The Washington herald., 1911-01-18
DARING BRIGAND'S TRIAL.
His Honor Turns . French Country.
side TOpsy-TuPVy.

Paris Correspondence Ia the london TeeSrarh.
A remarkable trial is taking place at
Nantes. An alleged briGand is held ac-
countable for long series of robberies.
thcfts. assaults, and murders in a num-
Der of depart ments stretching from the
Riviera to the vicinity of Nantes and
Bordeaux. He has already been SEN
fenced to death by court-martial of
Marseillcs for shooting a fellow soldier
at Grasse deserving the army. and at
tempting To kill publican. and to hard
labor for life by the assizc court of Nice
at the outset of his checkered career.
If he were to BE- judged separately for
each of his alleged misdecds, the trials
might extend over a period of twenty
five years and he would have an oppor-
tunity of appearing in various assize
courts from one end of the country: to
the other. 1t took the police aad sen-
darmes nearly a year to hunt hin down
and during that time he is acd,Sed of
having committed twcnty-one cSmes in
the neighborhood of Nantes in one =, ,pnih
alone.
All that the man needed to make his
way through the country was braZen
boldness. Entering farmhouses, he; threat
ened the occupants with the guns Ihe
stole from them. and when he needed a
bicycle he simply took the first that came
to hand.
II an attempt was made to hold him
up. he merely showed his gun. and if
that did not have its effect he fired. He
chose his residences in the same way.
and it is reported of him that he occupied
a villa in the country undisturbed for
months. The owner happened to return
one day, and found the doors and win
dowS barred. Inside there were inEa-
NOUS contrivances with wires and bells
by which the alleged brigand would be
warned if any one came to disturb him.
The villa was stocked with good things
Freshly plucked fowls were lying about,
and two chickens had just been roasted
and were ready to be eaten. The bed had
been used also and alongside, on a chair
a book was lying open. 1t was a novel
which the stranoe occupan. had been
reading during his leisure moments. Holes
had been pierced in the walls. so that the
alleged brigand could see in every direc-
ton of the country without stirring frcn,
his bed. and the windows had been padded
up SO that his light could not be seen
when he was reaGius Al Eight.
The proprietor of the villa was aston
iS1lSu w Lhu luuiSiouS oShcI OOJSSIs
which he had never seen in his house be-
fore. They were schoolboy bags, IN as
sortment Of classic books and an Alpine
climbers wallet, containing onions pota-
toes and ducks. Within sight of the villa
not a mile away. was the field where q
girl who had been tending sheep was
killed
A short distance farther on was a viii
lage where a schoolmistress had been
assaulted at night in her own room. and
compelled to give up every penny that
she possessed, and when the brigand left
her in the morning he showed her his
gun and told her that she would be shot
II she dared to report him.
Time and again the alleged bandit was
seen on the country roads and people
passed him by, afraid to report him, be-
cause he threatened them with his gun.
A gardener went to his greenhouse one
morning and was shot as he opened the
door. The ubiquitous brigand was inside
and had been surprised in his sleep. His
first impulse was to seize his gun and
fire. The gardener was wounded in the
ribs and the stranger simply jumped over
a fence and disappeared across a field.
In another place he was found inside
a furnace at 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
There had been no fire that day. but it
was still warm, and he felt 1t comforta-
Bile. so he lay down to sleep. The keeper
seeing him inside, tried to shut the door
quickly. but was frightened away by
seeing the barrel Of q gun pointed at
him. AS he was running he heard a
shot. and bullet grazed his vest.
During the next few days. as II to
amuse himself. the strange outlaw Wis
tied three chateaux in the neighborhood
Of Nantes, and turned things topsy-turvy
inside. Last January he went to Nantes
to have himself shaved and his hair cut,
and took railway ticket for the Riviera
BY q mere accident . constable sav him
In . small drinking shop. and arrested
him with the help Of two sendarmes. He
was sent first to Harseilles to Be court
martialed. and to Nice for . second trial.
after which he was transferred to Nice.
Chi,s has estabaishad Q psspasatoEy school for
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