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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1908)
THE FUXDAY OREUOAilAA', PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 23, 190S. Colonel .lumrs Fraver will be re called as one of the best chlrfa of Police who ever had charge of tho "hofohfes" In the world's greatest me tropolis Colonel Fraser served with distinction In the British army before accepting the Important municipal pojt, and enjoyed a splendid record, both as a soldier and a civilian. Sir. itlrhard Mayne, the then Chief Com missioner of Palice, said that Fraser was the best executive of his lime. His Jurisdiction extended over the fco-called "city," comprised within an area of a little more than one square mile. the richest and the most densely populated section of the civil ized world. The credit of the solu tion of the mysteriouw murder of the railway carriage must, of course, be divided amonp the rank and file of the I.ojidon police, but it aleo reflects In a- specially brilliant manner upon the administration of Colonel James ' Fraser. NO. XI. Tito time was an evening in July, some jt'-ars ago; the place the station platform of the .North London Railway Vornpany ut the Metropolitan borough of Hackney. A number of -passengers were there, awaiting the 6 o'clock local from London. It arrived presently, wltn bell ringing clamorously and engine puffing up great clouds of smoke and sparks. The mo ment the train came to a full stop, a man on the platform made a rush for tlin nearest railway carriage. He opened the door and entered but suddenly drew back with a look of fear on his face and a cry of horror ?n his lips. "Get aboard! Get aboard!" cried a guard Impatiently. "We can't wait here all night." The man, who had one foot on the sta tion platform and the other on the rail way carriage, stood there as though he had been petrified. The guard, finding that his shouts were uselesst hurried up to ascertain the cause of the delay. In " b. trice be was by the side of the hesi tating passenger. "What's the matter?" be asked. In answer the man pointed the fore finger of his right band toward the in terior of the carriage, and uttered the one word: "Look!" The guard looked and what he saw robbed his tongue of Its glibness. The Betting sun sent a golden streak into the coach and the glaring light revealed there on the blue cushions a pool of red Wood. The guard and the hesitating pas senger entered' together and made a care ful examination of the carriage. The man's first sight had not deceived him. There could be no possible doubt about It. The' cushions of the carriage were soaked with human blood. Inside the coach was a hat, a walking stick, and a Binall black leather bag. The railway carriage was run on to its destination and a dispatch Instantly flashed to Colonel James Fraser, the head of the Iondon polire force. In the mean time the most persistent cross-questioning failed to throw any light whatever upon the mystery of the blood-soaked cushions. The guard remembered In a hazy sort of way that two men had entered tho car riage just before the train left Fenchurch Htreet in tendon. His impression was that they were together but he had no rertain recollection of that. As to their appearance, he was totally at sea. He only knew that he had a crowded train that day, and in the hurry and bustle of his work paid but scant attention to In dividuals. There was one clue, however, and that Rns of a character that could not be overlooked even In the density displayed hy the railway officials. It was the Im pression of a blood-stained hand on the door of the railway carriage. The first act of Colonel Fraser was to order the guilty carriage out of service.. He- di rected that special pains be taken to preserve the impression of the blood stained hand- so that it could be referred to whenever the occasion demanded. That same night word came to Police Headquarters that the body of a well tlressed man had been discovered at a spot where the North London Railway passes Victoria Park. The man was .un conscious, but still alive. He was taken to a nearby hospital and all that Harriman's New -Home rcrolrcd on an Eyrie of the Ramupo Range, Can Be Reached New York Times. ONE of the steepest of the granite knuckles of the Ramapo range is an elevation known as Tower Hill, a forest clad, boulder-strewn, massive bulk which sweeps upward with a bold precip itous ascent from the winding valley. From this rock-bound eyrie the eye can range for a full 30 miles to west and east, over the long sweeping hills which I roll away from this master range, undu lations which from the crest of this towering Tower Hill have the appearance of great earth waves suddenly stilled. It is on the very summit of this height ! that thcT-3 is now beinj: erected a struc- I Hire the like of which it would be diffi cult, if not impossible, to duplicate. Cer tainly nothing like It exists anywhere on this side of the world and perhaps one might search the crags which over look the Rhine and find there few castles perched so high as this massive building v-hlch Is now nearlng completion. If Mr. Harriman