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SAMUEL WEIGHT, Editor and Proprietor.
VOLUME XXIX, NUMBER 223
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Intrg.
The Lord's Prayer Illustrated,
Our Father—
By right of creation,
By bountiful provision,
By gracious adoption;
Who art in 'leaven—
The throne of thy glorY.
The portion of thy children.
The temple of thy angell;
Hallowell be thy name—
By the thoughts of our hearts,
II y the words of our lips,
By the works of our hands;
Thy kingdom come—
Of Providence to defend us,
Of grace to refine us,
Of glory to crown us;
Thy will be done on earth as it is done in Heaven—
Toward us without resistance,
By us without compulsion,
Universally without excuption,
Eternally without declension;
Clive us this day our daily bread—
Of necessity for our bodies,
Of eternal We for our routs.
And forgive us ourtrewasses—
Against the commands of thy law,
Against the grace of thy gospel;
As we forgive them that trespass against us—
lty defaming our characters.
By embezzling our property,
fly abusing our persons;
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Of overwhelming afflictions,
Of worldly enticements,
Of Satan's devices,
0 f errors' seductions,
Of sinful affection.;
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for
Thy:kingdom govern. nll,
Thy power subdues nll,
Thy glory is above n 11;
I=
As it is in thy purpose,
So it is in thy promise.,
So be it in our prayer..
So it shall be to thy praise
gthttinitz.
The Commissary of Police
Francois Dumontel, a painter of Lyon,
espoused, in the spring of 1843, Euphrosyne
Lamont, a youthful damsel about his own
age, and equally poor, enthusiastic, and un
reflecting. Both were orphans, and Euphro
syne was a charming brunette, of local ce
lebrity, whose dark southern eyes shone
with such brilliancy as she emerged a blush
ing bride from the church of St. Thomas
that the spnetators were fain to acknowledge
it was not surprising the young artist should
have preferred the graceful and blooming
Euphrosyne to middle-aged Mademoiselle
Medard, the daughter and heiress of the
rich silk•mercer in the Rue du Nord, whose
sole attractions were les beaux yeuz de sa
casette. The favor of this lady he was re
ported to have won by painting her portrait
so cleverly, that although it was impossible
not to recognize the likeness, the coarse, dry
parchment complexion, vixen eyes, and al
together crabbed aspect of the original,
were so judiciously modified and softened,
that a. very pleasant ensemble resulted—an
Achievement which elicited from more than
.one shrewd observer the remark that if
Francois Dumontel were not the great gen
ius he believed himself to be, he, at all
events, possessed a skill in likeness-paint
ing, which, diligently cultivated, could
hardly fail of realizing a fortune. Unfortu
nately, young Dumontel looked down from
the exaltation of his vanity with supreme
contempt upon that branch of his art; hie
genius had wings for a far loftier flight, and
next to Euphrosyne, the fame which could
not fail to accrue from the exhibition in
Paris of his great historic painting—a glit
tering mass of effulgent uniforms, fiery
-steeds, and crimson canon-flashes upon a
tack ground of universal smoke, the fanci
tful representation of a battle in Algeria—
tent brightness to the future, upon which,
with love, beauty, youth, for his companions,
he was now about to enter. Euphrosyne,
herself a graceful flower-painter, as well as
artiste en /lairs, participated the illusions of
tier lover and husband, but could not for all
-that repress a start and exclamation of alarm,
when on the evening of the seventh or eighth
-day of married life, Francois, who had been
for some time profoundly immersed in :no
ney-mdculations, said abruptly:
"It is plain, ma belle, that after paying
for our places in the diligence, and the ear
riage of the picture, we shall have only
about two hundred francs left when we reach
Paris."
"Two hundred (nines! No morel Ali,
Francois, that is a very small sum to begin
the world with."
"True, mon amie: but what then? Oa
guenard writes mo that Vernet sold a picture
decidedly inferior to mine, a short time
since, for twelve thousand francs. Twelve
thousand francs, Euphrosyne: If mine but
fetches half that sum, it is already a for
tune."
"You know Gugnenard, Francois. much
better than I do, and have, I am aware, con
fidence in his judgment."
