My Memoirs Part 31

Yesterday and to-day certain newspapers have indicated as having possibly taken a part in the crime of the Impa.s.se Ronsin, M. Rossignol, a former police inspector. It is true that a M. Rossignol was inspector in the Saint Lambert district, and that he had a bad reputation. I believe he was dismissed in May last.... I was told that Rossignol is now a traveller for a firm that sells coffee.... The examining magistrate will be at liberty to decide whether it would be useful to make an inquiry, in order to establish how the man spent his time on the night of May 30-31, 1908.

The Chief of the _Surete_ (Signed) HAMARD.

(_Dossier_ Cote 909)

[Official Report.]

_November 23rd_, 1908.

We, Octave Hamard, Chief of the _Surete_, &c., have this day summoned to our Cabinet M. Rossignol... thirty-eight years old... who made the following statements:

"It is difficult for me to say exactly how I spent my time in May last.

I left the police at the beginning of that month and remained without occupation till June 1st.... On May 30th, in the evening, I met my friend Thiret, a chauffeur; with him and another chauffeur we dined at Zimmer's, in the rue Blondel. We left the restaurant towards 10.30 P.M., and went to various cafes.... In one of the places where we called (the address was given), people are sure to remember my presence that night.

At 2.30 A.M. we were in the Faubourg Montmartre. It was 4 A.M. when I returned home to my wife and children.... On June 1st, I was engaged as a broker by a coffee firm. Later I was sent to Arras (in the North)....

Then, I was suddenly called back to Paris. Certain newspapers, princ.i.p.ally the _Matin_, were shown to me.... I was told that I was suspected of being one of the authors or the instigator of the Steinheil Affair, and that I had refused to be confronted with the widow of the painter, I was then dismissed from the firm....

(Signed) ROSSIGNOL HAMARD."

(_Dossier_, Cote 910)

PARIS, _December 5th, 1908_.

Report from the Commissary of Police, Chief of the "Mobile brigade" to the Chief of the _Surete_:

In reply to your demand for details concerning a certain Cavellier (a friend of Rossignol), who once belonged to the "Mobile Brigade" as inspector, I have the honour to supply the following information:

"Cavellier was appointed Inspector on January 1st, 1906, and was ordered to resign on August 31st of the same year... (on account of various robberies, mentioned in this doc.u.ment).

The Commissary of Police.

(Signed) VALLET.

(_Dossier_ Cote 921)

[Report.]

PARIS, _December 15th, 1908_.

...The inquiry made among the _entourage_ of Mme. Steinheil about Rossignol has established that the latter _is unknown in the house, that he has never been seen here, even at the time when he was inspector in this district_....

(Signed) INSPECTOR DECHET.

(_Dossier_ Cote 911)

_January 4th, 1909._

Before us, Andre, examining magistrate &c.,... at the Palace of Justice... has appeared... M. Maurey, thirty-seven years old, Inspector, of the _Surete_.

_Question._ "We have heard a rumour according to which you are supposed to know of several meetings between the ex-inspector Rossignol and Mme.

Steinheil, before and since May 31st, 1908?"

_Answer._ "I can tell you of a number of facts which may explain the murder. Rossignol, whom I only met in circ.u.mstances which I may describe, was an Inspector, attached first to the Vaugirard, then to the Epinettes 'commissariat' of police. In March and April 1908, I tried to trace a gang of burglars, but did not succeed.... In April 1908, I became convinced that Rossignol was connected, most suspiciously, with this gang of burglars, and whilst searching for them, I came across Rossignol. In the middle of April 1908, one evening, towards seven o'clock, I saw Rossignol, after visiting a bar in the Avenue de Clichy, join at a bus station, opposite the Saint-Lazare Station, an elegantly dressed woman, of about thirty, tall and stout, with a long face.

Rossignol and the woman went to dine in a restaurant opposite that station.... They parted, after kissing, at the corner of the Rue de Rome and the Boulevard des Batignolles, at about 11 P.M. That was the only time I saw the woman with Rossignol.

