Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-02-18

veilhann, known to history as the Au.
Derge des Tuers (the murderers innl.
The building was offered for sale some
months ago, and, strangely enough, al
though less than 500 was asked for
the freehold. no purchaser was found.
1T seems to me that some Snowman
lost good opportunity, for the story
of this typical evil inn is known all
over France. 1t has tempted genera
tons of sensational writers, and only
quite recently publishers posters
were placarded all over Paris announc-
Ing a new book on the subject of this
inn. The poster appealed particularly
to Englishmen, for the startling pic
ture portrayed the innkeeper and his
accomplices in the act of dealing with
family of English tourists, referring
to one of the many crimes which. IT
was proved at the trial, had been com
mitted in the house.
'The inn, as | say, still stands and IS
occasionally visited by tourists. 1t is
very death trap. The rooms assigned
to the wretched travellers have win
doWs barred with iron. In one of the
outhouses is the furnace in which the
bodies Of the victims We're disposed of.
1t was established that hundreds OF
lonely travellers, belated in this remote
and well nigh inaccessible spot, had
been plundered and murdered.
with regard to English tourists, the
clew to some of the mysterious disap-
pearances of our countrymen In France
which were reported in the London pa
pers at the beginning of last century
could no doubt have been afforded by
discovery made at the village Of Piscot,
on the great highroad from Paris to
Calais. In the old days of diligences
and mail coaches travellers from the
north to the French capital arrived at
Piscot toward nightfall.
THE house, 1t appeared, had had
rather bad reputation in former
times, but that had been quite lived
down, and the worthy innkeeper, the
tenant of this house, was a popular
man In the district. Among his friends
was the late Mr.. Carter, correspondent
in Paris of the Graphic, who bad a
country house in the neighborhood Of
Il
the story of the discovery to which
refer and which was made In his pres
pnce. The inn was badly supplied with
water, and the landlord employed some
nen to dig a well in the orchard at the
back Of the inn. When the diggers
hhd got down a few feet they came
uf.on a skeleton, and, having removed
fIIrt IF hn
revealed to them that they were dig
ging into a very graveyard. The au-
liberties were communicated with, and
amid great excitement in the village
the orchard was thoroughly dug up.
Altogether the remains of eighteen
bodies were found. Then the old poo
pie OF Piscot began to talk of the evil
stories which when they were children
they had heard in connection with the
house. The bones were removed and
solernnly inferred in the neighboring
churchyard, and there the action of
the authorities had perforce to end, for
1t was evident that the authors of these
crimes had long since gone to their last
account
quite db WSOLue was thc hi"'
made a few months ago by workmen
pulling down an old house In a town in
the Morbihan district of Brittany,
where the flooring of the kitchen re-
vealed itself as hiding veritable char
| mel house Of human remains. In for
mer days this house had been an inn,
but for more than generation 1t had
| heen tho dwelling Dlacp of a worthy
| family Of Breton artisans, good, pious