The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11
Famous Thief and
THEFT aker

wi "reminiscences, AT Scotland
Yard, and the extraordinary ar
rest and commital By the police of one
OF their own spies. John William Camp,
set me re-reading a book that fasci-
mated my boyhood, the Life of
Nidocq certainly the most crafty.
daring and successful of. criminals
when crime was his trade, and of de-
tectiYes when he had turned thief
trapper. It's odd to think that the
most successful entertained in London
in the year 1915 was this treacherous
scoundrel- Vast and fashionable
crowds ocked to hear him in the Cos
morama tell the extraordinary story
OF his life. He donned his chains. his
galley dress and the huge iron balls
which he had worn at Brest; and. as
be told his stories. he changed his face
lrrecognizably again and again, APP
pearing successfully as a pickpockes Z,
coal HEAVIER galley slave, a Jew,
a scullion and a nun.
Nldocq had in a month as many adj
ventures as most desperadOes have in
lifetime. Here is the record of q few
weeks experiences. For an assault on
a rival, whom he surprised supping
with his mistress. Francine. in a tav-
ern, he was imprisoned in Lille in St.
Peters tower Hither Francine brought
him daily. and piecemeal, in her muff.
the uniform of a police inspector.
which Nidocq donned, and, with a face
which his own mother would have
failed to recognize-for he had a Car
r1ck's power Of mimicry-he walked
boldly to the prison gate. The gate
Keeper, an old galley slave. sharp-eyed
IS lynx. saluted the police inspector.
and threw open the gate with eager
difference. Instead of lying a while
Perdu. VidOcq next day staggered
through the town. enjoying the hue
and cry after himself he heard at every
turn He had hardly sat down to din
ner in a tavern when a sergeant and
-FOUR men came thither for him.
Nidocq went straight up TO the SER
geant and said: IF you are looking for
that scoundrel. Vidocq, hide here in
TINS closet, and the moment he enters
i shall let you know" When the SER
geant and his men had packed them
selves into the closet, Vidocq turned
the key, and, shouting: 1T is Vidocq
himself who has locked you in" bolted.
Three days later however. he was
caught and locked up liz a dungeon
with criminal called Calendrin, who
had already worked a secret hole half
through the wall, which in another
three days. with VidOcq's help, became
an APPARENTLY practicable breach.
Nidocqu, having stripped himself stark
naked, thrust his hOdy half through
the hole. which then gripped him ike
a trap. He was horribly lacerated and
had TO shrek for the guards TO extri-
cate him.
week later his trial come an. and,
with eighteen other culprits. he was
taken to the court, and waited there in
an ante-room for his turn TO be ar
ralgned. The prisoners were attended
by two gendarmes within the ante
room, while without il was guarded by
a corporal and a troop Of soldiers One
or the two gendsrmes. having been
summoned into the court. left behind
him his hat and cloak, which Vidocq
donned instantly, and, taking anothes
prisoner by the arm. he led him to the
door, which the corporal threw open
10 them, and both were free, But the
reckless Nidocq was never free for
long He was flung in prison on the
charge OF attempting 70 murder Fran
cine-whO had stabbed herself in de-
spair of his love-but from this dun
geon he escaped by the csrelessness Of
the turnkey. Again taken. and flung
into dungeon whose walls were five
feet thick, he. with the help of two
other desperadoes, dug down beneath
them. only to find. when the last stone
was Rocked out. that they had broken
into the river Scarpe. which CODED and
almost drowned them like rats, New
ertheless Vidocq a day or two later
effected his escape by springiug from
the coach in which he was being con-
veyed TO another prison.
The Prince of Detectives.
These early adventures of Vidocq are
remarkable only for being crowded in
10 81 short a space Of time. They DO
not compare in daring. resource, alert
acss and good luck with some of his
galley slave experiences. But these
galley slave experiences themselves
pale their Intellectual fire before the
number, daring and success of his
exploits as a detective. During the
eighteen years of his detective eeTvice
he cleared the slums OF Paris Of more
than 10000 rogues.
Not the least daring Of his detective
exploits was his first-his capture. sim
gie-handed Of one Of the fiercest, Graf
tiest and physically most powerful Of
all the desperadoes of Paris-Watrin.
the cOiner. Having tracked Watrin to
his lair. above conbler's shop he
went at midnight, single-handed, to
the spot, and meeting the coiner in
the doorway. he rushed upon him. only
to receive a tremendous blow which
almost stunned him. Watrin retreat
ed into the cObbler's shop. and armed
himself with knife. which would have
dealt certain death 10 the unarmed
Nidocq IL he had followed the coiner
into his lair.
NidOcq, therefore, pretented 20 re-
tire. making a sound as Of steps re-
treating, which tempted Watrin TO put
his head out of the window to make
sure Of his enemy's departure: where
h
dragged him by sheer strength of mus
Gle through the window, and. wrench
ing the knife from Watrin's grasp.
he bound his arms and. single-handed.
hauled him 10 the guard house 10 the
amazement of NJ. Henri. the chief OF
the police. and all Of his staff.
Even on his deathbed. at the ripe
age Of 81, NidOcq played with his usual
thoroughness and success a double
part. Finding his end near. he sent for
a priest. whom he edited by his pro-
found peDitence and unctuOus devo-
tion. Hardly. however, had the breath
left his body than no less than ten
young women appeared. each claiming
to be his sole heir. and each backing
her claim by the production OF will.
in which this aged Lothario had left
her all his worldly goods. All ten went
empty away. however. since Vidocq
had finally bequeathed his entire prop
crty TO his landlady.
A Famous Prison Breaker.
Vidocq's adventurous life and edi-
fying end recall those of Casanova. an
eXpurgated edition Of whose memoirs
appeared a year or two since. To
Inquisition had flung him. on a charge
OF sorcery. into one of the cells Of
the Piombi, in Nenice-a cell under the
cleads. in which IL was impossible to
stand upright, lighted only through a