should ever take it into his mind to cultivate the fad of Crusoe this new hoiiEC of his could well be made into such a retreat. Here, if he so willed, he might round out his days, Hlone with the eagles anil the stars. Nature sequestered the spot, and until Harriman came it was nature's own wild handiwork. Down the valley tho hamlet of Arden nestles in a curve o? the range, but its few houses are not visible from the heights where this mansion-house is . being built. Hard by are scattered other small villages, with here and there, faint ;ind far off, little dots which tell of farm houses. But the house of Harriman Ftamls alone aloof on its rockbound crags, dominating the dominant range, a landmark for many miles, imposing in its proportions, something mediaeval in its mHSsivrness, a suggestion of early Eng lish In the solidity of its walls, and withal many touches of grace and beauty in its terraces and pergolas. Nothing but a Slinck. A reporter for the Sunday Times visited the place on Friday.- There had been a report that Mr. Harriman was expending J4.WO.000 on his house on the hill, and that from his Harriman point of view it was nothing but a shack. A pardonable curiosity to know just What it was brought about the vitit. There are now upward of 200 men em ployed in the building. Three hundred car loads of material were delivered by the Kile last month. That has been the a erase for several months. The mansion Is not near complete. It is estimated that' it will be two years at least befoi'J! It- is. The reporter went to the hill from the town of Central " Valley in a sleigh, for the snow was deep. His mentor, who handled the reins, presently nodded to a distant height, which showed for a 'moment between gliding hills and said briefly, "that's it." The opening land scape disclosed another and better view, a view of the long Ramapo range and its dominating knob of Tower Hill, whose medical science could do was done to restore him to .consciousness, but in vain. He died within 24 hours, with out saying a word. It wan evident from the start that he had been mur dered. Unfortunately, his head and face had been beaten so cruelly that he was unrecognizable. Just at a time when the solution of his identity seemed farthest away the hospital au thorities came upon a card in his vest pocket. It read. "Thomas Brlggs, Rob arts & Co.. Yombard street. London." An officer was at once dispatched to the office of Roharts Company, In Lombard street. The head of that firm said that Mr. Brlggs was their chief clerk, and one of their most valued employes, and that they were at a total loss to account for his unex plained absence from his post. He had been with their banking- house for nearly halt a century, and during all of that time Jiad promptly reported for work as the clock was striking 9. He failed to do bo that morning, and they had assumed that he was 111. Just as they were preparing to send an inquiry to his home a message was received stating: that he had not .re turned to his house In Hackney the Slight before. A hurried investigation proved that Mr. Brlggs left his home at the usual hour on the previous day. He carried a gold-headed cane and wore gold-rimmed eyeglasses, and had In his possession a gold watch and chain. After concluding his business at the bank, he left at the usual hour in the afternoon, and dined with his married daughter at Peckham. He re turned to the city in time, to take the regular train nt Fenchurch street for his home at Hackney. That was tho last time he waa ever seen alive. It did not take-many hours to prove that the unoffending clerk of Robarts & Company and the unknown individ ual whose body had been found near Victoria Park were one and the same person, and that the old gentleman had been brutally murdered for his money. The eyeglasses and the gold watch and chain were both missing. The blood soaked cushions, the general disorder of the railway carriage, and the im print of the bloody hand on the door of the vehicle proved that a terrible struggle had taken place before tne foul deed was accomplished. It must have been done very quickly, because the distance from Fenchurch street, from whence the train started, and Hackney waa only a matter of three miles in fact, the deed must have been committed Immediately after the train left the city, for the body had been thrown into the bushes of Victoria Park, and the murderer had evidently Jumped from the train before it reached Hackney Station. The hat found in the coach had a lining which Indicated that it had been manu factured by Walker, a fashionable hatter In Crawford street, Marlcybone. Colonel Fraser had an Interview with the hatter and ascertained from him that the hat must have been purchased within two weeks of the day of the murder. He said that It was almost impossible to keep track of his customers, especially as he transacted a considerable transient trade. He had, however, a vague impression that the hat in question wa9 purchased by a short, stout, red-faced man, wearing a blue coat with brass buttons. The -man carried a whip, and from his dress, man ner, and conversation, was evidently