Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-01-09


The Man Who &
& Never was Found i
E.52S1s15I51s151s1s751s
M. scipion Desruelles kept small
shop in the Rue de Seine, Paris. He
had a wife, but no children. He was
q small tradesman and his wife, a
large. coarselooking woman, quite
S capable of taking care Of shop and
Scipion.
Scipion's past life had been singu.
larly uneventful. One single circum.
stance had rutfled it, and that he used
often to relate. One night, ten years
back, scipion had gone to the thea
tire, and after the performance had
taken madame. to restaurant. Re.
turning home, after he was in bed
Scipion heard noise in the shop.
! He armed himself with bootjack
and captured a burglar.
The man, who said he was an Ital-
Ian named Vedova, disclaimed earn
estly all felonious intentions, but
could give no good account of him
self. Scipion prosecuted him Wig
oUusly, and he was convicted and
sent to Brest. Two years later Scip-
Ion met Vedova in cafe and had
him arrested as an escaped convict.
In 1852 Scdpion received official no.
tice from Martinique that a bachelor
cousin on the island, whose name
was Pache, was dead, and had left
him heir to all his large property.
Desruelles was further asked by
the notary at st. Jean to come out in
person, in order to save himself
great loss and Inconvenience.
When Desruelles reached Martin
ique and went to st. Jean, he was
struck dumb to find his cousin alive
and well, and all the notarial papers
: ne had received forgerles: There
was nothing to do but go back
again.
The brig was to sail in day for
New Orleans, and Scipion determined
to go thither in her, take train to
New York and steamer thence to
Havre. Arrived in New Orleans,
Scipion put up at boarding house
in the French quarter, and devoted
himself to sightseeing.
At breakfast the second morning,
he was warmly greeted by straug-
er, who said: II am truly delighted
to see you Monsieur Quentineau!
When did you arrive?"
Scipion gently informed the man
that he was not Quentinean, but Scip-
ion Desruelles. The stranger with
violence said thes do9ge wouldn't go
down there! Next thing he'd want
to repudiate that bill ct $725 he
owed Marais & Hughes!
Scipion Desruelles, alias Quentineau,
was cast into prison. A lawyer with
difficulty, and at the cost of half his
money, proved he was not Q1enti-
neau, but Scipion Desruelles, a pas
senger aboard the brig Braganza, of
Bordeaux. But for the captain. he
would have been convicted, for sew
{ eral witnesses swore he was Quenti-
neau.
At Memphis he was misdirected,
enticed into low goggery and rob-
bed OF every cent he had left. Scip-
Ion then wrote to Paris to madame
for remittance. A cotton broker
gave him some correspondence to
Cook after, and he earned enough
to eat But no answer nor remit
lance came from madame. At last he
wrote to his cousin in Martinique,
and received shortly draft for $500
francs.
Soipion Immediately started for
New York. Here. while waiting for
the Hayre steamer. he was again ar
rested as Pierre Quentineaa, fugi-
tive from justice and bond-forger.
By good luck the cotton broker
from Memphis happened to be in
the city, and scipion established an
alibi.
While waiting in the customs Of
fee man came behind him, slipped
something in his hand, and whisper
ed: Don't be afraid, Quentineau!
They have nothing whatever against
you! Here's what l owe YOU"
Desruelles turned quickly, but the
z man was already lost in the crowd,
and Scipion found eight gold Napo-
Icons in his hand. Mechanically he
put the money in his pocket, cursing
this Quentineau whom everybody
persisted in installing him for.
His baggage proving all right, Sep
ion was permitted to start for Paris,
but still under suspicion that he was
not Desruelles, but Quehtineaa. At
Rouen, in the railroad restaurant he
changed Napoleon to buy a bottle
of wine and half chicken. AS soon
as he reached Paris he drove to Num-
ero 70 Rue de Seine His modest
sign was no. longer there, but in
stead one of "Lamballe, couture ct
parfumeur."
Astounded, he rushed into the lit
tie shop: Madame Desruelles," he
said, where is sile?" The attendant
answered in America. 1t is four
months since she went-at the sum-
mons of her husband"
Before he could say another word,
sergeant de vile entered the shop.
and laid hands upon him. ''Youi
are wanted, Quentineau." am not
Z Quentineau-I am Desruelles,A shout,
ed the happy man, but the ohser
led Scipion on.
He was examined on charge 81
coining and OF passing counterfeit
Napoleons at the railroad restaurant
at Rouen, and committed for trial
as "Quentineau, alias Desruelles. faus-
saire."
The rebutting testimony not only
convinced the jury, but overwhelmed
Desrlelles. 1t was letter which
one of his neighbors, woman, testi
fed she had received from Desruelles
wife, from New York, that she and
her Scipion were happily accommo
1T. IL