The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-30
TRANSPORTED.

lean Rhotlic, first violin at tho Ambigu-
C0miquc, was ono of those obscure indiyid-
uals, regular as q clock in their habits
who lead u reserved kind of existence and
whose ambition is limited to maintaining
themselves in tho position which brings
them in their daily bread.
He occupied II modest apartment in tho
Ruo Nollct, Butignollcs which was kent
in order by Marianne, n worthy girl, who
from long service had become us method
zeal in her ways rs her master She knew
exactly at what hour tho latter would re-
turn from the thratcr, and his supper was
always ready to the minute.
One night, however, his customary chop
was missing. So was Marianne Tho next
day passed, and the next. and still Mari
anne failed to put i'll an appearance. What
had become of hcrg Ho could not even
conjecture. His vcxation gave place to un-
casincss, and his uncasincss to alarm.
On the second dag he resolved to qucs-
tiou tho concierge. Tho amiablo Ccrcbus
gruflly replied that hu was not her kecpcr
that he had not seen the girl, and, for that
matter, did not want to-
Jean Rhodic WAS by degrees getting ac-
customcd to the disagrccahlc necessity Of
having To take his meals in Il restaurant,
when an incident occurred that furnished
iitfii Sh'JJ'Jt vi ulhtuSSlbl 10 the H0SSlIlS
of tho street, who were beginning to forget
all about Mariunnc's mysterious disap-
pcarancc.
One morning tho concierge read the fol-
lowing paragraph in one of the daily pa-
pcr:
Tho body Of " fair haired and some
what stout young woman, evidently "a
servant, WAS taken out of the Seine nj,
Courbcvoic yesterday. 1t WAS attircd in 3,
servants white frillcd cap, black bodice,
pink hchu, green skirt and thick laced
shoes. In the pocket purse containing 2
francs 40 confines was found. There being
nothing by which tho body could be itlcn-
titled, it was sent to the morguc"
Seized with dark prcscntimont, the
concierge clambercd Oh to an omnibus and
went to tho morguc. There upon one of
the slabs no recognized or thought he
recognized, tho servant of jean Rhodic
Although the features were dccomposcd
by tho long sojourn of tho body III the
water, tho concierge, with the perspicacity
habitual in those who exercise his profes-
sion, had no doubt about tho matter. a
suspicion which he had long entertained
was thus suddenly confirmed-Rhodic had
murdered his servant. The thing was now
10 get the murderer To confess
Bcioro setting tho formidable machinery
OIL justice III motion the concierge brusouc-
~ stopped his lodgcr as the latter entered
inc house anu thrust the paragraph under
his nose. The effect expected was oh
taincd-thc violinist incontinently col
lhpscd with II smothercd groan.
The noXt dny Rhodic was taken before
the examining magistrate, when an Incl
dent ircqucnt enough in criminal procc-
dliro occurred. The accused was 50 trou.
bicd that he did nothing but contradict
himself ana WAS utterly unable to account
I'D: his tlhlo on the day of the girls disap-
pcar;lncc.
Two months later he was brought up
Tor trial before tho assizc court. There
was no material proof, but the circum
stantlal evidence against him was over
wholming
Tho attorney general insinuatcd that
the callous Observation-Disclosures ing the accused
could have but ono reason for WISHING
TO get rid Of the young servant who had
llNcd With him for IL certain number of
years. He was no doubt intimate with the
Slfl, said the man of law, and went on to
eNpatlato ut length to the jury upon the
probable consequences of the said intimacy
amply sufficient in itself, for that matter,
to account for the crime.
ms argument produced n profound i'm
preston upon the minds of the II good
men and true of the jury, who had been
previously greatly moved at tho sight of
inc clothing of tho victim, spread out OH
the table of the court as pieces a couyic-
tion.
Inc president of the court, who was
hoiiieWhat OF IL novice, fioundercd through
.'e interrogation, mystifying with himself
my prisoner to such an extent that the
,''tcr began toask himself at last whether
nG was not really guilty of the crime with
mhioh nc was charged. a little more and
he would nave confessed to it.
The counsel for tho defense wac ,;ttlo
better than the president of tho court Uo
did moro harm than good tn his cIinnt
me consequence was that, although n lono
Strlhg Oh witnesses testified al nnllsenm 70
inc quantities of heart and mind of tbo
PRISONER, the jury, presided over by n porI,
nulchor brought in q verdict of guilty nm
Oh inc chicf count of the indictment 40
lcBaros inc questions of circumstances. at
'ehuhtlnS or otherwise, etc. they were 81
mtddlcd that they ended by finding tho
prisoner at once guilty and not guilty.
Inc president naturally requested tbc
jury to retire and agree upon n verdict
more compatible with common sense and
whcn the jury, vcXcd and terrified nj tho
same time returned into court tbcv 70.
piied In the affirmative to all the questions
put To thcm and remained mute as regard
ed Alternating circumstances.
The president of the court, rather sur
prisu mt this unlocked for Succession no
everybody knows, the carrying of n death
sentence against prisoner does moro for
u Judge than all the recommendations in
tho world--condemncd Jean Rhode TO
death.
Tho prisoner sank back in tho arms of
tho gendarmes and was carried out of