The magistrates and the gendarmerie struck such sure blows that it
was thought advisable to place the woman Bryond beyond the reach
of human justice; for she appears to have been an object of great
devotion on the part of these criminals, who were captivated by
her. She left Saint-Savin, and was hidden at first in Alencon,
where her followers deliberated, and finally placed her in the
cellar of Pannier’s house.
Here new incidents develop themselves.
After the arrest of Bourget and his wife, the Chaussards refuse to
give up any more of the money, declaring themselves betrayed. This
unexpected refusal was given at a moment when an urgent want of
money was felt among the accomplices, if only for the purposes of
escape. Rifoel was always clamorous for money. Hiley, Cibot, and
Leveille began to suspect the Chaussards.
Here comes in a new incident, which calls for the rigor of the
law.
Two gendarmes, detailed to discover the woman Bryond, succeeded in
tracking her to Pannier’s. There a discussion is held; and these
men, unworthy of the trust reposed in them, instead of arresting
the woman Bryond, succumb to her seductions. These unworthy
soldiers, named Ratel and Mallet, showed this woman the utmost
interest and offered to take her to the Chaussards and force them
to make restitution.
The woman Bryond starts on horseback, disguised as a man,
accompanied by Ratel, Mallet, and the girl Godard. She makes the
journey by night. She has a conference alone with one of the
brothers Chaussard, an excited conference. She is armed with a
pistol, and threatens to blow out the brains of her accomplice if
he refuses the money. Then he goes with her into the forest, and
they return with a heavy bag of coin. In the bag are copper coins
and twelve-sous silver pieces to the amount of fifteen hundred
francs.
When the woman Bryond returns to Alencon the accomplices propose
to go in a body to the Chaussards’ house and torture them until
they deliver up the whole sum.
When Pannier hears of this failure he is furious. He threatens.
The woman Bryond, though threatening him in return with Rifoel’s
wrath, is forced to fly.
These facts rest on the confession of Ratel.
Mallet, pitying the woman Bryond’s position, offers her an asylum.
Then Mallet and Ratel, accompanied by Hiley and Cibot, go at night
to the brothers Chaussard; this time they find these brothers have
left the place and have taken the rest of the money with them.
This was the last effort of the accomplices to recover the
proceeds of the robbery.
It now becomes necessary to show the exact part taken by each of
the actors in this crime.
Dubut, Boislaurier, Herbomez, Courceuil, and Hiley were the
ringleaders. Some deliberated and planned, others acted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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