"Later, Inspector Dechet having heard that Rossignol might have had something to do with the Affair, it was agreed that when Mme. Steinheil returned--she was then at the seaside (Louvieres, in Normandy)--she should be pointed out to me so that I might say whether she was or was not the woman whom I had seen dining with Rossignol, near the Saint-Lazare Station. This was agreed, not only with Inspector Dechet, but also with Chief-Inspector Dol.

"Now, between that time and the time I was able to see Mme. Steinheil this is what happened.

"In August 1908, being in the company of a colleague, I met several times a certain Cavellier, who for a year, a few years ago, was my colleague, though I did not know that he was an Inspector. I believe he is attached, officially at least, to the detective department of the Ministry of the Interior.

"In August, during our first meetings, Cavellier spoke to me about the Steinheil affair.... _He told me that he was working in that affair for M. Sauerwein, adding that this gentleman was a Special Police Commissary at the Ministry of the Interior._ He also said he was shadowing Rossignol, that he believed Rossignol was Mme. Steinheil's lover, that he thought she might have 'done the deed' (_fait le coup_), and that, in any case, he was certain that Rossignol and Mme. Steinheil had met, once before May 30th, 1908, and once since then, and both times in a restaurant or a hotel close to the Saint-Lazare Station.... Cavellier told me all this at the end of August....

"Cavellier has always impressed me as a man who, having discovered--I don't know how--that I had been concerned with Rossignol, was trying to 'bait' me in order to find out what I knew about Rossignol. _I have never believed one word of what he told me about Madame Steinheil and Rossignol._ I told Chief-Inspector Dol, however, of my conversations with Cavellier. Chief-Inspector Dol gave no more credence than I did to Cavellier's statements.

"In September or October, I went to Bellevue with Inspector Dechet.... I saw Mme. Steinheil. I then found that Mme. Steinheil had far more refined features and a much rounder face than the woman whom I had seen with Rossignol, in April 1908, and further that Mme. Steinheil was far slimmer and not so tall as the other woman. To make quite clear my absolute conviction that Mme. Steinheil and the other woman were not the same person, I told all this to Inspector Dechet, the moment we left Vert-Logis.

"A fortnight later, I told Cavellier, whom I happened to meet, of my conviction. He made no remark.

"Since then I have met Cavellier once or twice, but we never talked again about the Steinheil Affair.

(Signed) MAIRET, The Inspector.

ANDRe, The Examining Magistrate.

SIMON, His Clerk."

(_Dossier_ Cote 918)

[Report.]

PARIS, _January 5th, 1909_.

In the absence of M. Cape, Chief of staff at the _Surete Generale_, M.

Sebille, Director of the Investigations Department, declared that M.

Sauerwein was unknown as a special Police Commissary, and had never belonged in any capacity whatever to the _Surete Generale_.

(Signed) INSPECTOR MAIREY.

(_Dossier_ Cote 920)

And here is the report of the examination, by M. Andre, of "Cavellier, 31 years old, private detective."

_Question._ "Do you know Mme. Steinheil by sight? If so, when did you first see her?"

_Answer._ "I knew her by sight. I met her for the first time in August 1908, at Bellevue, near Vert-Logis. I recognised her with the help of a description which I possessed. I have never spoken to her."

_Question._ "Do you know Rossignol?"

_Answer._ "Two or three days after my encounter with Mme. Steinheil, I met him at the Saint-Lazare Station. Mme. Steinheil (whom I then saw for the second time) was there and talked with him and another gentleman.

She lunched at Scossa's. During the early days of November 1908, an inquiry which I was making brought me into contact with Rossignol, who was then at Avesnes-le-Comte (in the North of France). I then recognised in Rossignol the unknown man whom I had seen in August talking to Madame Steinheil at the Saint-Lazare Station, and afterwards lunching with her at Scossa's. I could not absolutely identify Rossignol; but I had the impression, although Rossignol seemed to me about 20 livres (sic) lighter, that he was the unknown man I had seen."

_Question._ "Tell us in what circ.u.mstances you came to make investigations about Madame Steinheil and Rossignol?"