The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-02-15
HUNTING A BANDIT.
Whom the Algerian Police
Are Seeking.

Verify, truth is stranger than fic-
tion, for it is doubtful if in the weird
est romance more daring and in
genious Dick Turpin has ever been
portrayed than is the Spanish bandit
Norel, whom the police have long
been trying to capture, and who is
now said to be once more in his old
haunts in Algeria, says the New York
Herald.
One day last June Norel, who was
then in Algeria, quarreled with one of
his countrymen, named Linares, and
promptly assassinated him. The po-
lice were quickly on his track, but
he easily evaded them, and nothing
was heard of him until August 81,
when he appeared at Marengo. Again
the police came on him, and again he
escaped, after severely wounding two
of his opponents. Soon afterward he
was seen at Cherchell and at Oran,
and each time notice was sent to the
authorities, as he is an outlaw on
whose head a price has been set, but
though they tried hard to capture him.
eASAl OAOA 10 "ClC IL ultlSSS.
He next appeared at Alicante, hav-
ing gone there for the purpose of get
ting some money from his brother,
whose home is in that town. When he
told why he had come his brother re-
fused to give him any money, where
upon the bandit beat him almost to
death and then ransacked his house OF
all its valuables.
Norel has already assassinated II
persons, and has been condemned to
death on three occasions. He escaped
from prison some time ago in very
clever fashion. First, he murdered the
sentinel, who was on guard near his
cell. Then he burned the dead mans
face so that no one would recognize
it, and, finally, he put his own clothes
on his victims body and dressed him.
self in the military uniform. When
the body was found every one felt sure
that it was Norels, and when the SEN
tinel did not appear at the midday meal
some of his companions remembered
that they had seen soldier very like
him hurrying away from the prison an
hour or two before, and they concluded
that he had deserted. Yet this soldier
was no other than Norel.
On another occasion the bandit. after
being condemned to death in SPAIN
was placed, according to the usual Gus
tom, in the prison chapel during the
evening before the execution, and when
night came he expressed desire to see
a priest. His request was granted,
and when the priest came Norel went
with him into dark corner of the
chapel, with the avowed object of
making confession.
As the priest, however, bent down
to hear him, the assassin snatched
from his hands the heavy crucifix, and,
raising it in the air. brought it down
with such force on his skull that the
unfortunate man was felled lifeless to
the ground. The soldiers on guard heard
the body fall, but they paid no atten-
tion to it, and when man wearing the
vestments of priest came toward them
from the gloom, and, after blessing
them, passed through the heavy gate of
the prison, they never suspected that it
was the notorious murderer, who had
thus once more escaped the clutches of
the law
The police of Algiers are not lacking
in alertness or zeal, yet, in view of
Norel's amazing record there are many
who think that he will easily evade
them, just as he has already so many
times evaded the police of Spain.