On March 11th, 1944, thick black smoke billowed into the sky over the two and a half story townhouse that stood at 21 Rue Lassir in Paris'

his fashionable 16th Arendisement.

Few, if any of the neighbors knew who owned the residents.

But after five straight days of the noxious smelling smoke lingering over the neighborhood, most of the people who lived

around there had enough.

Despite it being unseasonably warm for March, most of the neighbors were forced to keep their windows shut.

But even that didn't prevent the smoke from seeping in and soiling their furniture.

Several people describe the smell as something like burnt caramel, burnt tar, or even the smell of charred meat.

Some of the neighbors had glimpsed the man they all presumed to be the owner of 21 ruler sir,

although hardly anyone knew his name or anything about him.

Only that he'd been observed riding a green bicycle and towing a cart whose contents were

concealed under a heavy canvas up to one of the doors.

On a few occasions he'd been seen receiving visitors who showed up late at night lugging

many heavy suitcases.

When one of the neighbors finally worked up the nerve to head over to 21 rule of sir to complain about

the smoke, he realized there was no one home.

The shutters were all closed and no one answered the doorbell.

Attached to the front door was a weather-worn note that said,

away for a month, forward mail to 18 Rue de Lombard, Augsaire.

Worried that the idiot had left a fire burning in his chimney before going away for a month.

The neighbor called the police.

A police officer arrived and found the police.

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