Even the red waistcoat, once a distinctive mark of
their calling, is gradually falling into disuse, and every variety of
coat and overcoat may be seen, liveries past private service being very
generally adopted. Any overcharge may be reclaimed by the passenger by
the simple process of making a complaint before the nearest chef de
police. In past days the coachman thus complained against was forced to
go in person to the complainant to beg his or her pardon, and to pay
over the extra sum demanded. A frightful catastrophe which occurred some
twenty years ago put an end to this form of retribution. On the 16th of
September, 1855, M. Juge, director of the normal school at Douai, took a
cab in the Place de la Concorde and went for a drive in the Bois de
Boulogne. The driver, one Collignon, insisted on being paid more than
his legal fare, and M. Juge forwarded his complaint to the prefecture of
police the next day. Collignon was condemned to make restitution in
person to M. Juge. He sold his furniture, purchased a pair of pistols
and went on the appointed day to the house of M. Juge in the Rue
d'Enfer. No hard words passed between them, but while the gentleman was
in the act of signing the receipt the coachman drew out one of his
pistols and shot him through the head, killing him instantly. Collignon
was at once arrested: he was tried and condemned to death, and expiated
his crime on the scaffold on the 6th of December following.
Pages:
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299