"Entire confidence, Euphrosyne. Have
you forgotten the compliment passed by
Monsieur Le Vicomte de Ferran!, upon
Henry Guguenard's the engraver's taste in
the fine arts?"
SI so
Mil
"No; I remember it well, and that Gugue
nard was himself the relater of the anecdote."
"Is not that a little ungenerous, Euphro
syne?"
"Perhaps so," said tho young wife, cover
ing with an effort her natural gaiety of tone;
"and what is certain is, that I have full
confidence in your genius and fortunes, Fran
cois."
The conversation thus terminated, Du
montel proceeded at once to the Menageries
to secure places in the diligence, and Eu
phrosyne fell into a reverie, from which she
was roused by the announcement of "Mon
sieur Bouis;" and an elderly gentleman, in
deep mourning, and wearing the ribbon of
the Legion of Honor, presented himself.—
He was from Paris, and the sternly sad ex
pression of his pale features was doubtless
caused by the death, about three months
previously, of his only son in an apparently
motiveless duel with a French officer en
retraile—Le Captaine Regnaud. The unfor
tunate young man had been on a prolonged
visit at Lyon at the time of the catastrophe,
a circumstance well known to Euphrosyne,
who appeared to be as much startled as sur
prised by the words "Monsieur Bouis, of
Paris." The gentle mournfulness of his
greeting, however, quickly reassured her.
"I am the father, mademoi— I beg par
don, Madame Dumontel, of the unfortunate
Charles Bouis, who, I hope, still lives in your
friendly remembrance."
"Assuredly, monsieur, replied Euphro
syne; "and this notwithstanding my ac
quaintance with your amiable son was of the
slightest kind."
"So I understand," said her visitor; "and
yet but for that slight acquaintance, my son
would now be alive."
"Comment, monsieur?" exclaimed Euphro
sync, blushing and trembling; "I do not
comprehend."
"Not clearly, you mean, my dear madam;
but pray do not agitate yourself; a few words
will explain my meaning, and justify, or, at
least, excuse my presence here. During the
night previous to the duel with Captain Reg
naud," added M. Donis, "so inexplicable as
having arisen from the few sharp but mean
ingless words said to have provoked it, my
son, foreboding it might be the last time he
should address me upon earth, penned a
long letter, which after his death was of
course forwarded to me. It is only about a
fortnight ago," continued the speaker, with
increasing emotion, sternly as he strove to
preserve a simulated stoicism of tone and
manner, "that I found courage to open and
read it. One paragraph alone related to you,
madame; a brief one, but written with a
hand which trembled more at those few
lines than all the rest, informed mo that he
had passionately loved the beautiful °right
line of the Grande Rue, Lyon, Euphrosyne
Lamont, artist en flours; but chiefly from
knowing that I would not consent to the al
liance, had never disclosed his passion to the
said: Euphrosyne—in words, of course, is
meant," added M. Bettis, "as it is scarcely
possible that a sentiment so vivid should not
have found interpretation, though that of the
lips was withheld."
"Have the kindness, monsieur," said
Madame Dumontel, "to confine yourself to
what it is needful I should hear. For the
rest," she added, with a slight tinge of pride,
"a young woman, Lien elevee, and well taught
and nurtured, does not permit herself to in
terpret the demeanor of young gentlemen in
whose society she may chance to find her
self."
"Blows() me, madame; I would not wil
lingly offend you. I have, however, a few
more words to say. Le Captain() Ilegnaud
was, I have reason to believe, keener sighted
than you, and he moreover, I am informed,
greatly admired Mademoiselle Euphrosyne
Lamont, declared his preference, and was
repulsed—contemptuously repulsed."
"Monsieur Bettis," said Euphrosyne, ris
and speaking with vehemence, "this is ex
treme impertinence on your part. Forgive
me," she added, quickly checking herself;
"you have, I recognize, n privilege of grief
as well as of age, justifying remarks that
from others would be intolerable. 1 can ap
preciate, moreover, the motive of this ques
tioning. Well, then, sir, the current report
you speak of is not precisely correct. Mon
sieur Le Captain)) Regnaud insulted Euphro
syne Lamont, and was by her indignantly
spurned and defied. That is the simple
truth."
