El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-10-11

A~ o MARCEL CHEVANDAU.
Attorney at Law,
Paris.
February z. 1887.
BY Tristan Bernard


Dear Sir:
My name is Pierre Brond- was 80
years old on December and was born
at Lyons Ny mother died while was
a baby, my father two years ago ]
have a married sister in Lyons.
When I was 1s, i parted from my
family. I succeeded in getting a pose
ton as a clerk in Paris office, bur az
was lazy I soon lost it. Then I began
TO sell newspapers in the streets ana
gradually lost all ambition. AT this
time I made the acquaintance OF two
confidence men, Henri and Jules, ana
their mistress They lived Dy lneil
wits and when money was scarce they
worked as burglars. went win
them on some Of their expeditions, ana
while they broke into suburban cot
tages I stood guard outside but the
part they gave me was so small InaL
made I'D nv mind TO start for myself
"At the time / had a room In an Cd
scure hotel The month Of March was
warm and dry and spent all my time
l0aGng through the streets or the SUD
urbs. I went into the cottages TO beg
and find out how many people lived IN
the houses. One afternoon I got into
cottage at EcueH and was very kindly
received by the mistress OF the mousse
an old lady. I had a long talk with her
ard she gave me a letter OF reference
u q society in Paris, which she said
would get me work. She was snort,
stout and almost bald. We stood IN the
kitchen where a tall, strong girl was
Cooking the dinner. While we were
talking I looked about There was no
safety chain on the door, the garoen
wall was low and the houses on poth
sides were empty With the money the
old lady gave me I bought knife
I decided to act quickly IL was
three o'clock in the afternoon Wnen
left the cottage at Ecueil took the
train from Poissy to Paris and reached
my lodgings about seven Then went
down into the kitchen and told my
landlady 1 did not feel well and would
60 to bed.
Il stayed in my room until half past
eight. Henri had given me a Jimmy ana
q brace and bit and showed me how 10
use them. Armed with these and the
knife. sneaked downstairs and left
I took the train to Poissy. There
was about Is minutes walk from the
station to the cottage. / waited a NJ
tie while and then jumped the wan ana
walked through the garden to the 'front.'
door. I had no trouble In getting IL
open and stood in the hall from which
there was stairway 20 the MOOR
7 took off my coat and vest and lit
a candle I had brought with TINS IN
my left hand and the knife IN my right
hand, I was about to so to work, when
I heard g voice from The floor above
Is 1T you, JoanneE
Hoping to calm the lady, ] whis-
qered Yes and put out my candle uL
suddenly there was a light and the old
lady came down the stairs in her night
dress. 7 rushed at her with the knife
and stabbed her She fell to the floor
I with a faint cry.
Her candle went out began 20
look for my own candle, when heard a
door open on the top floor There was
a light once more and the girl came
down the stairs with a lamp which liz
up my face
THE girl stopped in establishment
could see she had recognized me. She
put down the lamp and folded her
hands. i hit her IN the head and. she
dropped without a sound. Then picked
ND the lamp, went Into the bedroom
broke open a drawer in the bureau and
took a bundle Of bills. suddenly !
/ heard q faint grOau from the old lady
{ Where was my knife? / did not know
I hut there was a dagger on the bureau
which ] buried in the old lady throat
wiped the blood off on her nlghtgoFn
and put the dagger into my pocket
! Then ] put out the lamp put on my
coat and vest and LETT the house, clos
I ing the door carefully behind me
The clock struck three There was
Z no train to Paris until half past five
so I decided to walk TO the next station
to throw off suspicion Before / start
ed, I took off my coat and vest no
ticed there was blood on my shirt and
g stain on my trousers but IL was so
small that no one would ever notice it.
Besides, there was no reason to sus-
pect me. Ny landlady knew I had gone
20 bed the night before and IL reached
home about nine I could slip In un-
noticed At that hour the landlady was
] always at the market and the dodgers
| have gone to their work or were still
asleep.
i thought OF the dagger in my peck
et and, although I knew il was very
valuable, 1 threw it into a well near
Z the station. Then counted the money
1 just 500 francs.
"As soon as 1 was in the train I fell
/ asleep and did not wake up until we
got into Saint Lazare. Ii was half pas
/ seven. I went first TO a restaurant and
Z had something to eat and then bought
a shirt which I intended TO put on a!
| soon as I got home
"Peeping cautiously about, 7 sneakel
I into the hotel but as I opened the door
l I was faced by a short man, who asked
Are you Pierre Brond?
/ Il did not answer.
IT arrest you in the name Of the
I law
At the same time two policemen ap-
[ Feared behind me and took hold Of my
q rser1 ar-n TO-