Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 21 April 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(from otjr own correspondent.)

Paris, 27th February, 1894.

In the French provinces great uneasiness is felt as to what is taking place in Paris, and abroad the impression seems to be general that the population here is living in a state of panic in consequence of the Anarchist outrages. The impression is a mistaken one. It is true that a small reign of terror was caused several months ago by the series of explosions which culminated in the outrage at the police commissary's office in the Rue des Bons Enfants, and which comprised the blowing up of the Very Restaurant and a house in the Rue de Clichy. But bombs and rumours of bombs are getting monotonous, and the excitement having worn off, the average Parisian, while laereing the miscreant when he hears of a fresh outrage, in no way allows the possibility of being among the next batch ot victims to interfere either with his business or pleasure. There is a great run on the various editions of the newspapers, and all the details of the latest sensation are eagerly perused, but the cafes and theatres are as crowded as ever.

Two fresh explosions have taken place here during the last fortnight, one in an hotel situated at 69 Hue St. Jacques, and another at thfe Hotel de la Renaissance Faubourg Saint Martin. At the former Mme. Calabresi the landlady lost her life, while fortunately at the latter no accident happened. It appears that a man entered the hotel of the Rue St. Jacques and hired a small room on the second floor for a month. He paid a deposit, took possession but soon after went out. As he had not returned at one o'clock in the morning, and the landlady becoming suspioious, went up to the new lodger's room. She opened the door, but finding that there was some resistance at the top and becoming more than ever suspicious, fetched her husband. He, in turn, fetched two policemen who were going their . rounds. The latters went upstairs accompanied by some lodgers in the hotel. One ot the policemen pushed the door, and as he did so something fell to the floor. A loud explosion followed, and the landlady fell fainting to the floor, having been struck by a projectile. M. Soraael a lodger was wounded in the right leg, and a policeman was slightly wounded. The damage done to the room was not very serious. Great excitement was naturally caused in the quarter by the explosion. The name he registered as Bebardy is now known to be an assumed one, but the Prefect has the man's description and this it is hoped may suffice to trace him. The bomb found at the Hotel de la Renaissance, and that which exploded a few hours previously in the Rue St. Jacques were deposited by the same individual, for it appears that the mysterious lodger at the latter hotel also registered under the name of Rabardy and had sent a letter to the local police commissary, announcing his intention to commit suicide, which both officials received. It thus appearg that the miscreant

had set a trap for the police, as in ordinary circumstances each commissary on receipt of the letter would have rushed up to the room indicated and hastily opened the door, and it was calculated that in doing so the bomb, which had been fixed over the door on an ingeniously constructed wooden rest, would have have fallen upon him and his subordinates and killed them. A clue to the perpetrator of the outrages has been attained, it is said, but the police are naturally reticent upon this point.