The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-15

! iblhUlIy, u HlHuTeU dIlS utleCllVpB ana many
| gcndarmes and policemen were on the man :
track yet he rluded them all by sheer rcck less
! moss and luck.
THE SrN correspondent easily followed tho
! fuGitlve's movements during the six hours AZ
| tor The crime was committed and it Is almost
| incomprehonsible how he escaped immediate
| capture The following simple record Of the
! woud.hc rsassin's flight may read like Gnbor-
ic1u. hut II Is plain statement OF the modern
pursuit and escape OF a French criminal.
When his victim fell the criminal ran along
the west hai.k Of canal, Col. PicIuart pursu-
ing him aim at past NJ Labor shouse towards
the country. VI Lubori'syalet heard Picquart' q
cry OF ASSASSIN and Joined the chase not
knowing that It was his master who was the
victim.
moment later the valet heard the cry,
"Labor is murdered" and redoubled his eff
forts He outran PicIuart and got close to the
fugitive. who half turned. shouting II you
come nearer III kill YOU" at the same time
pointing q pistol at the valet. The latter was
unarmed and therefore con,.ntcd himself by
lodging the mans footsteps. This was easy.
as the criminal did not hurry when te was not
pressed. apparently reserying his strength.
They maintained their rela i've positions I'M
I'll the swamps. some dista zee away. were
reached. Here the valet &C ms deere q. 1t best to
await the arrival Of the other pur-uers, The
policemen came first. but they refused to enter
the morass saying that they had nothing but
their sabres against a revolver. They sent the
valet back for help.
Several gendarmes soon arrived and the pur-
suit was renewed. 1t led along a winding path
for two miles further. whore there 10 railway
crossing. woman there said a man had
passed rapidly fifteen minutes earlier going
towards Cisson. a small village moro to the
north across the main road to Paris. This clue
was followed but time was lost in making in
Iuires. and by the time the track was reGained
all the military and police in Rennes were in
motion. 1t was found that the fugitive had
passed through CissOn. still clrcling north.
when all trace Of him was lost
1t was decided to encirce the great wood be-
vond the village with troops. and this was done
in an amazing manner. Whole companies OF SOL
ldiers were stationed en- masse on the roads
approaching the woods. but the Intervening
fields were empty. The search was conducted
in slovenly manner and proved 50 inefficient
that the quarry easily escaped.
Just as THE Sun correspondent reached Cis-
son he found q strang" figure surrounded by
eNcit ed gendarmcS. the pursuing thousands
having long before passed on. 1t was the viii
lago grave digger. little. old man. feeble al
most 10 lettering. His name was Bourre. He
was leIIlnR me excited OTlrpfS tnut shortly
after IL O'Clock he had gone to the graveyard
to dig a grave and found there man lying by
a tombstone apparently asleep, with a revolver
BY his side. Bourre hohbled back TO the viii
lagc to tell the soldiers that their man was in
the cemetery. He met a person whom no per-
suasiOn could induce HIM to name and told him
Of his discovery. This individual instantly
ordered Bourre not to mention the matter to
the authorities. even compelling him to hold up
his hand and swear not 10 do so.
1t is difficult to believe that anyone but a
priest wolld have such influence as this over
the old grave digger. and your correspondent
said bluntly to him 1T was your priest who
made you swear. was il not z" Tho old man
hesitated and then refused to reply. One Of
several priests near by said to gendarme
cuntemptuously He is an Old fool. You
must not believe anything he says"
Bourre kept his secret for two hours after
taking the oath. and then he told the facts to a
friend. The authorities were then quickly in
formed. but. of course. tho fugitive had dsap-
p"arcd. The lines Of search were reconstructed
The troops were recalled. but no trace of the
man was discovered before darkness. 1t was
evidently tho criminals purpose to make a
half circle a few miles from Renucs. and to re-
enter the town on the side opposite from which
he left il.
The witnesses OF the assault all agree that
the man was Older than was at first reported
probably 30 or 80 years OF age. He was Of dark
complexion and well built
Tonight most OF the infantry marched back
10 kennes but several hundred gendarmes and
calvarymen are still securing the country. II
the criminal is shrewd his capture will now he
more than doubtful.
Many persons, whose knowledge Of the situa-
is not questioned. are inclined to believe that
the assassin made no mistake regarding the
identity Of his victim. What the anti Dreyfus
partisans most dreaded was NJ LabOri's cross
examination Of their witnesses which was to
have been his chief function at he trial. 1t is
well known that his examination Of Gen Mer-
cier to day would have been mcrciless. Maitre
Demangc is now carefully guarded.
He was the only foreign representative who
took notice iE this way Of the Emperor's re-
script on the subject. and the effect was very
i'm uOrtant.