Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-09-04

ca EOOu AT AMS TOD OF the @UAM10R
How was be to be got at? He was a
man of prodigious strength. man who
! had vowed he would never be taken
alive. man who always carried ere
arms. ready to STAY any one who might
seek to take him.
"Such a man Is best taken in his bed,
NJ. Henri" suggested vidocQ. The only
difficulty was how it was to be man
aged to take him 50.
Fossard. IN spite Of bis being such Z
desperate criminal, was q BIT Or q fOp.
He used to keep bottle Of eau de
cologne in his room That scent was
to prove his undoing. 1t 10 not the
only occasion that perfume has proved
disastrous to criminals who hare In
dulged In II. few nights later, when
Fossard was IN bed and fast asleep,
he was awakened by q timld knock at
bis door Calling out to know what
he was disturbed for. he heard a tim
orous child's voice 10 reply. II inform
ed Fossard that the knocker was poor
little Louis. the nephew Of q woman
on the next door who had been taken
very III and who had sent the child to
beg NJ. Fossard to lend her his bottle
of eau de cologne. Fossard groped
round for the bottle and with 1t In hts
hand threw open the door. Yidocq
and his helpers were on him In an in
slant.
"The most terrible man Ia Paris"-
such became the description among
the dangerous classes Of vidOcq. now
a recognized agent Of the police.
He was not regarded with favor by
members Of the detective service. They
might well, indeed. look askance ct q
man with such a record.
II have never caught any. criminal
who more deserved imprisonment than
NJ. Vidocq." protested an indignant Of
ficer to NJ. Henri one day.
But Vidocq was too useful to be
hastily set aside. Never had the Grim
inals Of Paris such bad time A. they
were now enjoying with vidocq In the
detective force.
He organized the frst really eflcient
detective service on the continent. The
task Of selecting twelve assistants was
confided to him. vidocq chose the
majority Of them from the cleEerest
thieves he knew. Those that had been
pickpockets he made wear gloves. 1t
was impossible for them to indulge in
their former bad habits while wearing
those fashionable articles.
Tall, of magnificent physique, with
what is known as an "open" counte-
nance, with large twinkllng blue eyes
and mouth that seemed to be ever
ready to break into good nntured
laughter, vidocq was perhaps the last
man in the world to be taken for de-
tective.
Il always regretted" he declared
once. that my duty prevented me from
cultivating mustache. but Il would be
a sad hindrance TO my Disgusting my
self. had to give the idea up. Grim.
inals would have got to know that mus.
tache of mine"
So he remained a close shaven man
to the end Of his days Perhaps there
never was a more energetic dlsSuIser
than Vidocq. He relied upon bis mar
velous facility In making up to utterly
bewilder the professional criminals he
had to deal with
In one days hard werk be assumed
no fewer than twelve wholly distinct
DISCUSSES!
He went. when he was not In dis
guise, constantly armed. A pistol lay
ready to his hand In q pocket OF his
handsome clothes, and a dagger was
concealed in the front OF his coat.
At the end Of ten years service be
retired.
The news spread all over Paris. VI
docq. who had made the police Of Paris
more feared than they had ever been
before. was actually In the banda of
the police!
He had after his retirement from the
force established private inquiry Of
flee. and clients OF all kinds locked 20
him. Then he opened an agency for
the protection Of shopkeepers and mer-
chants against fraudulent customers.
He had as many as 5000 customers ON
his books when the police arrested
him, and he was now accused Of hay.
Ing In many cases become the ally OF
the very people from whom he was
supposed to be protecting his custom
ers. He was found guilty and sen.
fenced to eight years. imprisonment.
When he at last got the conviction re-
versed VidocQ found himself a ruined
man.
One Of the attractions az q place Of
entertainment In London years ere
was Nj. Vidocq. The great detective
had taken to the stagel EnormOus 40.
diences came to see the strange man,
who related his extraordinary expert
ences and seemed like q dozen dlfeer-
ent men upon the stage BY his marvel
Gus Quickness In changing bis appear
| ance
One day In 1851 3 white haired. Zee
bic, mumbllng old man lay dying On a
bed In the garnet. Of. q house IN a
miserable Paris street He was vIdocu.
the marvellous detective. Helpless. n
poverty. dependent on the charity Of
friends the 0nrA 4Arr,t.ln v,,ae, H., g..