The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-13
A PARIS MAN HUNT.

stretches of waste space are traversed by
unfrequented roads and sparsely dotted
with rickety novels or the ramshackle
buildings of trumpery manufactures, in
this No Mans Land lies the Moulin dc Ia
Galette public ballroom frequeEted by
rogues of every caliber and rufians of ths
purest water. On a Sunday night the
place is at its liveliest. The cream Of Pa
risian rascaldom swarms down to it from
the alleys and courts of MCntmartre proper,
the hideous sluns of La Villette, or tranlps
up from the Notifications and the dens OF
Saint-Ouen. 1t is the worst spot in all
Europe
There are people who venture into this
seething caldron of blackguardisn out of
curiosity.
If any such were present on particular
night not long since, they could scarcely
have failed to notice typical specimen Of
the rough who sided in and out through
the jostling, dancing, yelling throng with
that slouch and that roll of the hips and
shoulders SO characteristic of the Partisan
cutthrcat.
In a word, the picturesque ruffian was
got up in what the habitues of the place
would admit was the pink of fashion. But
there WAS no knife in the ample folds OF
his belt, which merely concealed a piece OF
pasteboard, bearing a cipher message to
the effect that its bearer was Inspector
Woo Of the Paris detective force
1OC SauAbCKOQ IO0uuJ GFlIlR u nQInDC1
of old acqC0intances, to whom, however,
he was quite unrecognizable. Several OF
these worthless wero wanted, - but they
could wait Vioc was out this evening
after far bigger game, game that as yet he
had not sighted Indeed he had no great
hope of running it to ground or he would
not have committed the imprudence of be-
ing alone. He had just looked into tho
Moulin de la Galette on the off chance.
He was beginning to think that he might
as well be leaving when a particularly
noisy crowd in corner of the ballroom
attracted his attention. A number of cou
pies had ceased dancing and were throng
ing round quartet that were executing a
wildly eccentric quadrille amid the ap
plaudirg howls of the spectators. ViOc
elbowed his way through the ring of on
lockers till he was able to catch a glimpse
of the dancers. What he saw made his
lips part in a smile of satisfaction. He
had run across his men. But his smile
vanished in an instant. The task before
him was no laughing matter. The whole
band was there-its chief and his three
satellites. They We're a villainOus crew to
look at, and they looked no whit worse
than they were. From information re
ceived'' the police had the best reasons to
believe that a recent series of revolving
crimes could be traced to them. 1t was
for these that they we're wanted -
Vioc lit a cigarette and thought out his
plan of campaign. 1t was soon settled,
and he started to execute the preliminarios.
BY law the police have to be present at cv.
cry public place of eEtcrta in nent in Paris
At the entrance TO the ballroom sat two
sergeants dc vile in uniform, elbow TO ell
bow, on a bench. Vioc, suddenly the worse
for drink, lurched toward them and col
lapsed on to a vacant scat at their SIDE. A
whispered word gave them the cue and
they stared stOlidly at the wall opposite
while the detective Inuttered his instruc
tiOns beneath his breath. Back in the
ballroom Vioc had nothing to do bEt wait
The evening advanced and the company
thinned. When the proprietor began to
put the lights out, the gang decided to
make q move Vioc fell into line with
them as they crossed the hall. He could
see the two policemen standing ready on
each side of the door, and from a sign they
gave him he knew that they had sum-
moned assistance.
The band struggled through the en-
trance, the chief and one of his companions
at its head. This latter man was carrying
a drover' stick shod with iron. As the
pair stepped out of the building Vioc with
a stride closed up with them, snatched the
stick away, thrust it between the legs of
the chief and tripped him up The police
sprang in, and in a second the melee was
general.
The chief once on the ground, Vioc had
AOHCO 10 utilI nlll1 lA6Ee. Dub J40 1Idu
was too quick for him. In an instant he
was on his feet again and had whipped out
his knife. Again the stick useful It
fell with a whiz on the hand lifted to
strike, and the chief dropped his weapon
with yell Of pain.
For moment he hesitated whether he
would fly at his assailant's throat, but he
thought better of it, turned and bounded
across the deserted road, Woe at his heels
For minute the race was along the road
way. Then the chief vau1ted a low fence
and started away over the open ground
that covers the greater portion of this
northern slope of the hill of Montnlartre
The steep incline is divided off into gar
Gen plots, and the race soon became a
steeple chase. The hunted man leaped an
other fence, crashed through hodge and
doubled around a wall Here Vice lost
him for an instant, but, thanks to the
moonlight, sighted him scudding. bent
double, along ditch. Little by little the
detective gained ground. His man had
drunk enough and danced too much. Sud
denly the desperate stopped, and Woo saw
why. The ruffian had CHANGED on hoe
left with other gardeners tools On a wheel
barrow he had happened to pass. Thus
armed he shouted, Come near and I
brain your' The plot Of ground they were
in was being used for the cultivation of
choice vegetables. 1t was covered with |
scores of round glass shades to keep the
plants from the cold, shades about as large /
as moderate sized howerpot and with a
protubcrance at the top to allow them to
be easily handled An idea occurred to
Vioc. Instead of slackeninR his pace he
came on at run, as if he meant attempt |
ing to rush in beneath his mans guard !
But two or three yards from the chief he !
stopped short, picked up a shade and |
buried it at the criminals head. Tncro |
was a smash Of glass, a sort of scream and |
one of the terrors of Paris rolled over with |
an ugly wound in his skull. The ACat |
was at an enG.-London Mail