The Meridional. (Abbeville, La.) 1856-1906, 1897-01-09
Rsegaauea's ssursierers Captured.

mas added another laurel to his crown
and given new evidence of his detec-
tive skill in ferreting out and captur-
ing the murderers of Martin Begnaud,
the merchant who was found dead and
covered with wounds, in his room back
Of his store in Scott, on the 22nd of last
April. Several persons had been ar
rested upon suspicion. but no evidence
worthy Of credence was obtained. AL
exis and Ernest Blanc, two young
Frenchmen aged Is and 10, who had
lived with Col. Boudreaux, a small
farmer residing near Scott disappeared
a short time after the murder and upon
their return a few days ago, they were
arrested and charged with the murder.
st first they denied, but upon being
cornered Ernest the elder broke down
and confessed the horrible crime. He
told how after reading the life Of Jessie
James they resolved to rob Begnaud.
On the Bird night they found a favora-
bic opportunity, and knocking at the
door, obtained admission on the pre-
text Of buying package of tobacco.
Then they bought a box ot sardines,
but no chance offered until tie old man
came from behind the counter to ex-
plain the workings of arat trap. Then
they covered him with their reyolvers,
made him open the safe. They then
biindfolded, bucked and gagged him,
tied his hands and feet with rope,
wrapped him around the body with a
piece Of cloth and made him lie down
on his bed. After getting his keys and
finding the gold and silver the villains
him with a three cornered file
made into a kind Of dagger. He tells
the tale in the words: my hand
tWitched. touched the dagger and
it burned me. Then l closed my eyes,
drew out the keen, strong three-edged
blade and held it firmly. The old man
was moaning under the red pocket
handkerchief. Heaven help me. | aim
ed for his heart, and as the blade went
in deep and smooth, the old man groan-
ed and rolled over on his side. There
must be no danger. /. plunged the
blade again. It went in smoother and
| grew strong. Again and again,
quickly, smoothly, | stabbed him. in
the neck, in the chest; till l al sure
he was dead, he lay SO quiet.
eve never glanced back. We fled
from the room. We reached the SAFE.
"Quick, quick now. We must carry
off the money. There were bags in the
store and we found them soon enough.
We did not throw the money in. 1t
would have been heard for miles rouna,
We took it By nandfuls-there was 81
100 in gold and $1,000 iii silver as we
found out-we took it by handfuls and
it down into the bag until it
there softly like sand. Then
we listened at the door. Opened it
peeped through and were away
into the weeds, for it was moonlight
and we might be seen from a great dis
lance.
styHhat next? We buried the mon
ey neal tie little house where we lived
on the plantation. We We're 100 shreWd
to run away at once, because that
would have aroused suspicion. We
put the money in a box, dug a deep
hole, covered it over with earth and
laid the grass back SO that no one
would ever dream there was money
buried there. We waited until the two
men had been arrested, then we gave
the pretext which you justly OWNED
was false and went away
The rest of the murderefs story is
told in brief words. He described how
be and his brother came to New Or
and then began those travels SO
full OF renorse and the lashings Of con-
They went from New Orleans
to Atlanta, thence to New York, then
across to England. They went to-
Paris next, back again to London, to
New York, then to San Francisco. In
the California metropolis they found
their money was nearly exhausted, and
they separated. Alexis, the younger,
to st. Louis, and Ernest, the cid
or, 10 New York. But being separat-
ed they found was worse than being
together. and they rejoined each other
st. Louis, where Of the $4,000 out Of
the murdered mans safe they had but
fiG left. From that time on they be-
came tramps, footsore and weary,
sometimes stealing a ride on a train,