"And this was known to my son?"
"I cannot speak positively as to that, but
I have sometimes feared it may have been
"And 'that that knowledge, conjoined
with Regnaud's surmise that Charles might
prate a formidable rival, infused venom into
the else slightly irritating words that passed
between them at the Cafe Royal?"
"I can only repeat, monsieur, that I fear
it might hare fallen out as you suggest."
31. fouls seemed to reflect for a short
time, and then resuming with greater vi
vacity, Paid: "In the presence of so much
"NO ENTERTAINMENT IS SO CHEAP AS READING, *OR ANY PLEASURE SO LASTING:'
COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA, SATURDAY 3
frankness, madame, I cannot choose but be
equally sincere nod open, I have been, as
you may perhaps have heard a commissaire
de police, in the department of the Seine et
Oise; residing usually at Versailles, and
only lately at Paris, where I am not much
known. A considerable succession that fell
to me not very long since—of alight value
in my estimation now—enabled me to retire
from the service—with honor,' madame, as
the decoration I wear assures you. I have
not, however, lost the craft of my profes
sion in abandoning its exercise; and my
chief purpose in visiting Lyon was to satis
fy myself of the truth or falsehood of a ru
mor that had reached me, to the effect that
Charles had met with foul play at the hands
of Regnaud—a villian who had before three
murders, by duel, on his head."
"And he glories, I have heard, in those
frightful crimes," interjected Euphrosyne
with a shudder; "but the day of retribution
will surely arrive for him."
"At the hour when I fully satisfy myself
that my boy was unfairly dealt with—apart
from Regnaud's practiced skill with the
small sword, which itself converts such en
counters into a means of assassination—
that day, be assured, madame, will have
dawned for his slayer. lam now entering
upon this duel, as it may fairly be called,
with Regnaud, and I foresee Madame Du
montel, that you will be in a greater or less
degree instrumental in bringing about the
catastrophe."
"Me, monsieur! You jest, surely."
"On the contrary, I am perfectly serious.
Regnaud is not one to relinquish easily abase
purpose; and be, I know, leaves Lyon to
morrow by the same diligence as yourself
and Monsieur Dumontel for Paris. lie
would follow you to the world's end to
avenge the wound you have inflicted on his
vanity."
"Mon Dieu, can it be possiblel" exclaim
ed Euphrosyne with much emotion; "but it
is not possible, monsieur. Le Capitaine
Regnaud's pretended passion was a fleeting
caprice, nothing more."
"That may be; but I am not the less con
vinced that you or your facile-tempered
husband—madame will excuse my frankness
—will require, and not long first, protection
or redress against his machinations. Either
or both will be readily afforded you by me.
upon application at the address inscribe
upon this card. And now, madame, with
many thanks for your complaisance, adieu,
though but for a short time only, I am pretty
confident. Meanwhile, you will not refuse
acceptance of this trifle from Charles Bouis's
childless father;-it is a souvenir from the
tomb."
lie was gone, and upon opening the paper
placed in her hand Euphrosyne found it
contained a note of the bank of France for
one thousand francs.
As M. Bouis predicted, Captain Regnaud
"did in fact quit Lyon by the same diligence
as the Dumontels, and he, Regnaud, rightly
concluding that his duelist reputation would
deter Euphrosyne from hinting anything to
her husband which might lead to a quarrel,
openly courted the artist's acquaintance
during the journey, and no successfully,
that upon taking leave of each other at the
bureau of the diligence, Paris, n meeting
at the Rodger Cancale was arranged between
them, without the knowledge of his wife,
for the next day but one.
