circular trench was then carefully dug, and a perfect female skeleton uncovered. The skull presented a frightful fracture. Under it was found some brown hair and a large double hair-pin. The prisoners were now brought forward, and confronted with the silent witness. The woman having volunteered further confession, the party now went to the wood Communes, also near Monlluel; but night coming on, investigation was deferred till the next day. A great part of the next day was passed in fruitless search, when, just as the party prepared to return to Montluel with the view of organizing explorations on a large scale, Dumollard suddenly declared that he would himself point out the place they sought. He thereupon guided them to a spot about fifty yards deep in the wood. Here they labored for another hour with no better success, until one of the officers noticed a slight displacement of the soil, presenting some small fissures from whence flies were issuing. Above this spot two little shrubs, evidently placed by design, had taken feeble root. A stroke of the spade laid visible the back of a human hand. Presently the body of a young female, in complete preservation (ow ing to the character of the soil), was exposed to view. The corpse lay on its back, the left hand on the bosom, the fingers clutching a clod of earth. Appearances favored the frightful conclusion that the victim had been buried while yet alive and conscious. The bearing of Dumollard in the presence of this new and terrible accuser was as calm as ever. Not the slightest trace of emotion was perceptible on his stolid features. It was observed, nevertheless, that he studiously avoided looking, as it were, on the face of his victim. The magistrates seized the mo ment to impress upon him the inutility of any further attempt to evade justice, and invited him to make a full confession. After a few moments of seeming irresolution, he commenced the following recital : —
"One day in December, '53, I was ac costed in Lyons by two individuals of the farmer class, whose manner and appearance won my unlimited confidence. After treat ing me to wine at a neighboring tavern, they invited me to stroll on the quay, asked me a multitude of questions, and finally proposed to me to enter their service. I inquired the nature of the work required of me. ' The abduction of young women,' was the reply. 'You shall have forty francs for every "prize," and if you remain with us twenty years, we will guarantee you a hundred thousand francs.' "Such a proposal seemed far too advan tageous to be treated lightly," continued Dumollard. "They gave me the necessary instructions, which were simple enough. I was merely to look out for young females in search of situations, offer them first-rate wages, and conduct them beyond the town. "A week later we commenced operations on the Place de la Charite. My first attempt failed; but the second woman I accosted lis tened to my story, accepted the pretended situation, and accompanied me from the town. At the end of the suburbs my two employers met me. I pretended to have for gotten something, and, telling the girl these gentlemen were friends of mine, requested her to go on with them, promising to over take them at Neyron. I lingered about the spot for three hours, when the men returned, and handed me a parcel, saying it was a pres ent for my wife. Opening it, I found a gown and chemise, both stained with blood. I rec ognized the dress of the woman I had brought, and demanded what had become of her. ' You will not see her again,' was the only reply. "On the way home I washed the clothes in the fountain at Neyron, and gave them to my wife, saying I had purchased them at Lyons. "I never knew the exact place in which they murdered the girl, but I think it must have been near the bridge Du Barre, and that they flung the body into the Rhone. I think so, because one day in the ensuing