a cabman. Further investigation among the officials of the North London railway brought to the front a guard from the Fenchurch-street Station who remembered having seen two men enter the fatal car riage on that evening In July. The first man he described as an old and rather respectable-looking person. The details corresponded to a nicety to the appear ance of Mr. Brlggs. the murdered bank clerk. The second man, be said, had en tered hastily. Just as the train was about to leave the station and Jumped Into the carriage after Mr. Brlggs. He was rather a rough-looking Individual poorly dressed and evidently laboring under great mental excitement. He was not an Ill looking man. as men go. having a square Cerman type of face, blue -eyes which werevhalf closed, and very fair hair. He. was short In stature, and his legs seemed very light for the upper part of his body which was squarely built and powerful looking. This was an unusually intelll gent description, and the police scoured steep high sides seemed to promise a heart-breaking, ascent. ' The reporter looked at the horFe, whose breath was coming in quick steaming puffs and men tioned his misgivings. "Oh, that will be all right," was the cheerful reply. "You wait." The visitor waited. Anon the panting animal drew up at the base of the great hill and where a dozen workshops were clustered. "It is a rather curious thing." his friend continued, as he gave the reins to one of the men, "the extent to which Mr. Harriman is going in having this house of his all home-made. Just step in here a minute," as he opened a door to a joiner shop. "Here all the woodwork is being done. Here Is the drying room, where it is first seasoned, and here," in dicating scores of busy workmen, "are the men who are getting it Into shape for the plans which the architects have made. They, you know, are Carrere & Hastings, the architects who designed New" York's Public Library and the Ponce de Leon Hotel In Florida, but of course your know about them. All the House Home-Built. "Mr. Harriman's idea is to have all of his house home-built, and it is. It is being built mainly of stone, and the stone is from the very rock that was quarried out to make the foundations. Practically all the woodwork that enters into the building is cut from his own preserves here. - You know he owns about 45,000 acres around here, this house of his up there standing on the northern Bectlon of his tract. "Well, here you see the woodworkers at work on the wood. All of the decoration part is being carved by hand. Another thing, look here! See that chair? That is from the woods up here, timber from his own trees. That chair is one that is being turned out for Mr. Harriman's house. All the rest that are to be used up there will be turned out here, and in the same way. , "Yes, everything all home made and home grown," continued the mentor as he led the way out of the place. "Now we will go up to the house and see how it looks." leading the way around the corner of the building there came into view an in clined railway, up which carload after carload of material was being drawn by steam power at the other end. An empty flatcar bumped gently against the buffers and we stepped on its plat form. Some one somewhere gave a signal and the car began Its dizzy uphill climb, the wire, cable groaning as it tugged the car up the steep ascent, one Vhich meas ured nearly a half mile in length, and whose roadbed had been pitched at an' angle almost as sharp as the roof of a Swiss chalet. If you know aboit Swiss chalets you will know how sharp that angle is; The flow of talk Interrupted for the moment was resumed. "See these trees on the hillside?" de manded the mentor, as the landscape slipped past with the queer aspect of a hill sliding downward, "Note how all of Colonel James London In the hope of dragging in some man to answer, this description. But the days went by and there was no result. The newspapers were filled with the details of the crime and there was great public indignation. The oldest citi- zens of the metropolis wrote scathing letters to the London Times In which they Inquired dramatically whether it was possible for a man o go on a rail way journey in. the heart of the British Kmplre without Incurring the risk of be ing murdered. The police chafed under this criticism, but still they did not ap pear to make any progress. Colonel Fraser sat in his office 'day by day and tried to solve the problem. He finally resolved that it would be necessary to trace the gold watch and 'chain that had been stolen from Mr. Briggs before it would be possible to get a clue to the man on. a Kock Only by Inclined Railway. the weak ones have been cut out, leaving only the ones of strong and sturdy growth. That is part of the general plan of beautifying the place. Got that Idea from the National Forestry Department. Mr. Harriman has had a lot of people working on It.and you see how much has been done. "Now, I want to tell you about the road we are traveling up. When every thing has been completed there will be a big platform at each end. And there -will be fiatcars big enough to hold a carriage and Its