The Dumontels settled themselves tempo
rarily in lodgings at N"umero 9, Grand Rue
Verte, near the Pont Neuf; and but a few
weeks elapsed before the ambitious aspira
tions 'of the self-deceived artist were utterly
dissipated, not only by the judgment of
competent critics, but his own, which, en
lightened by comparing his work with those
of masters in the art, was fain to admit that
whatever genius or aptitude he might pos
sess, long and severe study in the mechani
cal part of painting must be undergone be
fore he could hope to realize worthily upon
canvass the crude idealizations with which
his brain throbbed and sparkled. Francois
Dumontel was incapable of resigning him
himself to the laborious self-discipline re
quired; with the collapse of his soaring
visions, the little mental energy he posses
sed abandoned him; and he yielded, almost
without resistance, but not without remorse,
to the seductions of his now intimate friend,
Captain Regnaud, by whom he was intro
duced first to the wine-shops, next to the
gaming tables of Paris. Ills 1200 francs
were early squandered in these orgies; and
two months after her arrival in Paris,
Euphrosyne learned from the lips of her
husband, rendered frantic by the utterly
desperate circumstances in which he was
involved, that their last franc was gone, his
painting pledged at the Mont de Piete, and
that he had, besides, incurred debts of honor
to Captain Regnaud amounting to more
than a hundred Napoleons. for which he
had given promissory notes at short dates,
one whereof would fall due on the following
day. One may imagine the shock of this
revelation to poor Euphrosyne, who had
been in some way completely blinded to the
nature of her husband's pursuits during his
long absences from home; but she was of a
courageous elastic temperament, and soon
rallying from the blow, all the more quickly
that the recollection of M. Bouis's words
and promise flashed hopefully upon her
mind; she was, before an hour had passed,
on her way to that gentleman'. house,
armed with a written statement of her
husband's liabilities, and his solemn prom
ise that if extricated from the ruin be had
brought upon himself and wife he would ,
never enter a gaming -house again, nor as
long as he lived pollute his hands
.with the
touch of dice or cards.
M. Bouis was at home, and Et,pbrosyne
was immediately ushered into hispresence.
He looked much older and sadder taan when
she last saw him; but he was ti . changed
towards herself, judging by his ld recog
nising smile, and the good-will - h which
m i d
he took her trembling hand and essed it
with both his. 5 -,
"Be seated, Madame Dumonteq - he said;
"I can guess the purport of your vbit pretty
well; but let me hear it from your (Ism lips."
Euphrosyne complied as well ite' l her agi
tation and embarrassment would permit, and
finished by placing the memorandta drawn
up by her husband in the hand of er atten
tive auditor. M. Bouis glanced or it, and
presently said: "The amount req red is a
considerable one, but"—and his es were
for a moment raised to a full-lengt 'portrait
/
of his son—"you were commend to my
kind offices by that poor murderedlocry, and
I will not fail you in this strait. uu shall
take tho money with you, and a oderate
sum besides—"
"Ah, monsieur," broke in the weeping
wife, "you are too good—too gene us."
1 And a moderate sum besides," ntinued
M. Bouis, "which will enable you usband
to prosecute his studies, if he be s cere in
his vows of amendment. But let im per
fectly understand," added that ntleman
with severe emphasis, "that I do this, and
will yet further assist him, upon lioedition
only that he never again plays or tea ociates
with Regnaud, and especially thistle never
again accepts bills or obligations om him
orally other person on any pretext
.. haterer.
Can I, madame, reckon upon yoursband's
rigorous fulfillment of these terms '
i t
"Oh, certainly, monsieur," sobbe -Euphro
syne. "Francois has been i rudent,
thoughtless, but his heart, believe tile, Is un
corrupted; the promise ho has given, to
gether with the pledge you require; will be
sacredly kept."
"Enough, my dear madr.me," said Mon
sieur Bouis, with respectful kindness.—
"There is a draft for the amount required.
One moment," he added, as Euphrosyne was
leaving the room; "your husbandl promis
sory notes have, I happen to know, been
discounted by Lemaire, No. 12 Rue Favard;
you can therefore withdraw them without
Regnaud's intervention, or waiting till they
are presented for payment. Au rovoir,
madame; I shall call and see your husband
one of these days."
