Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1912-11-16 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE THREE FRIENDS.  Years ago there resided at Brusiels three young men, named Charles Daraneourt, Theodore de Valmont., and Ernest de St. Maitre, whose friendship for each other was of so ardent a nature, that they were generally known by the title of The In:separable.s. The first link which bound these youths together was the remarkable circumstance of their having been all three born on one day, and, being all of good families, they had been constant. playfellows in childhood, had studied at the same academy as schoolboys, and had become members of the same university in their more advanced years, Through all, these stages of their existence, they had exhibited the same unvarying affection for one another, and had displayed great similarit) in their tastes, feelings, and pursuits. One :Sunday Count de St. Maure's house was observed to be shut up by the neighbours. About eight o'clock in the evening, Charles Daraneourt and Theodore de Valmont called, in order to spend a social hour with the family. Their repeated latockings at the door remaining unans:wered, they at length alarmed the neighbourhood. The door was burst open, and, to the horror of the spectators, four murdered bodies were found in the various bed-rooms. The corpses, whose throats were shockingly out, were those of the Count de St. Maure, his lady, and their- two servants, It was also found that a desk had been broken open, and plundered of valuable jewels, known to have been there. On this appalling discovery. Dazancourt, whose friendship for the family was well known, appeared at first paralysed with grief. When he re'covered from his trance-like stupor, he rushed from the house, exclaiming, "My friend !my dear Ernest Where is my poor friend!" This exclamation called the minds of the spectators, for the first time, to the eircumstance of young St. Maure's absence. The authorities were speedily called to the spot, and, among other steps taken, a search was instituted for Ernest de St. Mame. But the whole of Brussels was examined in vain. The young man was to be seen nowhere.  At the solemn investigation which took place into the whole of this tragic affair, circumstances came out which tended strongly to fix the guilt ef parricide on the missing youth. A pen-knife. marked with his initials, was found near the scene of slaughter, covered with blood. This, to all appearauce, was the instrument with which the murders had been committed. A new turn was given to the affair by the discovery of the youth's bode in a stagnant vell in the outskirts of the city. At first, indeed, as no wound was seen on the body, it was only thought that he had added self-destruetion to his other crimes, but, on a more minute examination, a small puncture was detected on the breast, immediately over the heart. This had welt nigh been passed over as a trifling and accidental scratch. At the urgent entreaty of one surgeon, however, the chest was thoroughly laid open, when it was found that the heart had been pierced to its centre by a, sharp instrument of exceeding minutemen, in a direct line with the external puncture. This, obviously, had been the cause of death. As the young men could not, have thus slain himself, and then have conveyed his body to the well, it became apparent to 3,U that Ernest de St. Mauro also had fallen a victim to the same conspiracy which had overwhelmed his parents. •So satisfactory did the discovery appear to the authorities, that they laid the son in the game grave with his parents, thus clearing his memory, as far as they could, from the dreadful charge of being a parricide.. The arguments of Charles Darancourt were chiefly instrumental in procuring this justice for his departed friend. No further light was thrown on the fate of the St Mauess, until some weeks after the tragic event. Several papers were then discovered in an escritoire by the late count's brother, which threw a (lark suspicion on one of the most intimate friends of the deceased—on Theodore de Valmont! It appeared by these documents that de Valmont had fixed his affections on Emily Duplessis, a beautiful young lady, who returned his passion, in spite of a long-standing quarrel between their families. Ernest de St. Maure and Charles Darancourt had been de Valmont's only confidants, and had assisted him in procuring interviews with the object of his affections. Being thus occasionally  A