RED TAPE AND CRIME.

Mataura Ensign, 25 January 1911, Page 5

RED TAPE AND CRIME.

MAYOR AND MURDER KK. An extraordinary story of rural police method* come* from IVmtcarre, m little. summer resort situated on tlui dge of the forest of Armainviilifcru (France), where a tramp murdered mm old woman, the proprietor of a u&nlt inn. Her noighlior, hearing the old woman's scream*, instead of giving th« alarm wont oft to fetch her hwband in a village nearly a mil© an ay, J«*v inn the woman to her late. The husband thought lie had better tell the local watchman and went off to the latler's house. The watchman in his turn decided he must inform the mayor, who was working at M. Edouard de Hothschild'a chateau, which m in the neighborhood. TJie mayor immediately set out for the wene, accompanied by the watchman, a commercial traveller from Paris who happened to be in the \ illugc, and n local win« whopkeeper. Through the Hindoo- of the mxudeled woman's inn they could see the murderer rifling the upstair rooms, but tie mayor refused t*> act until the g« nd.iriiies arrived. When the '.lamp c.iiue doiuisljiirs the pally k;i n bun stepping over his viciiin, who Jay dead in a pool of blood. Only afUi the guardians of public older b:id wat'-hed the violation of the hiu lor 20 minutes did the «iitcbman dcc.de to t*k<* action, cryin;/, "Open in tie name of the law!" and beating on the door. Hut the murderer opened a l.'ick wind<iw mid escaped easily int<» tb« black depths of lb.' forest. H< hua not been captured.