The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-05-12
AREAL monte GRISTQ
The Tragic Career of Picaud, a
cohhler ef Paris.
HIS RISE 20 GREAT WEALTH.

HIS hlSE EU 6hEAl MEALln.
Thrown lnts lail BY Secret Enemies,
He Wa. Lest Fortune by Fellow
Prisonsr-a.laassd. His Scheme Of
vsnaesaea Rseesht Him Death.
That romnnstc creation of the brain
of Alexandra Dumas. The Count Of
Monte. C.issol" bad counterpart in
neal life. In France IN the last century.
This Is the tragic story:
In SoZ. when Napoleon was Mt the
height Of his power. Francois Picaud
was . st,rrdy young journeyman cob
bler OF Par1s. full OF health and AMI
NAL spirits and happy in the love OF
Marguerite viSonreux. n young girl
OF his exa station in life. On the eve
OF bis marriage hidden enemies de-
nounced him. 10 the imperial govern
nent asa spy. he was cast Into pris-
en, where he remained. forgotten By
the wOSld. for seven years.
Among his fellow prisoners was
wealthy SIilanese priest. who treated
him Ike son and bequeathed to him
100000 francs on deposit In the Bank
Of Amsterdam. Furthermore. this &C.
elcsiastic told Picaud the secret Of
hiding plnce In Italy where were con-
ceaIed jewels to the value Of 100000
francs and specie amounting to three
millions.
When the empire was orerthrown In
1911 ricaud was one OF vast num-
Der Of political prisoners throughout
France who were given their freedom.
He proceeded TO gather the priests
treasure and TO plan vengeance upon
his enemies. Who they were be did
not know.
Disguised as an Italian priest. he sue
cceded by bribinS the least guilty of
the conspirators and discovering the
entire story OF his undoinS. The lead
er in the plot he learned was one Lou
pain, who had married Marguerite
visoureux. prospered and become the
proprietor OF one OF the handsomest
cafes in Paris.
PIcaud went to the capital and under
4 suitable disguise obtained work Us
waiter In Loupain's establishment.
Fellow servants there were Guilhem
Solari and GerraIs Chaubard, who.
with Loupain. had denounced Picaud
In 1907. The pretended walter was
not long In bringing his vengeance 10
a consummation. Chaubard was the
first victim Of bis wrath. Ills body.
pierced by knife. was found on one
Of the bridges over the Seine. LOU
pain was dlsSraced. reduced to pen
ury and finally stabbed to death in the
Tuileries gardens. Solari was poison
ed and died in friGhtful convulsions.
But speedy retribution overlook the
implacable avenSer. One night Picard
was seized. bound and borne to an
abandoned quarry. In the darkness
terrible voice said:
"P!caud. what name are you passing
under now: Are you still the priest
Ba!dini or the waiter Prosper: You
wished for revenge. You have sold
yourself to the powers OF he'll. Ten
years you have sircn 10 the pursuit OF
three wretchcs you should have spared.
Ne you dragged down to pcrdition.
The diamond by which you bribcd me
was my destruction. / killed him who
cheated NE. WAS arrested. condemn
ed to the E:!llcyS and escaped only
after years ot torture Ny one thought
has been vengeance on the priest Eal-
dinL You are IL my power. Do you
know me? am An:oIar Allut. How
much will YOU pay for bread AID wa
teri"
II have no rlorry." =roaned rlcaud.
You have sixteen millions. These
are my conditions: viii give you
something 10 "a, twice day. but fo-
each meal you must pay me 5000
francs"
However. the cup!GIty OF the prison.
er proved stronger than his hunger.
he underwent terrible suffering with.
out any signs OF yielding until bis
captor. Soaded TO fury Mt the prolons-
ed obS;lnacy. threw himself upon Pr
caud and stabbed him to dea,h.-Book.
man.