The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1912-12-19


according to the neighbors, weighed
more than forty pounds. had disap-
peared. On the marble slab tie thin
coating OF dust showed the spot where
It had stood.
On the other hand, Madame Bazire's
gold watch was still hanging on nail
near her bed. II the murderer had
gone there bent on robbery. why did
he leave the watch, and carry OF the
cum brous and less valuable time
piece?
Moreover, the poor lady, who had
but a small annuity. was known to
have little money in the house, for
she had put of a few payments for
the following day, when she intended
to collect her quarterly payment from
the bank. And when ! inquired at
that establishment I learned that
Madame Bazire had not called there.
was puzzled. and sounded the
neighbors one after the other. They,
however, had but little to say, with
the exception of Madame l., a
most laxative old creature, whose
my nerves. I had no cause whatever
for suspicion, yet I could not help In
quiring from the police commissary
In her district who she was.
"Oh," he said laughingly, she is all
right. Her husband is employed in
big establishment, and they are very
we'll off"
IN %ho IoT~fn
bore a good reputation.
For all that, the woman seemed to
haunt me, and l paid her another visit
to ask for further information. This
time she gave me the description OF
a mysterious parsonage, who, she
said, often came to see Madame Ba-
zire, poorly dressed man, easily rec
equitable by huge bag hanging from
his shoulders by strap.
1t took me several days to hunt up
this Individual | traced him to the
Notre Dame des Victories church,
waited till he came out, and asked
him to conduct me to his house. With
out uttering a word, he took me to
BatignOlles, to a Gueer-looking room,
where he and his brother lived.
l confess that, although l consid-
cred myself case-hardened as regards
surprises, I stared with establishment
when I beheld that room, while a
pungent smell nearly choked me. In
the corner the brother was bending
! over small stove cooking a miser-
able stew, their evening meal. But
the strange odor emanated from hun
dreds Of pairs of old boots and shoes,
piled up everywhere. dirty and COW
cred with mildew.
Quietly, with an almost touching
simplicity, these two men Informed
, me that they knew Madame BaZ1re
| very well indeed-a charitable, kind
/ lady, who helped them in the good
work they were doing. One Of them
| had been to see her on the morning
| before the murder, and not on the day
! itself, as Madame l. had asserted.
And then these two quaint fellows
told me the extraordinary life they
led. The elder brother was messenger
In q big shop and both, fanatically re-
ligious, not only lived on that humble
money aside, with which they bought
old boots and shoes, and sold them at
fairs. The profits they derived from
these transactions they gave to a
charitable Institution in aid OF aban.
doned children. Their only joy in life
was to pray, and to assist those poor.
er than themselves!
/ A cI,hc inn CHI 90
these men had nothing to do with the
crime, and I am not ashamed to own
that, despite my anxiety to trace the
culprit, I was glad these two quaint
philaHthrspists were innocent.
next discovered that Madame Ia,
zire had a niece, whom she had no,
seen for leag time because that
young person did net 60 regularly to
mass. This niece was engaged to q
| youth, a kind Of butcher, whe seld
horse-hesh In the Paris streets. His
reputation was anything but good.
have always been averse to ar
resting a person on mere suspicion
But here. without any clue to work
upon, I departed from my principle
and ordered one of my men to bring
the man to my Office.
He looked so scared, and contra
dicted himself SO much, that had he
been arraigned there and then before
a jury, they would unhesitatingly have
found him guilty. Moreover, he had
very unclean record, and two cir
cumstances looked most suspicious:
First, he, who the day before the muir
der did not possess a cent, now had
when searched, two gold pieces In his
pocket. And, second. he was carry
Ing a little parcel containing liner
and some fancy material. In every
way similar to the bundles found a.
Madame Bazire's.
At drst he would not explain
whence came the money and the par
eel, and finally said that In the tram
car he had met one of his former
sweethearts-cook In a swell house