The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-03-01
A CAS- TAWAY
|. COMES TO HIS OWN.
Story of a French Generals Re-
pudiation OF His Grandson.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

! Y -
Some years ago came across a French
containing an account of
trial to establish the plaintiffs claim to
an estate. One Guerin and his wife and
child, named Charles, came to live in the
small town of Rios, in Franchecompte,
France, in 1866. The man had no occu-
patton, and yet the family seemed to be
well off. AS Charles grew up he attended
school, but he was fonder of spending his
time among horses Or strolling through
the woods or fishing or swimming in the
streams that ran into the river Oignon
than of studying his lessons.
In 1877 Nine. Guerin died. For some
time she and her husband had been ad-
dicted to drink. They mortgaged the
house which they had bought, and it was
sold over Guerin's head shortly after his
wife's death. Guerin removed with the
boy to Gy, five or six miles away to- the
south. He drank heavily, dressed in
good style and exhibited rings and jew
elry, though the boy went around poorly
clad. One day Guerin was arrested as an
escaped convict and taken away. Charles
at once appropriated 10 francs which
was in drawer, and would have taken
his fathers jewelry if the box containing
it had not vanished. Charles was now II
years old, and with the Is francs in his
pocket he decamped. 1t was June, and
the weather was fine, so the boy made
up his mind to go to Paris on foot A
few miles out, he came up with a travel
fp, hof NH
for three weeks and left him at Epinal
In the middle Of July he found himself at
I.amarche, some Is miles from Epinal.
1t was growing dark, so he bought some
bread and milk, and then, making for an
old stable away from the road, he climb
ed up the ladder into the loft and lay
down at full length ON some hay, looking
out OF the open hatch. In that position he
fell asleep. Suddenly he awoke and
heard voices below He saw light shift
ing through crack in the floor and put
his eye to the aperture. Two men were
seated on the floor below, with a lamp
near by. They were counting money into
handkerchief which was spread be.
tween them.
There" said one. "That makes 1853
francs A mighty big sum for man to
risk his head for!"
Wrap it up" said the other. ''Do you
think any one will ever suspect you, the
schoolmaster, and me, the verger? Be
sides, if the old man hadn't died under
the circumstances of which you and
know, he would certainly have died in a
week or two from natural causes"
The first speaker wrapped up the mon
ey in the handkerchief, arose and, reach
ing up, put the bundle in hole in the
wall near the ceiling.
''There," he said ut will be safe until
the funeral is over and things have quiet
cd down."
II wish we had just now all the money
that has been in that hole" said the 9TH
er man.
After they had quilted the place
Charles was drowsily thoughtful. He
had vague idea that some one had been
murdered and robbed, and while trying to
put together the conversation he had
overheard he fell asleep. When he
awoke, day was just about to break. He
arose and, descending the ladder, looked
up at the hole in which the bundle was
deposited. Il must have that money"
he said half aloud, and by climbing up
the back of the ladder he reached the
hole and drew forth the bundle. He dis
tributed the money about his person,
thrust back the handkerchief into the
hole and, quitting the stable, crept round
to the rear and made his way across the
fields to stream, which he followed for
some time until he came to a village.
1t was daylight, and he saw tailor at
work in his window. His clothes were
mean and torn, so he entered the tailors
shop and bought a secondhand pair of
trousers and a jacket. AT another place
he bought shoes and some other things
and then made for the bank of the
stream again. He walked on some dis
lance and then took bath and donned
his new outfit. The rags he had dis
carded he rolled together and flung into
a ditch. He soon came to another village
and bought himself a cap and had good,
hearty meal. When night came on, he
climbed tree, liked himself in fork
and slept. Before going to sleep, how
ever, he tied all his money III a handker-
chief and hid 1t among the foliage above
him.
1t was well that he did SO, for he was
awakened by a gruf voice, bidding him
come down, He looked and saw below
him big man. nearly seven feet tall and
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