Paris, Oct, 9. not complain of a lack of exciting French newspaper readers matter, In August, the mutilated fragments of a woman were found floating in the river near Paris; in September, a book-keeper named Rigaudin was murdered and, his body packed in a trunk and sent to Lille, Parenthetically, it may be remarked that in neither of thes eases has the criminal been foun' October has brought another sens tional story, which, unlike the others, was explained only tne oon, Friday afternoon's papers announced that a man named Ba-chalet, living near Evreux, had recelved.a letter to the effect that a joan. formerly calling himself Marquis de Champaubert had beer buried alive in a wood near Eequeyilly, between St. Germain and Mantes, Bachelet_ communicated with the police, who went to the spot indicated, and there found the dead body of the "Marquis" rough wooden case, buried at no great depth. An iron pipe, passing through a hole nent one end of the coffin communicated with the outer: air, It appeared from the letter received by Bachelet that the "Marquis de Champaubert" (whose real name was Pascal, and who had no xight to any title) had been ecuted'" by a band of self-appointed avengers of wrongs calling them-, "Knights of 'Themis' They explained. their action punishment inflicted on the "Mar-"in the name of Society, the sufficient severity mated that the intended to act similarly towards other swindlers who had extracted money from hard-working people.
Tt may here be convenient to give 'a alight sketch of the career of th" "Marquis." He was one of those men who can never settle down to any regular employment and who prefer to live by their wits. His crowning exploit, about five years by ago, was to rent a small baronial castle in country district and write to leading Paris jewellers, asking them to send some very yalvable goods on approval, as he desired to make a birthday present to his wife. Apparently he did not realize that jewellers do not send their merchandise about like 80 many pounds of tea or coffee, and he also committed the serious error of writing the "de" in "Marquis Champaubert" with a ex pital "D.": This in {taelf would have been sutficient to arouse suspicion. The tewellers made inquiries, and had no difficulty in ascertaining that the supposed nobleman og 9 stranger to the district and did not pay his bills very regularly. The alice visited the chateau and found that the walls of a reception room were fitted with tubes through which chloroform vapours were have been pumped into the room in which the jeweller's assistant would be waiting for his noble customer. Passal's wife was to be the maid who would admit the visi-for to the house, while a younger woman of adventurous tastes was ready to play the part of "Madame Marquise." 'The end of it was that Passal was convicted and sentenced to five years' imprison: ment. His wife was acquitted and the other woman received a light sentence, An Avenging Band To return to the events of Inst week, the story of the avenging "Knights of Themis" naturally tickle ed the public's imagination, although it was not quite clear why they should pick out'a man who had already paid the penalty for his misdoings. Simultaneously, it appeared that the "Knights "of Themis" had announced their Intention, and also the burial of thole vietion, In letters to a Paris newspaper, the "Matin," but these 13tfers were written in such a fantes tic ahd flamboyant style that they were not unnaturally looked upon fs a hoax, and no attempt was made to rescue the victim. Bachele'. acloscly questioned, mentioned a man named Durot as having. been con cerned in Passal's doings. The price sent for Durot, and subsequen:- ly arrested @ young man named Boulogne, and from these two the[in rents. story of the whole affair was ob-
It "proved to be a publicity "stunt" which had turned out di. estrously for its inventor. Passal conceived the idea of writing a book about his adventurous life.. He new very well that such a book would not succeed on its merits and that it could not sell unless it were thrust upon' public notice in some sensational way. He conceive ed the idea of the "Knights of Themis" and his own burial, reckoning that the "Matin" would act upon his letters and that, the air through the pipe would enable him to keep alive in the event of delay. He and Durot rented a small furnished house at Villennes, 'a few miles from the scene of thi experiment, and, with Boulogn2' assistance, he made the coffin, out of planks which they brought from Paris.
Me even spent the greater.) part of one night in the coelin fit ted with the air-pipe, and expressed himself satisfied. He himself type ed all the letters. When their preparations were complete, Passal and Boulogne took the coffin to the spot selected, where they dug a shal-'Passal took his place and Boulogne filled up the grave and went away to await the result of the letters to the atin."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.