About six weeks after this occurrence, and
rather late in the evening, a middle-aged
man entered an estalninet in the Faubourg
St. Antoine, and bade the attendant garcon
inform Captain Regnaud, if he called, that
his friend Gabriel was waiting fur him in
the back room. Gabriel was, it is true, the
name given to this person by his acquain
tance, though it was shrewdly suspected by
at least one of them, in consequence of some
half revelations made under the influence of
wine, that he was no other than a certain
Jacques Le Maitre, an escaped force!, who,
by means of a luxuriant black wig, whiskers,
moustaches, and beard, and altogether artis
tic make-up, with the further precaution of
never leaving his den, wherever that might
be, till after nightfall, had hitherto managed
to evade the vigilance of the Paris police.—
Evidently, from his sometimes gloomily pre.
occupied, and at other times restless, unquiet
demeanor, - an individual at odds with the
settled order of the world, on this ..par
ticular evening he seemed more than usually
nervous and impatient, which was not sur
prising, a full hour having passed before
Captain Regnaud, himself in a state of men
tal disquietude, and flustered, moreover,
with drink, entered the small, dingy apart
ment. 1
"Al,, there you are, snore night-owl," ex
claimed Regnaud, seizing as he spoke the
wine ordered, but untouched, by Gabriel,
and swallowing it at a draught. "If I could
have seen you two hours since, I were eight
hundred francs richer than I am."
"Eight hundred francs in two hours is
grosjeu," remarked Gabriel.
"Yes; I played high and madly. In fact,
Gabriel, my friend," continued the captain,
"my affairs, as I have before hinted to you,
are just now in an awkwark state; neverthe
less, with your promised assistence, clever
cairuin that you are, all may yet be well."
"Lemaire, then, will take my promissory
note in lieu of that you are so eager to get
out of his hands?"
"Not he, the villian: On the contrary,
he plainly hints his opinion—and therein,
entre nous, I agree with him—that my friend
Gabriel has half-a•dozea aienses, nil names
well-known to messieurs the police, but not
worth a sou upon a bill."
"That remains to be proved, Monsieur le
Capitaine. In the meantime, what is to be
done?"
"That, my friend, is the question. In the
first place, then, one thousand francs, well
nigh all I am possessed of, shall, in case of
success, be yours. Ah, that, in your opin
ion, is speaking to the purpose! Eh, Ga
briel?"
"No doubt. I must, 'however, know
without reservation exactly how the said
thousand francs are to he earned. I know
that such a sum cannot he had for nothing;
still, I must know all the whys and where
fores of the business before I engage in it."
"Quite right; I expected no less from
your experience and knowledge of the
world. Know. then.l am about to conGde
in your discretion, as I certainly would not
ORNING, DECEINIBER 4, 1858.
in the oath of Monseigneur the Archbishop
of Paris, or of his Holiness the Pope; and
for these plain reasons, my friend—firstly,
that you would as lief hang yourself as ap
pear before a magistrate for any purpose
whatever; secondly, that if you did so ap
pear, your evidence would not be worth
the breath with which it was uttered. You
see I am candor itself."
"Precisely. Well?"
"This, then, is the exact situation. But
first order in some brandy. You remember,
Gabriel," the captain went on to say, as
soon as the brandy was placed upon the
table and his companion had resumed his
seat, but in such a position that his coun
tenance could only be partially seen where
Rcgnnud sat—"you remember that, about
a week after that poor devil of an artist of
the Grande Rue Yerte so unexpectedly paid
his debts and turned saint, I had a run of
ill-luck, and that Lemaire—confound him!
—would not lend me a franc without the
security of my friend Dumontel, who had
taken up his former acceptances in so satis
factory a manner. Well,l knew, of course,
that my friend Francois Dumontel would
not lend me his signature to save me from
perdition; and so—and so," added Captain
Regnand; gulping down another glass of
brandy, "finding there was no help for it,
and confident that I should be able to retire
the note before the month expired, I—l—,
you understand?"
"Not exactly."
"No! then my brain is duller than that
flashing eye of yours. I mean that I signed
the name of Francois Dumontel without its
owner's consent."
"In plain French, that you forged Fran
,cois Dumontel's signature to a bill of five
thousand francs?"
"Just that. Well, Lemaire now refuses
to renew it; even if half, as I offered yester
day, were paid down, or take any other le
curity I can get in its place, and it is due
in four days."
" Maiden, but that is embarrassing, I see
nothing for it but flight, or—or, blowing
Dumontel's brains out—legally, of course."
