The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-05-26

NJ. Guillot, the magistrate, and went
straight TO the house, where every
thing had been left undisturbed-
In poorly furnished bedroom, orna-
mented with banners, rosarles, and PIC,
tnres of saints, lay the body of the old
creature, face downward.
The murderer had strangled her, and
had placed on her back a curious look
ing old trunk, covered with boarsklns
and provided with four rollers. Never
before had j seen such trunk.
Madame Bazire, we'll known in the
neighborhood, was a quiet, lnoffenslve
woman, most religious, who, during the
thirty years she had resided at Vim
cennes, had never missed either morn
ing mass OF vespers. On the morning
of the murder she had gone to mass at
0, telling the concierge that she would
return soon, because she wanted TO put
her room in order.
At first nobody in the house troubled
about her, as it was thought that she
might have come back late without
being noticed. The next day, however
the neighbors began to feel uneasy.
Madame Bazire received every morn
ing LIE Messenger de Sainte Phllomene.
a little religious paper which tells
pious people what prayers they have
to say during the day. When II was
remarked that lie Messenger de Sainte
Philomene remained untouched under
the door, the neighbors rang her bell,
and, receiving no reply, sent for the
police commissary.
Ny first impression was that robbery
had been the motive of the crime All
the cupboards had been ransacked, and
on the floor were several small bun
dies of linen and clothes-of which
Madame Bazire had large quantity
and which the assassin, for some rea-
son or other, had left behind. Only
big clock that used to stand on the
mantelpiece, and, according to the
pounds, had disappeared. On the mar
bic slab the thin coating of dust
showed the spot where it had stood.
On the other hand, Madame Bazlre S
gold watch was still hanging on a nail
near her bed. If the murderer had gone
there bent on robbery, why did he leave
the watch. and carry off the cumorous
and less valuable timepiece?
Moreover, the poor lady, who had but
a small annuity, was known TO nave
little money in the house, for she had
put off few payments for the follow
ing day, when she intended to collect
her quarterly payment from the bank.
And when 7 inquired at that establish"
ment J learned that Madame Bazire
had not called there.
was puzzled and sounded the neigh
bors one after the other. They, how
ever. had but little to say. with the
exception of Madame l., most
talkative old creature, whose long
winded stories began to get on my
nerves. ] had no cause whatever for
suspicion. vet / could not help inquir-
ing from the police commissary in her
district who she was.
con- he said laughingly, "she is
an right. Her husband is employed in
a big establishment, and they are very
well off,
In the quarter, too, Madame L
bore a good reputation.
For all that. the woman seemed to
haunt me. and I paid her another visit
to ask for further information. This
time she gave me the description of
often came TO see Madame BaZire.
poorly dressed man. easily recognizable
by a huge bag hanging from his shoul-
ders by strap.
1t took me several DAYS to hunt up
this individual ! traced him to the
Notre Dame des VICTORIES church. wait
ed till be came out, and asked him TO
conduct me to his home. Without ut
tering a word, he took me to Batig-
nolles., to. a queer-looking room, where
he and his brother lived
! confess that. although I considered
mvself hardened as regards sur
nrises. ] stared with astonishmept when
beheld that room, while a puneent
smell nearly chol1ed me- In the corner
the brother was bending over a small
stove cooking miserable stew, their
evening meal, But the strange odor
emanated from hundreds of pairs Of
old boots and shoes. piled up every
where. dirty and covered with mildew.
Quietly, with an almost touching
simplicity, these two men informed me
that they knew Madame Bazire very
well indeed-a charitable, kind lady,
who helped them In the good work they
were doing. One of them had been to