doubt trying to fore the helpless girl to sign her property which amounted to $7O0, 900 in her owl name, over to himself.
 "In Paris the same brutal trcatmen was continued. Virginia Staunton, beautiful American girl of wealth an, position, was kept locked in q clos room, starved, beaten and tortured b, an insignificant French cur to obtain neT InuHey untll, uTlNeH stsirk Hliiu, sn burst all confines and rushed franticall, into the streets. Police interference, O course, caused the hellhound to flee, an, protection, which was, alas, too late rescued his victim. A raving maniac Virginia Staunton was brought from
 Parisian madhouse and now occupie comfortable apartments in a privat sanitarium ill New York. Her mind ut terly, irretrieyably gone, she alternate from frantic terror to vacant lassitude and thus ekes out her existence"
 The faces of the doctors intereste listeners wore expressions of sadnes and sympathy in accordance with tn