team. These will drive from the platform to the car, and in a few minutes will be hauled to the top, and there driven oft on another wide platform, and if the carriage contains guests, thence on to the main entrance of the house. "But there will eventually be another way by whtch vehicles can reach the place. See that bit of grading?" as a leveled space showed for a moment in the changing vista and then vanished. "There is a twenty-foot-wide road being built one that circles here and there and twists In and out. and with a grade so slight that the lowest-powered automo bile can climb it. When you note how steep the incline is you will- realize how much twisting and turning that moans. However, the road Is being graded and tunneled and bridged, and in a few years will be ready for use. Meanwhile, this other will be used. and here we are." The car slowed, bumped gently Into its buffers, and we stepped on the little plat form at the crest of the hill. To 'the right lay the mansion, half hidden In trees and cluttered about with work houses, boiler houses, pump sheds, dy namo rooms and whatnot. The house at first appearance seemed half sunk In an excavation. A nearer view showed that it rested in a stone hollow, one from which the roek had been 'blasted from three sides. The work of blasting the roek from the other has not yet been completed. It Is for this reason that the visitor does not at first realize its size. Measuring more than 300 feet in length, and nearly as many in breadth, its size Is still further deceptive owing to the fact that the main build ing is but three stories In height. Twenty-two Bathrooms. Of the seventy rooms which It Is to contain, twenty-two are bathrooms. The building Is In the form of a cross with the entrance hall In the west wing. This hall Is SO by B0 feet in size. In the same wing Is the living room, another vast apartment which, if subdivided, could be made into two or throe tfats of the Har lem type. The dining room, on the first floor. Is 24 by 37 feet. It opens Into a log gia whlrh overlooks the two lakes whose basins are a few hundred yards to the eastward of the mansion. There are thirty bedrooms, all of them on the second Hoor. The library, 30 by 58 feet. Is to be separate from the main building, but to be connected with It by a hall. South of the main structure tho site on which it is built falls away in a series of terraces. There is a pergola, half com Fraser and the Railway Mystery BY GEORGE BARTON who had committed the murder. Every pa wnshop in or around the metropolis was visited but none of them possessed any jewelry that corresponded to that which had been stolen from the bank clerk in the railway carriage. Colonel Fraser was not satisfied with these re ports, and determined to personally prose-c-ute his inquiries and researches In an other direction. He selected the jewelers ofi London and began his work in the. iu amy Known as- cneapsiae. To his delight he came upon a sig nificant clue within 24 hours. Mr. Graves, a jeweler in Cheapside. possessed a gold chain which was identical with the one that had been owned by Mr. Brlggs. The jeweler said that he had accepted the chain In exchange for another one which he had priven to a foreign looking person who had called at his establishment. To pleted, and a vast swimming pool, whose outlines are discernible. And then there are sunken courts In which all manner of flowers will bloom in time, marble circles from which fountains will toss their sprays, tunnels through which everything needed for the establishment can be brought to It direct from the inclined railway,- billiard parlors, bowling alleys, laun dry, drying room, dynamo room and quar ters for a big consignment of servants. An artesian well supplies water for the house and supplies it in a volume of 28.000 gallons a day, the water being crystal clear and said to be as pure as any that ever gushed from a vein. There is an abundance of open fire places, the big living room, the library, the dining room, all being provided with them, as are also all of the bedrooms. Be ing a full two years from completion, the house as it stands now can, of course, give no idea of what It will toe when all the work is done, all the rubbish cleared away, the lawns smoothed over, the flower beds made, the fountains sparkling, the swimming pool brimming, and the grace ful pergola shaded.. In fact the building is so far from completion that the interior finish has not yet been decided upon.. After escorting his visitor over the en tire structure the mentor gave voice to some otier things that are important. "Mr. Harriman," he said, and he spoke as one who knew what he was speaking about. " is not seeking to build a palace on this hilltop. You can take it from me that he means to consider just what It will be when finished, the country home of a wealthy man. So far from being touilt at an extravagant outlay, it is being built In a strictly sensible way, and in a strictly business way. There Is no waste. Mr. Harriman knew exactly what he wanted, and he Is getting Just what he wants." The Wedding of the Pines and the Storm. Paul. Ttader. Gently now the mow descends; ' Numberless feathery forma. To deck In glittering robes of white, . The pines who love the storms. Gently now they bow their heads. And bend their branches low. These graceful maidens of the hills. In wedding gowna of snow. The Utile breezes 'tend the brides. And It rt the fleecy u-alns, While further back among "the rocks The gales sing eddlng-strains. Dancing, yelling on they come. To gaily greet the brides. They romp and play the livelong day, And laugh at maidens' chides. The .lealous breeze leave the brides. While gales so childlike romp. And tease the maidens 'til they lose Their look of stately pomp. Then off they, run, with mocking laugh. To leave the wrsrthrul maids Before the grooms arrive, and see - The much disheveled braids.