The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
eW

the most shocking example. He took an
extreme delight in marking the effect on
the magistrate and his attendants pro-
duCel by the minute recital of his revolt
ing deeds.
The dexterous, crafty and elusive bandit
OF the highways must now issue an ad-
dress to France proclaiming himself TO be
the sublimation of the beast in man.
When the artists appeared to make
sketches Of him he expressed the keenest
delight, and exclaimed: Take espec al
pains now 20 make me look handsome"
1t Is nearly two months since the ex-
animation of "the butcher of shepherds"
began, and greater period must elapse
before Mr.. Fourquet, the magistrate hav-
ing the matter in char-e, can pass the
record TO the upper court. VaCher, upon
hearing OF the public fury his admissions
OF guilt provoked among the many
communes he had plunged into mystifca-
ton, mourning and grief, put a seal on
his abhorrent secrets, and declared he
would say no more until he saw show his
affair was coming out, meaning there by
that he would remain silent until the
question was decided as to whether he
luEatico inquirendo proceedings.
Meanwhile it is ascertained that his
crimes have been of periodical recurrence
and OF unknown frequency for at least
ten years, beginning with his eighteenth
year. Great gaps, unaccounted for by
himself and difficult to trace occur in his
serpentine movements through the de-
par,ments aud as he is arduously fol-
lowed through these, with the aid OF
photographs and descriptions many new
crimes, in which the victims were boys
and girls, almost forgotten, as coming
under the mead Of "mysteriously disap-
pearei" or "assassinated by an unknown" !"
are timed as coincident with his appear
ance as vagabond. 1t is inevitab BILE that
he will be charged with offenses that he
never committed, but whenever the body
of the dead has been found the work of
Vacher can be identified by the eccen-
tricity of tie mutilations. The mum ber OF
such cases now exceeds thirty, and in
every instance the presence of Vacher in
the neigh borhood of the assassination
when It occurred is proved.
The long immunity of Vacher, the ease
with which he evaded detection, is in
credible, unless one can comp ehend the
torpor OF trusifulness and the dullness OF
honesty in the communal life in which his
butcLeries were committed. That one OF
their own kind, wandering farmland
or shepherd, who Uossessed an honorable
passport from the reliment in which he
had served, could be guilty OF such afro.
cities would be ncomprehensibIe to those
country iolk. Rather must it be some devil
in the form of man, out of the subter-
ranean mysteries of Paris. So while they
sought the monster in other guIse and
personality they listened to the provincial
melodies he played on his accordeon.
gave him centimes to help him along in
his career of carnage. and when required
entertained him of nights.
Communication between the outlying
departments and the isolated hamlets in
which Vacher carried on his system Of
destruction is old fashioned, and imp n.
tant occurrences in one are not reported
in the other; and If SO only in the meagerest
and most imperfect or exaggerated form.
Ii seems that Vacher was moreover an
object of pity rather than distrust to the
people of the little towEs and highways,
on account OF facial deformitv, the true
cause OF which lie was careful not to di-
vulge. His countenance, not unpleasng