The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-01
SPRINGFIELD BEATEN A FAMOUS DETECTIVE
The Rise, the Achievements and
the Fall of M. Vidocq.
GREAT FRENCH POLICE SPY.


the Secrets of More Than Half of
the Criminals In Paris.
The fellow has made his escape by
the roof"
4 little band of Partisan police had
paid Il surprise visit TO a mean. dirty
house In one OF the most diSreputaule
parts of Paris 1t was about o'clock
in the morning when an officer tapped
AT the door and demanded admittauce
of the trembling person who opened it,
Slipping past him, they crept swiftly
and noiselessly up the rickety stairs 10
the door of a room, opened it and rush
ed in. But the bed in which they had
expected to fud their man was empty.
He must have heard them stealing up
the stairs and escaped by the window.
The officer In charge OF the party
looked out IN the darkness he could
distinguish nothing. But the man
must be there. His clothes still lay be-
side the bed, where he had cast them
down when he had retired the night
before.
Some of the most daring of the Off
GERS crawled out after him. while 9th
ers went for ladders to reach the roof
from the street The man must be
caught! He was found at last. Crouch
ing down and seeking to hide himself
among the chimney stacks, the officers
bounced upon him.
A short time later he was before one
Of the chiefs Of the police.
Good day. NJ. Henri he said. salut-
ing the stern looking official. Some
one has once more betrayed me into
your hands"
You are accused of being in league
with coiners and passers of bad mon
ey." said the official. What have you
to say?'
Only that l am innocent, monsieur
though the people in the house where
l lodged were guilty of such prac-
tees. | had the honor of calling on
monsieur some time back and of say
ing that l could put it in his power to
clear Paris of such scoundrels"
The man the officers had found upon
the roof and who addressed those
words to the police official was one
Vidocq. man destined to become ia
nous as one of the greatest detec-
tives Of modern times.
NidocQ had been concerned for years
past in all manner of rogueries. He
had received various terms Of impris-
/ onment He was regarded as one of
the most dangerous Of the hundreds
/ of criminals that threatened the hon
est citizens of Paris. He was daring,
full of resource, man of marvellous
physical strength and audacity. Upon
two previous occasions his accomplices
had. knowing how much the police val
ued his capture. betrayed him into
their hands This was the third time
Vidocq had so suffered. Two could
play at that game.
m. Henri" said Vidocq, make me
one of your agents, and | swear to put
you in possession of the secrets of half
the criminals in Paris"
The offer was a tempting one, for
: the Partisan police were then baffled
by criminals Of all descriptions, and
?arisians We're crying out for more
efficient guardians.
We will see'' replied the official.
A short time later Vidocq found him
self in prison, condemned to serve a
sentence of eight years. But that mis-
cradle convict sentenced to that terri
bic sentence was really a police spy.
He was popular with the other con-
victs and learned all their secrets.
Each night be used in his cell to write
out an account of the discoveries he
had made during the day. The report
was dispatched to the chief of the po-
lice and proved remarkably useful.
One day the criminal world of Paris
was amazed and joyful over the mar
velous escape of VidOcq from prison.
They received him with open arms.
AS a matter of fact. the authorities
had come to the conclusion that Vidocq
could be much more useful to them
outside than in that grim place. His
escape had all been planned. Nidocq
returned to his associates as a hero.
In fact he was spa spy with the
keeueSt eyes, the most alert ears, the
most subtle brain, to learn all the VII
lainy going.
II was wonderful what i'll luck be-
gan henceforth to dog the criminals
of Paris. All their plans came in some
mysterious manner to the ears of the
police. Was it Vidocq who betrayed
them? Some of them were so con-
Tinced Of it that at last Vidocq found
it necessary to disguise himself and
act the part among them of a new
hand in crime. \ cOnSummate master
OF disguise. he went among them, still
unsupported. in his new role.
He was certainly one of the most
useful fellows that the police had ever
had as an ally.
'Vidocq." said NJ. Henri to him one
day. we must find that fellow Eos
sard. the man who has escaped from
the prison at Brest. He is in Paris.
hiding somewhere. His lodging is in 4
house il bystreet near to a market
place. And there are yellow silk cur
? tains TO the window of his room. In
the same house there lives a woman
with a bumped back. That is all can
tell you about the feIOw-all l have
been able to learn"
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