A Shocking Story. MURDERED FOR A PENNY.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 222, 1 October 1887, Page 3

A Shocking Story.

MURDERED FOR A PENNY.

The Paiisian William Hikes must be given the palm o\ev his Whitechapel colleague in ciime for cold-blooded ferocity and unmitigated barbarity. The London rovgh would no doubt do a murder cheaply enough, but it U hardly profitable that even in the moments when he was most "down on his luck "' he would go so far as to slay Nancy for the miserable sum of a penny. Yet this was the price- paid to a miserable votjou named Maiellin by one of his companions in i uinanism for having thrown a drunken woman into the Seine, whcie she was drowned. The facts of the horrible case are these. A few months ago the dead body of a young woman was fished up out of that part of the river between the Pont Saint-Michel and the Morgue. She was identified as a street-girl named Le^ob, aged twenty-nine years, and known in the nefarious neighbourhood of the Place Mauberb as "La Bretonne." The police came to the conclusion that the woman had been thrown in, and they were right, for, thanks to the astuteness of M. Clement, a commi^saire or inspector charged with criminal investigations, who is worthy of the best days of the Rue Jerusalem, the murderer was traced to his lair. It appears that a short time ago a man named Decouard was arrested, with five ( others, for a robbery committed in the Central Markets. In examining the prisoners, M. Clement discovered that Decouard had been socalled protector of the unfortunate woman styled "La Bretonne." Taking the bull by the horns, M Clement at once charged tho robber with her murder. Decouard turned pale, became embarrassed, and finally told the officer what he knew. He said that a few hours before the murder he had been wioh " La Bretonne" and several " corner boys" of la's own class in a low house of entertainment, the name of which was the " CaftS of Damp Feet." It was one of those fellows who committed the murder, but M. Clement only found him last week at Montrcuii. This Marcelin had left the Cafe dcs Pieds Humides with his companions, when he suddenly offered to bet achamporeau — or cup of coffee and brandy, worth two sous — that he would throw " La Bretonne" into the Seine. The bet was accepted, and Marcelin walked towards the woman, who was leaning drunk against the St. Michel Bridge. The night was dark and rainy, and the bridge was doserted save by the band of rascals who watched the proceedings of their copain with diabolical interest. Marcelin seized the girl as if to embrace her, and then, lifting her in bis arms, flung her into the dark flowing river. The splash caused the night watchman and two policemen to run towards the spot, but they did not see the band of ruffians. Tho body was found two hours afterwards. Marcelin, when he and his friends were at a safe distance from the scene of the murder, coolly claimed his wager, and, after having swallowed his cup of 'poisonous champoreau with consummate relish, he actually went back with his friends to see tho body of the woman. Bending over tho corpse was a friend of the deceased, who kissed her ; bub as she was engaged in doing bo, Maicelin struck her on the head, and hissed in her ear that ho would "give her a cold water bath" too, if she did nob keep her tongue quiet. All the band are now i"n the hands of the police.