DESPERADOES IN SKIRTS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 12, 5 September 1919, Page 8

DESPERADOES IN SKIRTS

POSTMISTRESS BEATS THREE iiKIGANDS. i A price has been put by the Parif authorities on the heads of two brothers, "named Baudissart. who for a long time hays terrorised the ■ Briancon region of tho Hautes-Alpes department, -writes the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Mail."' Louis, their younger brother, was shot eoino time ago by a road mender during one of their midnight raids. i'V>v years the 'brothers lived by smuggling, 'their knowledge of every inch of the monfain roads across the French frontier enabling them to carry on a flourishing' contraband business. Some time ago they came down from their mountain fastnesses and took possession of an old hut on the Alpine slope* near the village of La Bessee. It is alleged that they had several deaths on their conscience, and had twice been condemned to death in their <ibeencc. So they decided to keep quiet for a time, which meant that they began to prev on the local population. Cattle began to disappear, farms were broken into, and anyone who happened to disturb the bandit brothers in their operations was lucky to escape with his life. Instead of calling in the police, the neasants who are a hardy an I independent race, organised expeditions and started to hunt the Baudissarts like wild beasts. Things became so hot that they decided to quit their tumbledown hut. One day a deaf mute, named Alpaml, while wandering among the mountains, saw three sturdy women climbing the slopes pushing a wheelbarrow. Their skirts were lucked up, handkerchiefs covered their heads, and shawls were knotted roiuulHheu' shoulders. Hiding amoub (lie furze, he saw them suddenly don their women V clothes and reappear in masculine dress. It was the Baudissart brothers moving back (o their Alpine stronghold. They wore sandals, which they had put on the wrong way to disguise their (racks. After a period of calm the Baudissarts begaSi to come ■ down at night, bent on armed burglary. One night the local postmistress was awakened by a noise, and looking out of the window saw three men breaking in. Sho fired tit them with a revolver, and they replied with a fusillado from thoir Brownings, but the plucky woman drove thow off. It was after this that tho youngest brother was shot. Now a prico has been put on the heads of the two surviving brothers, and they arc being scientifically hunted by determined villagers.