"Thou art a shrewd rascal, Gabriel," ex
claimed Regnaud with vivacity. "Flight
happens to be out of the question, and if
nothing better can be done, I must boldly
outface the matter, swear the signature is
genuine: the imitation, I can answer fur it,
is perfect, and Dumontel's former accep
tances in my favor will naturally - give force
and color to my assertion. That course
would nevertheless be a dangerous one; and
the other expedient you have suggested
strikes me as the safest, surest plan."
"It struck me that you might provoke
Dumontel to a duel, and slay him. You
are an adept, I have heard, nt that game."
"You have heard aright; but there are
cogent reasons why I should not fight him.
In the first place, if he should escape with
life, which, however, is not likely, the affair
of the bill of exchange would have an ugly
look: Next, to kill him would damage me
irretrievably with his charming widow,
whose good graces I do not yet despair of
winning; so that, in brief, Gabriel, if you
would earn the thousand francs, you must
fight and kill Dumontel yourself."
"I! Bahl You rave!"
"Perfectly sane, if not perfectly sober, I
assure you, friend. Gabriel. What objection
have you?"
"What objection? Come, that's pleasant!
To begin with, then, he is, you have told
me, a good fencer, so that 7 should have an
excellent chance of receiving, instead of a
thousand francs, six inches of cold steel for
for my share of the bargain."
"Tut, tut! There is no risk of that. You
shall pink him without the slightest risk to
yourself, as I have already four in my life
time; the last a far smarter fellow than Du
montel—one Charles Bouis of Lyon—
What ails thee?"
"A sharp spasm, that's all; pass the
brandy."
"The expedient," continued Regnaud in
compliance with his companions's gesture,
"is as simple as it is safe. I will provide
you with:a just-au-corps, or under-shirt, fit
ting close to the body; so flexible and other
wise artistically manufactured, thnt though
impenetrable by the keenest sword point, it
cannot, except by the closest, minutest ex
amination, be distinguieed from plain flan
nel. After throwing off your coat you will
open the vest above the just-au-corps, before
engaging, to show that all is above board,
and the affair is as good as finished—your
mnn as safely and certainly spitted as n
fowl." •
Gabriel was some time before be made
up his mind to accept Regnaud's atrocious
proposal; but at last he said: "Well, the
venture is worth trying by a fellow so out
of elbows as I am. Where can I meet with
this Dumont°ll"
"At Diehard s, the restaurant, not far
from the Louvre. Ire dines there most eve
nings between five and six o'clock. He is
of the true southern breed, and therefore
easily provoked."
"And the thousand cranes?"
"Five hundred at starting for the Bois de
Boulogne, and fire upon returning—suc
cessful."
It is a bargain; and now I must begone,
for this confounded cholic increases upon
me, and I must procure some more potent
remedy than brandy."
"Good evening, Gobriel. The thousand
francs depend npnn it. arc ns safely
as if nireridy pour Led
T.o Capitaine Reznaud slept soundly fit
$1,50 PER YEAR IN ADVANCE; $2,00 IF NOT IN ADVANCE.
daybreak the next morning, his head glued
to the pillow by the strong potations of the
previous evening; nevertheless awake he
must and did under the infliction of the
shouts and shakings of some half-a-dozen
gendarmes, and cloudy, mystified as were
his wine and sleep-oppressed senses, he was
soon made to comprehend that he, Jule ,
Regnaud, ci-devant Capitaine de Chassours,
was on his way to prison, charged with the
grave crime of having forged the signature
of Francois Dumontel to a bill of exchange
for five thousand francs.
The Cour d'Assizes of tho Seine,jbefore
which Itegnaud was arraigned, was in ses
sion the next week but one. Various for
malities having been gone through, the pre
viously sworn testimony of Lemaii.e, that
he discounted the bill for the accused and
that of Francois Dumontel, that he had
not signed it, nor authorized any ono else
to do so, was repeated in open court—the
accused, who had recovered all his audacity,
frequently interrupting the last witness by
questions and assertions, tending to show
that he, Dumontel, had given the bill, as be
had former ones, in discharge of a gam
bling debt.]
