Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-09-21
POLICE CHIEF A MONSTER.
Committed Many Murders and Cow
cred Up All the Trncca.


For many years Alexander Courteous,
! assistant chief of police of the city of
Brussels, was regarded us one of the
foremost police officials of Europe. Lie
was the terror of the rogues of the en-
tire continent and had done moro than
any other man to rid the Belgian capital
of the criminal element. 81 go ..
Whatever may have been his merit in
this direction, it is now proven beyond
peradventure that he did so only 10
keep the field free for himself ard lis
associates in crime. These crimes en-
braccd everything from small thefts
and burgiaries to counterfeiting and
murder.
1t may never be known how great
and varied this mans dastardly record
was unless he sees fit to make Il con-
fession before execution. So far there
seems Eti.e prospect that he will do
this, as the approach of his own dealt.
is making as little impression on him as
the murders he has committed.
COurtcQS is man of great physical
power; in fact, the band CT eviIG2Crs CT
which lie was the ruling spirit rurl-
bcred several giants. An iron safe Ct
genuity was carried off bodily to thcir
headquarters and there demolished 81
leisure. Nearly ali their murders were
committed by strangulation. The Grin
Ter which CourteGis is condemned /.
death is the murder of Baroness T!c-r-
Van Scherfenberg at IXe,les. subuT:
OF BRUSSELS. just year ago last ArIi.
The woman was found strang,ed in bed
one morning. The house had been
robbed Of jewels and bonds valued az
$1,000. For time not the slightest
c.ew was obtained as to the iden-
tity Of the murderer or murder
ers. When official watchfu;ness had
somewhat relaxed a money broker
of Brussels was offered one Of
the stolen bonds. The owner of the
pancrs gave the name of Lefebvre and
said that he was an officer of the Bel
gian artillery. lie was elcmart!y at
tired and perfectly at ease. The broker
bought the Obligations and few DAYS
afterward discovered that their number
conceded with those of the 81 olcn bonds
for which baroness Van Shareholders
had been murdered. He notified tic
police and gave them an accurate de
scription OF the officer who had sold
them 10 him.
Shortly before the sale Courteous had
been pcHs;orcd because he had changed
the report of subordinate police Off
cial for the purpose of making a case
against a criminal stronger than II
had been. The latter must evidently
have been aware Of some of he dark
deeds of the chief of police. for not
long after the pensioning of Courteous
tie police department was flooded with
anonymous communications. in which
he was accused of long list of crimes
1t was at first thought thut these ac-
cusations were inspired by enemies OF
the former official and no attention was
paid to them. Only one police official be-
came suspicious. Without the knowledge
of his colleagues he visited the money
broker who had reported the turning
up of the six stolen bonds. He showed
him a number of photographs of uni
formed police officials and asked him if
he would recognize among them the
face Of the artillery officer who sold
the bonds. The broker without hesita-
ton picked out Courteous portrait. He
was at once arrested, found guilty and
condemned to death. o..
Among the crimes which are laid a t
the door Of Courteous and his band is
the famous theft of jewels from the
countess of Flanders. It occurred dur
ing one of the roya! balls and startled
the police circles of the continent.
AT that time Courteous was still in
active service. He was married to a
maid Of the countess and had the best
opportunity imaginable to select ia
vorable time for the commission of the
crime. Strange to say, he was accused
of the robbery, but so fully had he
wiped out all traces of his completely
that he was acquitted at the trial and
sued his accuscrs for defamation of
character.-St. Louis Republic.
Manners In Sweden.
In sweden, if you address the poorest