Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1881 — A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE. [ARTICLE]

A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE.

A short time ago, about 4 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, the whole district of the Marais was thrown into a state of commotion. It was said that one of the most honorable negotiants of the Rue Roi-de-Sicille had disappeared and that all efforts to find him had proved fruitless. It was the subject of conversation in all the shops; the excitement was universal. The grocer at the corner possessed the best, latest and most exact news. “ This is how it happened,” said he. “On Saturday evening, after dinner, our neighbor, Monsieur Jandidier, went down to his cellar to get a bottle of wine, and he has never been seen since.” When these disappearances occur, which is not infrequent, the public take alarm, but the police shrug their shoulders, because they have found out, through experience, that often behind these romantic stories lie hid many sad realities. However, up to a certain point the grocer of the Rue St. Louis spoke the truth. In fact, for the last twenty-four hours Monsieur Jandidier, fabricant of false jewelry, had not reappeared. Monsieur Theodore Jandidier was a man of about 58 years of age, very tall, very bald, possessing rather good manners, and it was said had made a considerable amount of money at his trade. It was estimated that his income was about 20,000 francs yearly, independent of the profits of his business, which amounted to about 50,000 francs more. He was liked and respected in the neighborhood, his probity never doubted and his manner was severe.

He married a portionless relation late in life, whom he had rendered perfectly happy. She possessed one daughter, a pretty, graceful girl, whom he idolized. Mademoiselle Therese had been affianced to the son of a banker named Schmidt. But the engagement had been broken oil because the old banker, whose avarice was well known, had exacted a much larger portion for the bride than her father could afford. It was said that Papa Schmidt would have “ shaved an egg,” had that operation been possible I Warned by the public rumor, which increased hour by hour, the Commissary of Police was obliged to go to the house of the victim in order to obtain certain information. He found the wife and daughter plunged in such deep grief that it was with the greatest difficulty he ascertained the truth, and this is what he heard :

The previous evening Mr. Jandidier dined as usual with his family, but without much appetite, as he was suffering from a bad headache. After dinner he went down to his shop, gave a few orders, and then retired to his bureau. At half-past 6 o’clock he went up stairs again and told his wife that he was going for a walk. And he had never reappeared I “Excuse my question, madam,” said the Commissary, politely ; “ but was your husband, ahem ! dissipated ?” Madame Jandidier drew herself up to her full height, and, quickly drying her tears, answered: “ I have been married twenty-three years, and my husband, in all that time, has never returned home later than 10 o’clock I” “ Was Mr. Jandidier in the habit of frequenting any club or case ?” “ Never ! I would not have" permitted it I” * ‘ Did he carrv any valuables about him ?” “I don’t know ; I occupy myself with the housekeeping and not with the business. ” It was impossible to obtain any further information from the grief-stricken wife, and, after having inspected the premises, the Commissary became very uneasy and began to suspect a crime. The same evening one of the cleverest detectives, named Ritiveau, but commonly called Maitre Magloire, was upon the track of Mr. Jandidier, armed, simply with a photograph of the missing man.

The following day Magloire presented himsalf at the police station, to render an account of the steps he had taken to the magistrate who was charged with the affair. “ There you are, Magloire I” said the worthy gentleman. “ Have you learned anything ?” ‘‘lam on the right track, your Honor.” “Speak, then!” “ To begin with, it was not at half-past 6 that Mr. Jandidier left his house, but at 7 precisely. ” “Precisely !” “Perfectly so, for I have been informed of this fact by a clock-maker of the Rue St. Denis, who says that Mr. Jandidier compared his watch with the clock above the door. He had an unlighted cigar between his teeth. I reasoned that he must light it somewhere, and I was right, for he entered a tobacconist’s in the boulevard du Temple, where he is well known.”

“ How did he appear ? ” “ He seemed preoccupied, the woman in the shop said,'and she also told me that he often wept to the Case Turc. I next went there and was informed that Mr. Jandidier was . there on Saturday evening and that he had drunk t»vo small glasses of brandy.. He seemed sad and depressed while talking with some gentlemen about life insurances. At half-past eight he left the case with a friend named Blendureau. I next visited this gentleman, who said he accompanied Mr. Jandidier up the boulevard and they parted company at the corner of the Rue Richelieu. Mr. Jandidier told his friend that he had business in another direction. He was sad and preoccupied.” “Very well, so far,” murmured the magistrate. ‘ * Thence I went to the Rue Roi-de-Sicille, to know whether Mr. Jandidier had any friends in the Rue Richelieu. I was told only his tailor. 1 went to his address forthwith and heard that the missing gentleman had been there on Saturday evening about 9 o’clock to order some clothes. While his measure was being taken he noticed that one of his waistcoat buttons was loose and he asked to have it* sewed on. As he took off his coat the tailor saw in one of the pockets a packet of bank notes of 100 francs each—” : “Proceed,” said the magistrate. “ While his waistcoat was being mended, Mr. Jandidier complained of a sud- s den indisposition and sent a boy to hail a cab. He said that he'had to go and see one of his workmen, who lived at a considerable distance.. The boy could not remember the number of the cab, but was sure that it had yellow wheels and a big black horse—l found this morn’ng that the number was 6,007. The driver remembered being called in the Rue Richelieu op Saturday Evening,

