Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-12-11

ana read him my report, OF. rath
er. the story o. my dream.
Yes" he said, when had finished.
your conclusions are perfectly log
zeal; the crime undoubtedly has been
committed in the manner you say. But
your conviction and mine are not suf-
fcient TO allow us to arrest this wom-
an and commit her for trial. 1 share
your opinion that Madame L..
whose mind seems derangeds has
strangled the widow. Where. how
ever, are the proofs?"
If only | could find that elock!" L
groaned, 'and 1t is impossible for rae
to lay my hands on 1t unless 1 turn
Madame Is apartment upside
down, always supposing that she has
not hidden it somewhere else"
You are clever enough to unearth
that clock without searching the
apartment" laughed NJ. Guillot, but
unearth it you must"
AS Madame L. had taken a dis.
like to me / could not attempt TO ap
proach her. I, therefore, sent for
Barbaste, one OF my inspectors, and
gave him my instructions. Barbaste
had a curious specialty--that of max
ing criminals confess. His anabIe
manner impressed them. and when he
gravely shook his head and remarked:
Yes, / know provocation is a terrible
thing" the culprits would turn TO this
sympathetic friend and say how they
had committed their crime, under
such strong provocation that no right
minded jury could convict them. And
they would pour out their whole stors
into Barbaste's attentive ear.
OF course | did not mention to Bar
haste word of my dream. and only
gave him sketch of how | thoughf
the murder had been committed.
You must" l said. induce Madame
L. to confess, and try all you car
to make her show you where she hid
the clock"
Like all dreams. mine had been in,
complete, for / had attempted to re
member where the timepiece might
have been slowed away.
When he reached Vincennes he
found Madame L. in bed. She was
i'll and greatly excited.
Are you coming to bother me again
with this stupid AFFAIR."" she began
angrily
mo. no. my dear lady," replied Bar
haste soothingly.
And. taBdng~a chair close to neI
bed, he added:
Il have only come to see you on a
small matter
What matter?"
YES" continued Barbaste, IL was
thinking all along OF what you had
done. and wondering how l would
have acted If some one had contin
uaIly been rolling a noisy trunk over
my head"
The mad creature sat up in bed
and her eyes grew large.
MY good fellow" she cried, 81 soon
settled that little business"
Barbaste; but what have you done
with the clock?"
The clock?" she shouted, shaking
with laughter. why it is here, under
my bed!"
And there 1t was, and very well
squeeze 1t inside the mattress.
An hour later Barbaste brought
Madame L. to my office, where in
disconnected manner she gave me
all the details of the crime.
AT last" she cried, Il can sleep
quietly, since that old psalm-singer
is dead. Every morning and every
night on her return from mass /
heard her rolling her beastly trunk.
| had to kill heri On the previous
day | had received a parcel bound
with some strong cord All right
said to myself, that will Just do nice
ly TO strange her. AS usual, l was
awakened by the noise OF the trunk.
The old woman had come back from
church l jumped out OF bed. ran up
stairs. threw her on the floor, and
twisted the cord around her neck"
She remained moment silent, and
then. with an uncanny laugh, re-
sumed:
1T was as easy as possible. She
did not utter a sound A child of six
could have done it."
And then" she yelled, her eyes
darting flames. and then | took her
trunk, her dirty trunk, and threw it
on her back, calling out: You will
never bother me again with that. you
old pIg!' | also took away her clock.
the dirty clock she liked so much, and
shrieked into her ear: You will
never hear that strike any more"
She fell back In her chair exhaust.
ed. and l remained speechless. My
dream, my whole drcaLo. had proved
true!
AS to Madame II, size required
doctors, not judges. She was sent to
La Salpetrlere in the warn of Pro-
lessor Vigouroux.
She is still in a criminal lunatic
asylum.
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