Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/247

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222
The Green Bag.

questioned, she averred that she had not seen her husband since the morning of the 21st, and she was in great distress at his mysterious disappearance. From her it was ascertained that among his friends was one Montely, who was a clerk in the office of an insurance company at Saint-Germain-enLaye. Her description of this man corre sponded with that given of the individual who had collected the money in Boisselier's place. Evidence was also forthcoming that an interview had taken place in a cafe be tween Boisselicr and this Montely, on the 2 1 st of November. While the investigation was in progress, one Bernard, the proprietor of the H6tel de l'Europe, came to report to the Procureur du Roi a singular discovery which he had just made. A traveller calling himself Morel had, he said, arrived at his house, and had a large trunk taken to his room. He had afterwards caused this trunk to be transported to the Messageries, whence it was to be forwarded to Toulouse. From that moment nothing had been seen of the traveller. As he did not appear the next morning, Bernard's wife went to his chamber and knocked on the door. Receiving no response, she introduced a match into a crack under the door of the room; and when she withdrew it, it was covered with blood. The innkeeper and his wife believed that the stranger had committed suicide; the mag istrate felt sure that he was on the track of the murderer. He made Bernard describe the traveller Morel, and the description given was exactly that of Montely. The Prqcureur du Roi repaired at once to the Hotel de l'Europe. The chamber, which bore the number 2, was opened by a lock smith. The room was apparently in perfect order; but the walls, the woodwork, and the floor showed signs of recent washing, and a towel was found on which were spots of blood. Near the door a little pool of blood had escaped the washing. Spots of blood were also discovered upon the curtains, and

an armchair also presented marks of the same nature. Finally, a package, tied with the greatest care and containing bloody linen, was found concealed under the mattress of the bed, and a hat was discovered which was identified as belonging to Boisselier. Doubt was no longer possible; it was in this chamber that the missing bank-clerk had been murdered. The trunk must con tain the body. After this discovery the magistrates proceeded to the Messageries. The reader knows what they found in the trunk. One of the commissaries of police of Orleans departed for Saint-Germain-en-Laye with a warrant for the arrest of Montely, and on the 23d of November, in the morn ing, he was arrested in his own house. He wore the same costume which had been described by those who saw him in Orleans. His mustache had been cut off the evening before. In his bed they found a bank-note for 1,000 francs and 2,000 francs in gold. It was also ascertained that MonteTy had paid several important debts the night before, and had redeemed a number of articles from the Mont-de-Piete. On being taken to the prison at Orleans, he was recognized by all the witnesses. Notwithstanding the proofs which were ac» cumulated against him, Montely denied all knowledge of the crime and affirmed that he was not at Orleans on the 21st of November. An investigation of his past life showed that, without being absolutely bad, he was almost always in financial difficulties, and not over-scrupulous as to where he obtained the necessary funds to meet his wants. He had served in the army. Boisselier had been his fellow-soldier in Africa. Montely left the service in 1839, and lived for a while with his father at Bordeaux, working in a porcelain factory. He afterwards married and set up a grocer's shop in a small way at Noranfonte. He did not prosper, however, and soon re sumed his former occupation in a porcelain factory at He- Adam. About this time he