THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 13, 1939.
TO-DAY'S STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
"HIPPOLYTE MENALDO"
THE BOY IN SEARCH OF HIMSELF
BY VINCENT TOWNE
"But what I want you to tell ine, Maria, is the name of my mother. You don't know how worried I feel. The other boys all have a mother. Their mothers write to them,
they write to their mothers. I feel as if I - cant' go on working. I wish you would
come and see me."
To his nurse, Maria Chaix, thus wrote Hippolyte Menaldo, after being torn from her to go away to school.
real name or origin.
1'0-
Hippolyte Wandered off Into The Darkness
NEW ADVERTISEMENTS
H.K. INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL RELIEF COMMITTEE
Flag Day, Oct. 14th, 1939
Please give generously. Objects:
1. To maintain two medical & surgical units with the Chinese Red Cross.
2. To supply such drugs, instruments & biologicals to various hospitals & 'organisations
as emer-
gencies may demand.
3. To hep war orphans in
the Colony.
4. To assist Refugee Centres in carrying on their work. All donations will be grateful- Lady MacGregor or the following ly received by the Hon. Treasurer,
wife's members of the Flag Day Sub- her youthful committee, Mrs. Biggar, Mrs. become Grasett, Lady Pollock and Mrs.
for-Steele-Perkins.
never sent for. Eight days after his | Nayve put up a remarkable defence. departure fishermen found upon the According to this story, his rocks below Castellammare, near Nap-parents had confessed les, the body of a youth between 14 folly to him when they had and 17, wearing the peculiar uniform betrothed and he had not only of Franch parochial schools and having given-her readily, but after their mar- about his neck રી medal worn by rlage had agreed to masquerade as Roman Catholic pupils. Identifying the unhappy child's guardian, marks had been cut or picked out all of his clothing, except his stockings, which bore the number 56.
a
of
sieur Martin.
Mon-
a
PUBLIC AUCTION
ex-Thursday, the 19th. October, 1939
commencing at 5.15 p.m. at their Sales. Room, No. 2 Connaught Road, Central. (Room No. 205, 2nd. Floor) A Valuable Collection of POSTAGE STAMPS
Maria Chaix, a poor dressmaker of Orleans, had been a foster mother to this child since, when only a few days old, he was brought to her by certain mysterious wealthy personages_to whom she had been recommended by the parish priest. Thereafter she ceived a monthly income for the In- fant's support, also regular visits from a grande dame of the old aristocracy, often accompanied by a beautiful girl, who, although still in her teens, dis- played a maternal interest in the baby'. But Maria Chaix was never to know the dentity of her foster child or of her visitors. And it broke her heart when, at the age of 12, he
At the trial there was produced was visited by his guardian.. Mon-
letter which the marquis had written
The Undersigned have received sieur Martin, who took him suddenly Cardrivers plying the sea road near to the Marquise from Marseilles im- instructions to sell by Public Auc- from her and placed him in a schonl,
where the corpse was found remem-mediately after the disappearance of
tion on at Savoy, where he was to be educated bered that two nights before its dis-Hippolyte. In this he has fully for the priesthood and whose head-covery they had seen upon that high-plained that while attempting to give master was strictly forbidden to give way distinguished-looking man Hippolyte a pleasure tour prior to his him any information concerning his leading a lad who was in such a piti-departure for America, he had taken
ful state of exhaustion that they had the lad to Rome and Florence But at school Hippolyte became so
and offered the pair a lift. Their services finally to Naples, where melancholy that he had to be sent were declined by the man, who
they were walking out on the sea road when, away, now and then, for vacations in hour later was seen on the same road
after violently objecting to the Ameri- the country. As indicated by his let-alone. After the police had searched
can trip, the boy had suddenly run off ters to his believed nurse, he brooded in vain for the mysterious stranger in the darkness and had mysteriously over the uncertainty of his identity, the body was buried and the incident disappeared. and one day when sent upon a long orgotten. cross-country walk with his school- Nine years later the wealthy Mar- males, he ran away to earn money quise de Nayve, dwelling In the sub- with which to find his mother. After urbs of Paris, astonished the Procur- wandering for two weeks. he was dis- er by calling upon him and stating covered on the road to Orleans, and that, to ease her conscience, she must when returned to school remarked: confess her suspicion that her hus- "I am determined to know who Iband, the Marquis, had once mur- am! I have a right to know!”
|dered an illegitimate son whom she' Hippolyte was then 14. After behad had before her marriage when ing returned to school he refused she was but a child of 16. Investiga- to become a priest and his guardian tion instituted by the Procurer identi- Monsieur Martin, being advised to fied this child as the unhappy Hip- rearrange his future, told the head-polyte Menaldo, and the Marquise and master that he would send the lad to her mother as the two ladies of rank America.
who visited the child during the At his guardian's command Hip-happy days that he had
spent with polyte Manaldo departed from school, his nurse in Orleans. leaving behing his baggage, which was Arrested and tried for the murder to be sent for when required. It was "of Hippolyte Menaldo, the Marquis de
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The evidence further proved that the Marquis, after returning home, had called in two lawyers, explaining to them what had happened and ask- ing their advice, which was that, he remain silent.
On View from Wednesday, the 18th. October, 1939
Terms: Cash on Delivery
LAMMERT BROS.,
Auctioneers. Hong Kong, 13th. October, 1939
LOCAL DOLLAR
After several of Hippolyte's school- mates had sworn that they had heard The demand rate on the Hong Kong him threaten suicide, the jury brought dollar to-day was 1/2-13/18. in, a verdict of "Not Guilty!"
Silver was quoted at 23 for A week later the Marquise re-spot and 22-3/4 forward. turned to her husband, and thereafter The London on New York cross
they lived together happily. But rate was quoted at £-U.S.$4.02. The Paris has never ceased to wonder as New York on London rate was to the truth behind the strange case. I closed.
LLOYD TRIESTINO
REGULAR FORTNIGHTLY SERVICE
OUTWARD: for SHANGHAI
HOMEWARD: for GENOA, NAPLES (London Overland)
via MANILA, SINGAPORE, COLOMBO,
BOMBAY & PORTSAID
For further particulars
LLOYD TRIESTINO
Queen's Bldg., Ground Fl., Tel. 32982
Tel. Add. “LLOYDIANO” P.O.B.
Agents, Canton-Messrs. Dodwell & Co., Ltd., Shameen