and having waited ten minutes before Mr. Ganin’s house. He also recognized the photograph directly.” Magloire stopped to enjoy the approbation which he could read in the face of the magistrate, and then proceeded : “Mr Jandidier ordered the coachman to drive to No. 48 Rue d’Arras Saint-Victor. In this house lives one of his workmen named Jules Tarot.” The manner in which this name was pronounced attracted the attention of the magistrate. “Then you have some suspicions?” said he. “Notexactlv; but this is how the matter stands.' Mr. Jandidier sent away his cab and went to see Tarot about 10 o’clock. At 11 the two men went out together. The workman returned at midnight and here I lose all further trace of my man. Naturally, I have not questioned Tarot for fear of putting him on his guard.” “ What is this Jules Tarot ?” “ A worker in mother-of-pearl; that is to say, he polishes shells. He is a clever workman, and, aided by his wife, to whom he has taught his business, gains about a hundred francs a week.” “ Then they are very well off?” “Well, no, for they are young and foolish, beside being Parisian, and every Monday spend all they have gained the rest of the week.” Two hours later the house of Jules Tarot was under the perquisition of the police. At the sight of these guardians of the peace the workman and his wife became very pale and trembled violently, all of which was observed by the quick eye of the detective. However, after the most careful search nothing was found to incriminate them and the police were about to retire when Magloire noticed the woman casting furtive and anxious glances toward a bird cage hanging near the window. This was a ray of light. In an instant Mr. Magloire had taken down the cage, and, after examining it for a few seconds, discovered between the partitions at the bottom twelve bank notes of 100 francs each I

This discovery seemed to terrify the workman, and his wife uttered loud and piercing cries, declaring at the same time that both she and her husband were innocent. They were, notwithstanding, both arrested and taken to the police station, where they were questioned the same day by the magistrate. Their answers were absolutely identical. They acknowledged having received a visit from their employer on the Saturday evening. He appeared so ill that they pressed him to take something, but he* refused. He had come to give Tarot an important order, which he desired him to undertake alone, or in conjunction with workmen of his own hiring. Tarot answered, that he could not unless his master gave him some money in advance to buy his materials. Mr. Jandidier immediately replied: “ Do not let that prevent you ; I will furnish you with the necessary amount.” And he immediately placed upon the table twelve bank notes of 100 francs each. At 11 o’clock Mr. Jandidier asked Tarot to accompany him; he said he had an engagement in the Faubourg St. Antoine. Tarot went with him as far as the Place de la Bastille, crossing the Passerelle de Constantin and following the canal. The magistrate then asked both the prisoners this most obvious question : “ Why did you hide this money?” The answer was that, on the Monday morning, having heard of the disappearance of Mr. Jandidier, they became terrified, and Tarot said to his wife : “ If it were known that the master had been here, and that I went out with him and walked along the bank of the canal by his side, I should be certainly compromised ; and, if that money should ever be found here, we are lost I” The woman then wanted to bum the notes, but Tarot would not hear of this, and proposed to give them back to the family a little later. This explanation was reasonable and plausible, if not probable, but was onlj an explanation after all. Therefore! Tarot and his wife were kept under arrest.

A week later the magistrate was sorely perplexed; three fresh interrogations had not helped him in coming to a conclusion. Were these people innocent? Had they simply concocted this story between them ? The magistrate did not know what to think, when one morning a strange rumor reached his ears. The house of Jandidier had ceased its payments ! The following particulars were brought to him by his agents : Mr. Jandidier, who was thought so rich, was absolutely ruined! For more than three years he had only maintained his credit by ruse. Not a thousand francs could be found in the house and his liabilities amounted to 67,500 francs! This austere, middle-aged man was in the habit of speculating largely, beside having many other expenses not known to the world at large. The magistrate had just noted down all this information when Magloire entered, very pale and out of breath. “Have you heard the news, Monsieur ? ” cried he. “I know all ! ” “ Tarot is innocent ! ”

“ I believe it; and yet that visit—how do you explain that ? ” Magloire shook his head sadly. “I am only a fool,” said he, “ and Lecoq has just proved it to me. At the Case Turc Mr. Jandidier spoke of life insurances, and in France they do not pay the policies of suicides. Do you understand me, Monsieur ? ” , Thanks to Mr. Gustave Schmidt, who is shdrtly to marry Mlle. Therese Jandidier spite of former obstacles, the house of Jandidier has not been made bankrupt. Tarot and his wife have been set at liberty and have been, started in business by the same Mr. GustaVe, and'are more economical than they were. But what has become of Monsieur Jandidier ? A thousand francs reward to any one who can give news of him !