Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-11-06
POET WAS ASSASSIN
Lacenaire's Career-He Could
Laugh and Commit Murder.
Before Being Brought to Justice Stay
e. Lived by Making Verses and
Spurious Paper-AlI Paris
Sang His Songs.

Spurious Paper-AlI Paris
Sang His Songs.
Paris.-On December 4, 1884, gen.
tleman of distinguished appearance
walked briskly along quiet street
near the Chopinette Barrier in Paris.
It is true that the gentleman's black
frock coat gave evidence of long use
and the gentleman's hat was a trifie
ancient and the gentleman's cravat
was not exactly fashionable. But.
name of d name, messieurs, one may
be gentleman and be poor.
This pedestrian, who looked distin.
guished even under the handicap OF
threadbare garments. was about thir.
ty-five year old. He was rather s.,sall
Of stature, but carried himself proud.
ly His face was refined and intellec-
tual-the face of poet and dreamer.
Indeed, at that hour all Pario was
whistling and singing one OF his
songs, "The Fife and Drum" He he'd
the hands and hair of an artist ard
the joyous, care free laugh of boy.
1t was a good thing to hear Lacenaire
laugh. 1t reminded you of your hall
cyon days, before the world weari.
ness made you sad.
Behind Lacenaire there walked q
man Of vulgar appearance. His mai, ,
was Avril. He was quite young. net
more than twenty-five, and he had
been so unfortunate as criminal that
Lacenaire was sorry for him and was
determined to give him chance to
do better work.
Presently they stopped before q
dwelling of prosperous appearance.
"This is the place." said Lacenaire.
do you remember my instructions!
Yes? Then allons vite!"
The poet rang the door bell and the
door was opened by young man.
"Ah, my dear Chardon," cried Lace
naire, I'VE have come to see your
mother on a trif1e of business-the
mere signing Of a paper"
1--WE are greatly honored, M. Lace
naire," replied Chardon. Mother, as
you know, is an invalid, and is on
her bed, but she can do what you
ask"
They stood face to face, Chardon
and Lacenaire, and the latter COS
siped gayly on one thing and another.
while Avril stole quietly behind Char
don, and, having stationed himself
properly, at wink from the poet he
threw his arm around Chardon's neck
and garroted him. Lacenaire drew a
dagger then and stabbed the victim
several times, to make the Job com.
plete, then he went to the room Of
the invalid mother and slew her with
the weapon that killed the son.
There should be 10000 francs
here somewhere, according to my in
formation" said Lacenaire. Lock
the door, my friend. and We'll search
till we find the money"
Avril locked the door and they
searched and searched, but all they
found was 500 francs. Lacenaire.
whose sense Of humor was abnormal.
ly developed, laughed until the tears
rolled down his cheeks. It was this
insensibility, displayed on many trag.
him one of the most famous GRIM
mails of modern times.
''Is the joke on us or on the Char
dons?" he asked, as he wiped the Joy
GUS tears from his face. But Avril
was impatient and nervous. He want.
ed to get away. Those dead people
were getting on his nerves. So they
left the house and went to an inn,
where, over sundry bottles Of cheap
wine, Lacenaire planned larger and
better crime.
He rented an Office and painted an
assumed name on the door, thus Gre
ating the impression that he was q
business man. Then. by laying his
plans carefully, he arranged that .
bank messenger should call on him
in his Office on a certain d.y, the
chosen day being one on which COL
lections were sure to be large. II
took a great deal of skillful maneuv-
ering to bring this about, but the de-
tails are not essential to this story.
Everything being in readiness, Az.
ril was so foolish as to be arrested
while trying to rescue lady friend
from the police. Avis conscience
became active and he told of the
Chardon murders. So 1t came to pass
that the poet was arrested. and when
he learned that the discovery was
due to his accomplice he made full
and free confession, his only object.
he said, being to take the betrayers
to the guillotine with him.
SELLS HALF OF A RESIDENCE