Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-11-15

| SHARKS.
ern at Martinvast, near Cherbourg,
was found murdered. Her skull had
been smashed in with a soda siphon
The looting of her strong box and
money drawer showed conclusively her
slayer's motive. The only clew was
the epaulet of n sergeant of infantry,
which, it proved, was that OF Il soldier
named Langlois. The sergeant, howev-
er, though he admitted having drunk
at Mime. Adams the day before,
showed TO the satisfaction of the police
officials that he could not have been
in the neighborhood when the murder
was committed. Then peasant re
| ported that he had seen soldier OF the
line on the road near the tavern ON the
night that Mime. Adam was killed. One
of the detectives working on the case
promptly made inquiries ut the militia
ry post at Rennes and there discovered
that an infantryman named Noisin had
not been present at roll call on the
morning after the murder. lie also dis
covered that Voisin lived close to Mime.
Adams tavern.
Now comes the most striking part of
the whole story-a part that reminds
one of q GabOriau novel Noisin, who
was immediately arrested, showed no
special uneasineSs, remarking that he
could prove an alibi by his mother. His
explanation of his absence from roll
call was that while out on furlough he
had got drunk and gone into barn to
sleep. When he woke up, it was too
late to go back to barracks. so he con-
cluded to go home and was on the way
to his mothers house when seen near
the place of the murder. His mother
could testify that he was at home when
the crime was committed.
But when the mother, who knew
nothing of her sons arrest and never
thought of connecting him with the
murder, was seen by the detectives she
swore in the most solemn way that she
had seen nothing of her son. The ex-
PLANTATION now given of her act was
that she supposed lie had absented HIM
self from barracks without leave, and
as the penalty for harboring n deserter
was unusually severe she had been
afraid to confess that her son had spent
the night at home.
When the significance of her testi-
money WIS tiidue Distlii ~ lSi, Sic was
Mortified but she could not revoke her
sworn statement, and on the strength
of it Voisin, his alibi destroye' and sew
craI other fragments of cir ,nstantial
evidence urged against >, was de-
clared guilty and sentenced TO death.
He was to be shot Sat RenEes by
squad of his. own comr,,6 les. and the
members of the firing ri3rty even had
been summoned when n rel. I've, signed
by the president of the republic. arrived
in the nick of time to save his life. He
was sentenced to penal servitude and.
still declaring that he was innocent,
was hurried Off TO endure the miseries
of existence at Cayenne.
BY a queer combination of events
Langlois. the sergeant who had at first
been suspected of the murder of Nine.
Adam. soon after was convicted of
a crime and sent to the convict settle
ment on the island of Re.
Voisin hardly had tasted the terrors
of life at Cayenne when he determined
to escape. Hundreds before him, he
knew, had attempted to do the same
and had persisted miserably, but he pre-
ferred to share their fate rather than
drag out his life as a consict Three of
his comrades were of his mind One
day they eluded their guards. stole a
boat and put to sea in it They had no
oars. but managed to make Roadway
by using their shirts as sails.
They were doing famously when a
- ---