A VERY STKANGB STORY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7696, 19 March 1887, Page 4

A VERY STKANGB STORY.

Another strange story comes to us from Paris, which, if it had occurred to tlic imagination, of our romancers, might have • heen a little fortune to its possessor^ llie police, it seems, arrested one morning, a drunken cook, who was found to bo in - possession of a large sum in gold, and lie • beih" asked for explanations, told the following tale— namely, how that sauntering one : day near the Central Market, he was accosted by a well-dressed man, who asked him if 'he would like to turn an honest/penny. Not being averse to this . proposal, he accompanied his patron to a largo' house in the Rue de Kivoli, and being conducted into a private room, he !was abruptly, addressed thus,' " Mon garcon, you must kill me ! " For the moment the cook thought he had got hold of a' madman, but the explanation was well— reasonable enough— if yon like, viz., that lie, the individual desiring extinction, had unfortunately been speculating with his mother's money, and had dropped something to the Uuie of 120,000 francs. His life, however, was insured up to 200,000, so that his death, other than by his own hand, would recoup his parent and leave ft handsome surplus. Animated by this filial motive, therefore, he was willing, he said, to give his murderer 30,000 francs, and he then and there offered an instalment of 2000, and this amount the cook accepted, promising to call the next day and fulfil the contract. However, when tlic time drew near, courage failed him ; and the 1 same evenins.' having drunk too freely, he was as already stated, arrested and made a confession. Next day the police accompanied him to the house, and there sure enough, found the would-be suicide, for such in effect he was, and at once arrested him on the double charge of inciting to crime and seeking to defraud the insurance oflice. Ihis was rather an unexpected result, and the disappointed man heaped bitter reproaches .on the head of his betrayer. The story, strange as it is, seems to be perfectly true, and it will be agreed, it offers the basis for a capital sensational novel of the first water.