The Portland daily press., 1895-11-08
TRANSPORTED.


Comique was one of those obscure individ-
uals, regular as clock in their habits,
who lead a reserved kind OF existence and
whose ambition is limited to maintaining
themselves in the position which brings
them in their daily bread.
He occupied a modest apartment in the
Rue Nollet, Batignolles which was kept
In order by Marianne, worthy girl, who
from long service had become as method
ical in her ways as her master. She knew
exactly at what hour the latter would re-
turn from the theater, and his supper was
always ready to the minute.
One night, however, his customary chop
was missing. So was Marianne. The next
day passed, ana the next, and still Mari
anne failed to put in an appearance. what
had become Of her? He could not even
conjecture. His vexation gave place to IN
easiness and his uneasiness to alarm.
On the second day he resolved to ques-
ton the concierge. The amlable Cerebus
gruf1y replied that he was not her keeper,
that he had not seen the girl, and, for thai
matter, did not want to.
Jean Rhode was by degrees getting &C.
customed to the disagreeable necessity OF
having to take his meals in restaurant,
when an incident occurred that furnished
a fresh subject of discussion to the gossiPs
of the street, who were beginning to forget
all about Marianne's mysterious disap-
pearance.
One morning the concierge read the fol-
lowing paragraph in one Of the daily pa
pers:
"The body of fair haired and some
what stout young woman, evidently
servant, was taken out of the Seine at
Courbevoie yesterday. 1t was attired in
servants white frilled cap, black bodice,
pink fichu, green skirt and thick laced
shoes. In the pocket purse containing 2
francs 40 confines was found. There being
nothing by which the body could be iden-
titled it was sent to the morgue."
Seized with dark presentiment, the
concierge clam bered on to an omnibus and
went to the morgue. There upon one OF
the slabs he recognized, or thought he
recognized, the servant of Jean Rhode.
Although the features were decomposed
by the long sojourn of the body in the
water, the concierge, with the perspicacity
habitual in those who exercise his profess
sion, had no doubt about the matter. A
suspicion which he had long entertained
was thus suddenly confirmed-Rhodie had
murdered his servant. The thing was now
to get the murderer to confess.
Before setting the formidable machinery
of Justice in motion the concierge brusque-
ly stopped his ledger as the latter entered
the house and thrust the paragraph under
his nose. The effect expected was OBJ
tained-the violinist incontinently col.
lapsed with smothered groan.
The next day Rhode was taken before
the examining magistrate, when an Incl
dent frequent enough in criminal proce-
dure occurred. The accused was so trou-
bled that he did nothing but contradict
himself and was utterly unable to account
for his time on the day of the girls disap-
pearance.
Two months later he was brought up
for trial before the assize court. There
was no material proof, but the circum-
stantial evidence against him was over
whelming.
The attorney general insinuated that
the callous Notwithstanding the accused
could have but one reason for wishing
to get rid of the young servant who had
lived with him for a certain number OF
years. He was no doubt intimate with the
girl, said the man of law, and went on te
expatiate at length to the jury upon the
probable consequences of the said Intimacy,
amply sufficient in itself, for that matter,
to account for the crime.
This argument produced a profound i'm.
preston upon the minds of the 10 good
men and true of the jury, who had been
previously greatly moved at the sight OF
the clothing of the victim, spread out on
the table of the court as pieces convic'
tion.
The president Of the court, who was
somewhat of a novice, foundered through
the interrogation, mystifying with himself
the prisoner to such an extent that the
latter began to ask himself at last whether
he was not really guilty of the crime with
| which he was charged. A little more and
| he would have confessed to it,
| Tho counsel for the defense was little
bettec than the president of the court. He
did 1uare harm than good to his client.
The consequence was that although Il long
| string OF witnesses testified ad nauseam to
the qualities of heart and mind of the
| prisoner, the Jury, presided over by a pork
| butche,, brought in verdict of guilty up
on the chief count of the Indictment. AS
regards the questions of circumstances at
tenuatins or otherwise, etc., they were sc
muddled that tbsy ended by finding the
prisoner 1T once guilty and not guilty.
The president naturally requested the
jury TO retire and agree upon a verdic!
| more compatible with common sense, an6
when the jury, vexed and terrified at the
same time, returned into court they re
piled in the affirmative to all the questions
put to them and remained mute as regard
cd alternating circumstances
The president of the court, rather sur
prised at this unlocked for success-for, as
every body knows, the carrying of deatl
sentence against a prisoner does more fol
a Judge than all the recommendations il
the northumberland Jean Rhode tt
death
The prisoner sank back in the arms O.
the gendarmes and was carried out O.