Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-22
WAS HiGHWAYMAN DE LUKE
Claude Duval, of Early Centuries.
Did His StickUp Work in Gentle
and Courteous Manner.

When Charles the Second. who
never said a foolish thing nor ever did
| wise one came back to England
/ and the British throne was brought in
| out OF the woodshed and put in work
| ing order, in 1860, a lot of undesira BILE
citizens came tagging along. Some of
| 'em were British cavaliers who wore
! their hair long and their memories
short One of the minor lights was
| young Mr.. Claude Duval, as mannerly
a highwayman as ever went to the
| gibbet.
Claude had been born in Confront
| in Normandy, a quaint community
about which this illuminating story is
| told When Charles /. was king of
| France, the curate of Confront made
| a rule that everybody who wanted a
| child baptized must kick in at the
same time WITH burial fees. Green
! trading stamps insured free funeral
service when it should be needed. The
| Domfronters objected and carried the
matter up to the Archbishop; to whom
| the c,lrate explained that While the
parish books showed a gratifying
number of baptisms, there had not
been ii funeral for anybody over five
years Oft III iHt- last nulluTtd years.
Not that the people of Domfront did
not die: the trouble was that the vast
majority of them were hanged at
Rouen And SO he had devised the
s-you-enter funeral scheme in
the hope of inducing the Domfronters
te die at home and save expenses. The
Archbishop commended the plan and
the good chronicler goes on to say
that so we'll did il work out that in
the next 20 years no less than Is per-
sons died natural deaths at home
But about Claude. He started life
as a livery stable hand; then he be-
came footman to some English pee-
pie living in Paris, and then when
the Restora ton came in England he
drifted across the Channel and Joined
in the general merriment over the
downfall of Oliver Cromwell and the
Puritans
He was a spriehtly young person of
excellent manners and he was not
contented to remain long a footman
So Claude became a highwayman
Not an ordinary stickup artist, YOU
understand; not a course, unshayen
person who wore a bandana hand
kerchief over his face and spoke rude
~ to his victims. but a highwayman
de luxe. who did his robbing in so
gentle and courteous a manner that
you really felt ashamed not to be able
to turn over more to him.
For instance, riding along one day
he spied a coach bearing a knight and
his lady-and the lady. seeing Claude.
began playing a fageoet. A striking
illustration of the classic saw about
Wbistling to keep your courage up
Desiring to show his own culture and
accomplishments, Claude pulled out a
fageolet of his own and approached
the coach, blowing on the same in gem
tie and ingratiating manner. Then he
passed few flowery bon mots about
how we'll the lady played, and. bowling
to her husband, asked if he might not
have the honor of a dance with her
upon the green. ~
The knight said aftNrward that Du-
val danced better in riding. boots than
most London dancing masters did in
pumps. and when the dance was over
he handed his partner back into her
coach with the utmost galIantry. As
her husband started to follow her.
Claude laid his hand upon his arm
Sir said he. Il think you have for
gotten to pay for the music"
Whereupon the accommodating hus-
band thrust a bag containing $500 upon
him. Duval told him that because he
was SO courteous he might keep the
other $500 he had in the coach and
wished the worthy couple godspeed A
tariff lobbyist could not have been
more genial.
How. q
his hired hands had rudely taken away
a silver nursing bottle from a baby.
Duval forced him to return it and
apologize to the childs mother. He
believed, you see, in fostering infant
industries.
After gathering i'm goodIy fortune
without violating single rule of ETH
auette our young friend made an ex-
tended visit in Paris, where his manly
figure with graceful ways made him
"a favorite with the dolls for miles
around If we may believe his press
agent he also put in his time to some
advantage. Having gained the ear of
the French Kings father confessor, he
told him cock -and-bull story about
a process he had discovered for melt
ing tomato cans down into eighteen
carat gold, concealed some gold into a
hollow stick. with which he stirred a
molten mixture, and then let the priest
assay the result and find the ounce
and half of gold. Whereupon-this
again on the word of the trusty press
agent-the good father showed Claude
| all his own treasures and where the
| King kept his diamond shirt studs,
and young Duval slipped in after din
| ner one day. carried off flour sack
full of gold and jewels and went back
to England.
| There he continued to breeze aroun
| the country for some time. Finally a
couple of constabes slipped upon him
while he was sleeping off the effects
of banquet al a place called Hole-in-
| the Wall in Chandos street, and at
| the age of 27 he was hanged in Tyburn
and buried in Convent Garden church,
where large number of women wept
/ over his grave over Ciaudes tomb
| there is this touching inscriptions:
Here lies Duval; reader, if male thou
Look to thy purse; if female. to thy