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- Jun 14, 2009
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Pauline Picard
I start with a story from Fort himself. Here it is from Wild Talents:
About the first of May, 1922, Pauline Picard, a Breton child, aged 12, disappeared from her home on a farm, near, Brest, France. I take this account from various issues of the Journal des Debats (Paris) May and June, 1922, Upon May 26th, a cyclist, passing Picard's farm, saw something in a field, not far from the road. He investigated. He came upon Pauline's naked and headless body. At the roadside were found her clothes. It was noted that they were "neatly folded."
The body was decomposed. Hands and feet, as well as head, were missing. This body, visible from the road, was found at a point half a mile from the Picard farmhouse.
It seems most likely that, if it was seen by a passing cyclist, it could not long have been lying, so conspicuous, but unseen, by members of the Picard family. Nevertheless, that it had so lain was the opinion that was accepted at the inquest. It was said that the child must have wandered from home, and, returning, must have died of exhaustion; and that the body had been defaced by rats and foxes. This story of the wandering child, dying of exhaustion, half a mile from her home, was given plausibility by the circumstances that once before Pauline had wandered far, and that she had been affected mentally. At least, she had disappeared, and had been found far away.
Upon April 6th, of this year, 1922, Pauline disappeared. Several days later, a child was found wandering in the streets of Cherbourg. The Picards were notified, and, going to Cherbourg, identified this child as Pauline, who, however, did not recognize them, being in a state of lapsed consciousness, or amnesia. If Pauline Picard, aged 12, had made this journey afoot, or by means that are called "natural," between a farm near Brest, and Cherbourg, in a state of amnesia, which it seems would somewhere be noted, but had not been reported, she had gone, unreported, a distance by land, of about 230 miles.
Twice Pauline Picard disappeared. The first disappearance was not an ordinary runaway, or was not an ordinary kidnapping, because something had profoundly affected this child mentally. If the body of this child had been also otherwise mutilated, the explanation of defacement by rats and foxes would be more nearly convincing: but something, or somebody, had, as if to prevent identification, removed, without other mutilations, hands and feet and head -- and also, contradictorily, had placed the body in a conspicuous position, as if planning to have it found. The verdict at the inquest required belief that this decomposed body had lain, conspicuous, but unseen, for several weeks, in this field. There is a small particular that adds to the improbability. It seems that the clothes -- also conspicuous by the roadside -- had not been lying there, for several weeks, subject to the disturbing effects of rains and wind. They were "neatly folded."
I have never seen any more information about this. So many questions! But no answers, unfortunately.
I start with a story from Fort himself. Here it is from Wild Talents:
About the first of May, 1922, Pauline Picard, a Breton child, aged 12, disappeared from her home on a farm, near, Brest, France. I take this account from various issues of the Journal des Debats (Paris) May and June, 1922, Upon May 26th, a cyclist, passing Picard's farm, saw something in a field, not far from the road. He investigated. He came upon Pauline's naked and headless body. At the roadside were found her clothes. It was noted that they were "neatly folded."
The body was decomposed. Hands and feet, as well as head, were missing. This body, visible from the road, was found at a point half a mile from the Picard farmhouse.
It seems most likely that, if it was seen by a passing cyclist, it could not long have been lying, so conspicuous, but unseen, by members of the Picard family. Nevertheless, that it had so lain was the opinion that was accepted at the inquest. It was said that the child must have wandered from home, and, returning, must have died of exhaustion; and that the body had been defaced by rats and foxes. This story of the wandering child, dying of exhaustion, half a mile from her home, was given plausibility by the circumstances that once before Pauline had wandered far, and that she had been affected mentally. At least, she had disappeared, and had been found far away.
Upon April 6th, of this year, 1922, Pauline disappeared. Several days later, a child was found wandering in the streets of Cherbourg. The Picards were notified, and, going to Cherbourg, identified this child as Pauline, who, however, did not recognize them, being in a state of lapsed consciousness, or amnesia. If Pauline Picard, aged 12, had made this journey afoot, or by means that are called "natural," between a farm near Brest, and Cherbourg, in a state of amnesia, which it seems would somewhere be noted, but had not been reported, she had gone, unreported, a distance by land, of about 230 miles.
Twice Pauline Picard disappeared. The first disappearance was not an ordinary runaway, or was not an ordinary kidnapping, because something had profoundly affected this child mentally. If the body of this child had been also otherwise mutilated, the explanation of defacement by rats and foxes would be more nearly convincing: but something, or somebody, had, as if to prevent identification, removed, without other mutilations, hands and feet and head -- and also, contradictorily, had placed the body in a conspicuous position, as if planning to have it found. The verdict at the inquest required belief that this decomposed body had lain, conspicuous, but unseen, for several weeks, in this field. There is a small particular that adds to the improbability. It seems that the clothes -- also conspicuous by the roadside -- had not been lying there, for several weeks, subject to the disturbing effects of rains and wind. They were "neatly folded."
I have never seen any more information about this. So many questions! But no answers, unfortunately.
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The clothes Pauline was wearing when she went missing were neatly folded up nearby.
