The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-24
HE HAS A RECORD
WORSE THAN HOLMES
Belgian Chief Of Police Leads q Rand Gi
Criminals.
BETRAYED BY JEALOtS SUBORDINATE


BETRAYED EY JEALCeS SUBORDINATE
Many Murders and RObberies and
N,h.r Cr;,,,s v,u..,.roh,o U,;a o,
his Door..f onr'eeh oi the "ahs VI
Criminals Of Which lie Was Leader
A., c,u:
edge ci Matters the Royal Family
Nant To Keen Secret Nny Helm Him.
Pittsburg, June pa story of re-
markable interest concerning crime
committed in foreign capital is told
In letter from London printed In the
to,. ~. -. ns so,' 60 -, '"o n.'r,s 49, -, " Sou
Brussels. On the charge of being the
riugleader of a gang of criminals who
appear To he responsible for every rob-
berry and murder of apy Importance that
has taken Mace in the dominions of
King Leonold during the last ten wears.
Chief of Police Courtois is a man of
herculean stature and strength bearing
q StrlklnK resemblance TO eX-lnSDectOr
Williams. Of New York CITY. and enioy-
ing q reputation similar to the la tier for
the use Of fist and club in dealing with
disturbers of the peace. Indeed there
are no end of stories current at Brussels
concerning the yigor with which he
acted whenever called upon to suppress
any popular outbreak. 1t was these
very tales concerning the feats of
strength which he displayed in dealing
with criminals. and especiolly with the
leaders of mobs. that served for SO long
to divert suspicion from himself. and he
might have escaped discovery alto
gether had he not been guilty of n gross
piece of Injustice and brutality toward
q subordinate who swore To get even
with him
,,,,,,, o,,
Nio>
Several little things had occurred to
raise doubts In the mind OF this officer
as to the integrity OF his chief when the
shocking murder of the Baroness Herry,
wealthy octogenarian who resided in
one of the suburbs of the Belgian capt.
tai, occurred few weeks ago ana
spread terror and CONSERVATION on ev-
cry side. The baroness was so promi-
nent parsonage In society, so con-
spicuous figure OF the Belgian aristoc-
racy, that her tragic death and the
burglary of her residence monopolized
for time public attention and interest,
all the more as 1t appeared impossible
to obtain any clew to the identity or
the perpetrators OF the crimep AT
length, after the lapse OF about fort
night, half dozen railroad bonds that
had belonged to the murdered baroness
were found in the possession OF a broker
at Brussels, VINO, in response TO in
quiries, declared that he had purchased
who % hod a,yen tho an,e 30 Ravai
The police searched In every direction
for men answering the description CIV
en- by the broker, and had given up the
job In despair, when suddenly the off,
Ger above mentioned got 1t into his head
that the description answered that Of
Courtois Accordingly he secured
photograph Of the latter and showed IL
to the broker. 1t was portrait In
which the chief appeared surrounded
by group of inspectors. and the very
moment that the broker set eyes upon
1t he unhesitatingly declared that the
vender OF the stolen bonds and chief OF
Police Courtois were one and the same
person. Notwithstanding the fact that
this declaration on the part or the
broker was put into the FORM OF an am
davit, the authorities at nrst mahlfest-
ed the utmost reluctance to subject the
chief to the indignity or an arrest, ana
1t was only when furtner lnVestigation
brought evidence tnat the murder OF oid
Baroness Herry was not the only CRIME
In which he mad peen implicated that
they proceeded TO DO their duty ana
place him under lock ana Key.
AN ADEPT IN CRIME.
AS SUN as me ."p' nau 49, a..
lecteo anu se'Nu.e ueeh maui vi ,, nis
papers anu torlespohueh., wiz"
showeo MN ~ nav. lons zen ,ins
ieaoer III eiilhe' uenu..'''ons .,n, .o
i,ie',eeu " pou. =. upoi ,"e '' -
.,,e ,i,'eiio' "'" 'ne p.op' WV na N',I u
III 'heh peeh .e,ioiiNeu '".o s"enoe'
co"i'he,'ceo W ie'a'e ""a. my n"e"
aoou. MIN 's' 'na' me-. "as no
p"ssipi,'ty Vi any es'ap. io' MN ooul
tois' lihe So many vi MS h.nu' coni-
niehceo W reVeai Tue n"iiies y. ms pl,n-
s,,oh s.t;sfactorv res,,,ts that before
ten days had elapsed no less than four
teen OF the band were IN the hands OF the
authorities. By playing them OH one
| against another the magistrates IN
trusted with the task OF investigating
the case brought 10 ilght ne fact that
1t was Courtois ana MS gang that nad
murdered the rich Engiish woman ana
her two chiidren whose oodles were
round noatlng III a canai on tne morning
1olowlhe the arriVai IN brussels SIN
months ago ana hao hhewise perpe-
| trated the Two successive ropperies OF