"Listen to me, Regnant]," said the presi
dent. "You are acquainted, it appears
with one Gabriel?"
The accused appeared to blench for a
moment; but recovering himself, said boldly,
"Yes; I know there is such a fellow: an es
caped forcat, I had latterly reason to sus
pect, and I in consequence kicked him out
an estaminet."
"An estaminet in the Faubourg, St. An
toine?"
"Yes—no; I do not precisely remember,
Monsieur le President."
"Did you not confess to him that you had
forged Francois Domontel's name to this
bill fur fire thousand franss?"
Never. If be has said so, it is a vile inven
tion to be revenged upon me. And of what
worth, Monsieur to President, let me] ask,
is the testimony of an escaped furcat, which
I contend Gabriel to be?"
"Did you tell him you possessed a curi
ously contrived just-au-corps, or undercoat,
impenetrable by pistol-ball or sword-thrust,
by means of which you had been enabled
to safely slay four persons in pretended
duels?"
"Never! It is all, I insist, a hideous
calumny," replied the prisoner, but now
ghastly pole, and with much diminished
confidence."
"It is certain, nevertheless, Regnaud,
that such an article has been found at your
lodgings. You have other witnesses, nm
sieur le Procureur•genoral; let them be ex
amined."
"Yes, le Sieur Bouis, ancien commissaire
de police, and member of the Legion of
Honor."
"Accused," said the president, whilst the
huissier was gone in quest of the witness,
"do you know the Sieur Bouier
"No, Monsieur le President,"
"Look at the witness," continued the
president, indicating M. Bouis, who had
entered the court, dressed in deep mourning,
and wearing, as usual, his ribbon, "and say
if yon persist in that :answer."
"Yes—no—that k—" stammered Reg
naud, upon whose forehead large drops of
perspiration suddenly broke out.
"You are not quite sure. The witness
will refresh your memory."
With quick. dexterity M. Book assumed
a black wig, whiskers and moustaches, and
turning fiercely towards the accused, ex
claimed: "Now villian, do you, know me?"
"Gabriel!" shrieked the accused, surpris
ed out of all self-control-- - I am lost!"
There could be no doubt of that: and ten
minutes had not passed- before Jules Reg
nand was convicted and sentenced to the
galleys :for life—the president expressing
his regret that he could not be punished
capitally for the murders by duel ho had
confessed to have committed. He was sent
with the next chain-gang to Brest, where
he survived this, his fifth and ;last duel,
though not fought with sword or pistol,
about two years only. I have not been
able to discover any further trace of the
fortunes of Francois and Euphrosyne Du
mantel; or of the ex-commissary of police,
The Timely Witness
At the close of a cold winter's day in the
year 1814, during the court term of Clerk
enwell Assizes, England, there came up by
the evening mail stage an ordinary looking
person, who halted at a small tavern in the
town of B. , where trials were being
heard, and who informed the landlord that
he should proceed on the following day, if
the weather wait not too bad.
He booked himself as "Henry Edgeford,
of Leeds," his baggage was duly bestowed,
and nothing out of the common appearance
indicated itself in his manner or habits. lle
spoke pleasantly, mixed with the com:ng
and established guests of the house, and as
the weather seemed gloomy and forbidding
in the morning (a cirumstanee that might
easily have been foretold on the evening he
arrived, by the way,) he decided to remain
over another day.
Among the cases which had been pre
sented by the grand jury of the borough at
the present sitting of the eourt,lwas one for
highway robbery, charged upon a man who
answered to the name of Burrow.. and
whose trial commenced on the day of Edge
r rrrl'• arrival.
Ile entertained no doubt, he said. after
listening to the pointed and conclusive evi
dence which had been presented to the
court. Then turning to the prisoner. he
asked if he had any defence to offer—when
Burmws arose calmly, and in a clear voice
Time appeared to bang heavily upon the lreplied:
I=l
[WHOLE NUMBER, 1,479.
now comer's hands, and he seemed. to be
anxious to proceed on his journey, but the
weather would not permit, and he found
himself "reluctantly compelled" to tarry at
B-. His landlord, desirous to amuse
him, and retain his visitor as long as vissi
ble, informed him that the town or vicinity
offered but poor encouragement ordinarily
for the entertainment of strangers, and es
pecially to those who were bred in and ac
customed to city life; but just at that time
the court wits in session, and among the pre
sentations was the case of one John Bur
rows, who was being tried for an alleged
robbery on the highway, the details of which
would no doubt interest him for the moment.
