Vidocq and Lacour, the Paris Police Detectives

Mr. Vidocq, a man who in his way has obtained great celebrity, has recently died at the age of seventy-eight. Vidocq has recounted the principal events of his life in his memoirs, published in 1818-’19, of which two volumes were written by M. Maurice, and two by M. Sheritier. Vidocq has also published “Les Vrais Mystères de Paris.” He was Chief of Police for a long time, and always a rival of the famous Lacour, called Coco Lacour. He was Chief of Police at the time of the robbery of the medals of the Royal Library, and he was greatly annoyed in this affair; for Lacour arrested the robbers under the following circumstances which are not generally known:

M. Gisquet applied to Lacour to discover the perpetrators of the deed. He refused at first. “You have,” said he, “your Chief of Police, M. Vidocq; let him find the robbers.” But Gisquet insisted, and Lacour yielded.

Some days after, Lacour, who had got upon the track of the rascals, sought Gisquet, and told him that three men had committed the robbery—Froussard, and two others, whose names we have forgotten. “Why?” asked Gisquet. “First,” was the reply, “in order to steal the medals, the thieves must know something of their value; this indicates that the criminals were thus learned. This reduces to fifteen the persons among whom we are to seek the robbers of the library. The skill with which the furniture was opened further limits the number; and finally, the extreme elegance of the tools left where the crime was committed, convinces me beyond doubt that Froussard is the leading spirit in the crime.”

“Then seek him,” said Gisquet.

To seek was easy—to find him was more difficult. Froussard, more than twenty times condemned to the galleys, had always managed to elude justice. But one day Lacour paused upon the bridge De Tournelle, seeing before him two… Read More