The morning times., 1897-01-19

had naQ a caTu party on the nlgnt OF tnS
murder, and his brother, Simeon Begneaud,
as he had hidden him goodnight, had seen
him lock up the store and house, for like
most storekeepers In Southern Louisiana,
he lived behind his shop.
The murder had been perpetrated for rob
berry. There stood the safe, open and emp p
ty, and two large bags were missing from
the store, in which the murderers had evi-
IDENTIFY carried Oft their piunder.
The people were deeply aroused by the
crime, and nearly every one contributed
TO the reward offered for the capture OF the
murderers The finest pack of bloodhounds
in Louisiana was pnt upon the trail, but
failed to track the criminals.
There was not the slightest clue to the
murderers, and it was felt that it was
case which Justified rather extreme meas
ures IN the matter of arrests. 1t was bad
time, that spring, for tramps travelling
along the line of the Southern Pacific Rail
road in Louisiana, for every person against
whom the slightest su uspicion pointed,
every one who could not explain where he
had been on the night of April 23, was liza
bic to arrest
One man was arrested for 10 other rea
son than that he was the o owner of three
edged stiletto that fitted the wounds in
Begneaud's body exactly, and a quack
doctor and strolling moUntebank was jailed
because he had LETT the parish a couple OF
days after the murder, and it was fortu-
nate for both that they had alibis ready,
or it would have gone hard with them.
During all this time the two real murder
ers passed Begneaud's 5 store daily and were
present at tie funeral without the slightest
suspicion resting on them. for who could
have suspected that this brutal crime had
been committed by two boys, one of them
delicate little fellow with an angelic face
and pleasant manner? Yet the crime had
been planned and carried out by Ernest
and Alexis Blanc, both under ei ighteen years
of age; and not only had the idea of the
murder been suggested to them by "The
Life of Jesse James," but the details in
that story had been accurately and care
fully carried out.
Tie two boys were brothers. They were
born in Paris, France, and their mother
was a seamstress. They were bright boys.
profoundly interested in Gaborau and in
stories Of crime and adventure. Regard
ing even Paris as humdrun, they came to
America year ago to go out Westand grow
up with the Indians ana cowboys. They
spent some time in New York, but, not find
ing il wild enough, started further west
and got to southwest Louisiana.
The fact that a ma joritv of the population
spoke French, their mother tongue, induced
| them to remain some months here. They
worked on Col. Dransin Boudreaux' S place,
| mile from Scott. They were popular boys
| and well thought of by all, and every one
| who could lent them books, for they seemed
tobave neutrality-suspicious. for literature
| both English and French, hut mainly of
| the iurid order The Life OF Jesse James,
| attracted them most, and they secretly
| resolved to become brigands and highway
| men. AS, however, the opportunities for
| highway robbery were not good, they con-
| cluded to try simple murder first. For three
| weeks they talked over their plan, being
! determined Co arrange all the details in
| advance, and go about it in a systematic,
| business like, yet dramatic, way.
| After discussing the relative merits of
! various wealthy men in the nelghborhood
| they finally fixed on Martin Begneaud as
| their victim. because he was an old man
| and was reported to keep large amount
| of money in his store. 1t took them fully
| two weeks to arrange the details of his
| murder. They even picked out the place
| where the money was to be buried after they
| had killed their victim and taken it. and
! prepared the whole for it. They bought re-
| volvers and sharpencd q file to make a
poniard.
When, however, the day came for the
| murder and the boys went to Begneaud's
house, their courage weakened. They slunk
home and accused each other of being COW
| ards and not up to the Jesse James stand
| ard. They determined to try it again. and
went to Begneaud's on the evening OF Apri
23, determined TO prove to each othe,
that they were men and heroes
They hid in the grass near the Begneau,
store, and slipped in as Martin Begnea ue
was bidding his brother Simeon good night
Even when the old man saw the two lad.
he was not frightened for he knew then
we'll and had been kind to them
They pretended they wanted some sar
dimes, and as he bent over to get box tn.
two boys were on him. anG with their pis
tolS to his forehead. The crime was cas-,
after that. Their blood was up. and the,
became like fiends The old man wa
bound, gagged and handaged and carrie,
to his bedroom. Then Ernest stood guar,
over him and began the torture whie
was TO force him to surrender his fortune
AT the first stab from she sharpcued fill,
he agreed TO surrender the key OK the safe
Alexis opened it and found 81 200 i
greenbacks He knew that this was only