But the stranger had no taste for the mar
vellous, and didn't care to attend court!
The subject was freely discussed at the
table, however, both at breakfast and lunch
hours, and Edgeford was induced nt last to
go to the court house to listen to the closing
evidence upon the capital trial which had so
deeply interested every one else in the neigh-.
borhood, and which was really a cause of
importance and note.
In the meantime letters reached the hotel
for "Henry Edgeford, Esq., of Leeds," for
warded duly by the post from London; and
Mr. E. had spoken of one or two of his cor
respondents, casually who had been recog
nized by other gentlemen, also tarrying at
the public house where he was temporarily
sojourning. He had a heavy letter of credit
from his friend, as ho called him, Hon.
Thomas Baring, and everything about the
deportment and carriage of Mr. Henry Edge
ford denoted him the accomplished gentle
man.
The case of Burrows, who was charged
with the high crime mentioned was in this
as set forth in the allegation.
On the night of June I.6th, 1814, the lion.
Jonas Petit, M. P., was on his way home
in his pony chaise. when his animal was
suddenly seized by a man who sprang from
the hedgerow, near the crossing of the Char
ing and the Barrington roads, who presented
a pistol against the person of the honorable
M. P., and demanded his money or his life.
It was near the setting of the moon, and the
only clue to the identity of the supposed
robber was a small gash on the back of his
hand, which the honorable gentleman ob
served at the time the pistol was drawn upon
him.
Ile had only four guineas about him at
that moment, and n single ten pound note
upon the Bank of England. The latter was
not discovered by the robber, but the four
gold coins were given up. Immediately an
alarm MIS given by the honorable gentle
man, szouts and policemen were sent out,
and three days after Burrows was captured
in a neighboring town, and confined on sus-
No gold was found on him.
110111
The honorable gentleman felt very posi
tive about his identity, however, from his
dress, size, and the scarred hand; and, as
the testimony of an M. P. is a matter of no
mean weight against a poor devil who may
chance to be out late in the evening in the
capacity, happily, of an amateur poacher,
or otherwise, so Burrows—who might or
might not be innocent—was handed over
for examination, and subsequently was put
upon trial for his life, as the .upposed rob
ber of the honorable Jonas Petit, Member
of Parliament, aforesaid, &c., &c.
In defense, Burrows Simply asserted that
he was a laborer, without any special pro
fession. It was his lot to be anywhere and
everywhere, from time to time. He had
formerly been out at service, and on the
present occasion (so he declared) he was on
his way in search of a new pinee, having
traveled from Brighton on the day he was
falsely arrested, and never having been, to
his knowledge, in the vicinity of the cross
ing of the Charing and Barrington roads in
his life. This defense was of no account, of
course, when the solemn asseveration of en
honorable member of Parliament stood
against it, and moreover, when such honor
able gentleman was so certain of the scarred
hand, &c., &c.
The evidence has been duly submitted,
however, and upon the afternoon of the
second day of the trial, as we have noted,
Mr. Henry Edgeford was prevailed upon to
visit the court house. The honorable no
cuser had testified to the best of his know
ledge and belief that Burrows was the man
who robbed him; all the connecting circum
stances had been set forth by the progeett
ting attorney, who exhibited the customary
zeal of a government officer where the rich
and influential are put in opposition to the
humble and powerless. and the prisoner lynx
finally P llppOqed to be in a most critical
position.
"Upon my word." said Edgeford. sud
' denly turning to the gentleman who had
accompanied him from the hotel to the
trial. "upon my word I have seen that
prisoner somewhere before this." And
raising his eye glasses. fur a closer inspec
tion of his person and features. he declared
that he was sure he had met the fellow
within n few months—of this he was posi
tive.
The prisoner gated upon the stranger an
instant, as if he partially recognized him
him—when the chief judge rose to charge
the jury,