The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-26
WOMEN AS CRIMINALS
WHEN TURNED THAT WAY THEY
SHOW MUCH SKILL IN CRIME.
Paris Has Had a Murderers' and Burg
lars Trust Headed by woman
Other Notable Female Crooks.


if you please; twenty-one years old.
veritable Morgan in respect to keenness,
daring, broadness of view and management
of persons and things.
Ten days ago an old miser lost 5000
francs in government bonds by an anony-
nous midnight visitor; as he had the num-
bers. the papers were quickly located in
bankers office. The man OF money laughed
in the police leutenants face. Stolen? I'm
possible! / bought these bonds from one of
our most esteemed and highly connected
customers.
Her name? Why. of course; Madame the
Baroness De Gordoue, Folie St.-Cloi Palace,
Rue Reuilly."
Cloi Palace used to be the pleasure house
of one of Marie Antoinette's favorites, and
the rent amounts to more than 10000 francs
per annum. Still, the lieutenant had his
doubts and decided to pursue the bird. no
matter how precious the cage and how beau
tiful the plumage. The neighbors hardly
knew her ladyship, as she was seldom seen
on foot and had so far refrained from call
ing-probably because she thought herself
above Rue Reuilly folks.
1t was learned that she never received Wis
itors in daytime, as far as had been OBJ
served, but at night the great dining room
where the Inflated Queen used to feast, and
the grand salons that attracted the elite of
gamblers before the revolution were bril-
liantly lighted up, and carriages arrived as
late as 3 or 4 o clock in the morning.
An hour after midnight the lieutenant let
himself and twelve policemen into the pal
ace by means of skeleton keys. The vesti-
bule was pitch dark, but sound of voices and
clatter of glasses and porcelain indicated
that there was high revelry on the floor
above. Following the sounds, the officers
reached a double door and without ado
tered, revolvers in hand. They saw richly
set table. lighted up by ancient silver can
delabra. empty champagne bottles in plenty,
and around the festive board nine gentle
men in evening dress. who were at once rec
ognized as persons that occasionally had
their picture taken by the police. The other
male guest wore a workmans blouse and
shabby hat while on the back of his chair
hung a discarded false beard. There were
also two ladies, dressed in a style fit for a
hundred francs box at the grand opera,
only more decollete. While each Of the po-
lice agents covered his man, the officer
stepped up to the woman at the head of
Baroness De Gordoue, believer"
'Correct"-this in loud voice. and in an
undertone: "Send away your men and ev-
erything will be satisfactorily explained and
arranged"
ARREST OF THE BARONESS.
Instead of answer. the lieutenant put his
hand on madame's shoulder and pronounced
her under arrest, but at that moment
man. carrying a revolver. broke from a
closet: Your life If you hurt madame"
The slugger was quickly overpowered and
soon the whole gang writhed on the floor,
bound hand and foot and properly gagged.
Next the men of the law inspected the pal
ace-a sumptuous house-priceless gobe-
Inns, pictures and statuary of great living
and classic artists on the walls. There were
three salons, cardroom with a complete
outfit of gamblers paraphernaia and a
dozen or more bedrooms. Floor, walls and
ceiling of one of the latter were mirror-lined
and a royal crown with the legend: Here
slept my Queen" surmounted it's bed of
gilded cedar wood. In the rear Of the third
floor the police came across a complete hos
pital, operating table, iron bedsteads,
stretchers, bath, etc., and a stock Of medi-
cines, disinfectants, surgical instruments
and bandages, linens and plasters for dress
ing wounds. There were two patients, a
young woman with stiletto wound in her
breast, and a noted crook. suffering from a
shot in the leg. The rest of the floor and
the attic above were used for storage pur-
poses. Here was the most complete fence"
imaginable. Silks, curios, articles Of precious
metals. among the latter a gold altar serv-
ion but % <lo oII
est churches in Paris.
The lieutenant was indiscreet enough to
search the golden bed for secret lockers, and
found one containing the baronesss memo
randum book. with long record of past
burglaries and murders, also few affairs
of that sort planned for the near future.
| Here is a list of people who escaped vio-
lence. or loss of property. by police initia-
| tive:
Madame Plaisance, Rue -. Good Very
cautious and easily frightened. Much cash
on hand, as she distrusts banks. From Co.
900 to 100000 francs should be found. Death
| If she sQueals, but try to avoid violence. II
possible.
Baron B, Avenue Kleber. Very an
cient. Bachelors quarters on ground floor.
| Windows front on quiet street. Insomnia,
| but takes opium. Nimble Jacques ought to
| finish him in half hour. Iron box under bed
| contains family jewels of immense value.
| Rooms simply loaded down with curios
| Cab necessary" etc.
THIRD DEGREE FOR BARONESS
They have a third degree examination in
| Paris as we'll as in the United States, and
| French authorities deny it no less indig-
nantly than their colleagues in New York
and Chicago. At any rate the lieutenant
succeeded in obtaining from madame, the
baroness the following admissions:
Age twenty-one. real name Marie Therese
| Gourdon, nobility of her own creation; be-
gan her career as maid to a famous actress.
became a woman of pleasure and fell in
with some of the great rogues Of the day
| swindlers, gamblers-later on. with burg
ars and murderers. Attained great sway
over these men by reason of her beauty and
| resourceful mind. whereupon a number of
them proposed. of their own accord, that
| she establish herself as leader Of the elite
| Of the Paris criminal classes. With money
| gained in burglarizing a banking house on
the Champs Elysees. the ancient palace In
a secluded street was leased for a term of
years and fitted up with business parapher-
MALTA: Telephone and telegraph-an expert
| cracksman attended to the wires-laxaretto,
depot OF arms. poisons. explosives trap
/ doors, secret vaults. storerooms, accommo-
| dations for dozens OF persons.
| AZ fha same time madame est hH sbas 49,,