- Soon come the storms across the hills To wed their brides so fair. While with them comes the pale-faced moon. k . And Winter, cold and bare. With priestly look the moon recites The bonds, for bride and groom. And In loud voices, by the storms. The vows repeated, come. The moon, and star attendants, leave, Bach slips behind a cloud; Then, all night long the wedding song Is echoed clear and loud. Add to the .Importance of this discovery, it was learned that the exchange of the jewelry had been made on the day fol lowing the murder of Thomas Briggs. The news of this first link in the chain of evidence was widely published In the London newspapers. On the day follow ing, while Colonel Fraser was seated at his desk in the police headquarters, the door opened and a stranger entered the room. He was a slrort, stout, red-faced man, wearing a blue coat with brass but tons. The man carried a whip and from his dress and manner was evidently a cabman. He saluted in an awkward man ner. "Is this Colonel Fraser?" "It Is," was the terse response. "And may you be the chief of police?" "That's what I am called sometimes," was the Indulgent response. Photographs Pet Cats and Dogs Western Woman Finding Xo Babies in New York to WorJpn Devotes Her Time) to Animals. ffrv RIVATE photographer, specialty dogs and cats," is the reading on the professional card of a prosperous young business woman who makes her home in .a well-kept apart ment house on Riverside drive. Having read and duly pondered the statement, a New York Sun reporter asked the young woman to talk about her specialty. "To begin with, I used to make a spe cialty of children, little babies. There are so many more children in the West than here In New York! You know, I'm from the West," the young woman went on. "When I first came to New York I almost starved to death the first six morfths. It took me Just that long to catch on. "You see, I brought the idea of making a specialty of children with me to a place where there are no children. That is. none that people care about having photographed. "It worried me to death at first. I couldn't make out what was wrong. Then I began to realize that instead of wealthy and well-to-do people having children as in the West, they all had either cats or dogs. 1 had a set of new cards printed and set out. "I didn't have a bit of trouble. It was all plain sailing. Everybody wanted her cat or dog photograped. Just as in the West everybody had wanted her baby's picture taken. "In less than three months after I made that discovery I had every minute of my time engaged ahead, and moved from the boarding-house where I had found It difficult to make both ends meet with 'specialty children' to a charming apartment of my own, with money to put In bank. "Cats, are much more easily photo graphed than dogs, for the simple reason' that they are not so restless, have fewer eccentricities or less individuality. I have known eats intimately al lmy life and have only found two. varieties so far as dispositions are concerned, the ami able cat and the spiteful cat. "As for the Intellectual cat and the stupid cat, they exist only in. the fond imagination of their owners, so far as I have been able to 'see. Eve-y cat that I am called on to photograph, to listen to its owner, is a marvel of Intelligence. When I come to make their acquaintance it is the some old thing, either spit or purr. Cats Are Kasy Subjects. "Photographing a cat of the purr va riety is the simplest thing imaginable. A few gentle strokes and It will remain in any position you place It;, hold a hrlght-colored object or a bit "of food over its head and It will become animat ed at once: put an electric mouse or bird on the floor and it will crouch and make ready for a spring. If my subject is of the spitfire variety I follow the rule of contraries. "Of all the cats that I have known I don't believe six of them care for per sons, only for places. In spite of this all too evident Indifference the owners of "Well, my name is Bobby Smith." "Glad to see you, Mr. Smith." "I'm a cabman." " "An honorable vocation," responded the Colonel, with a smile. "I understand you're investigating the murder of Mr. Brlggs." At this Colonel Fraser was all atten tion. He scanned the man's face care fully and replied: "Yes. I am. Can you furnish me with any information on the subject?" "I don't know," was the response, "but I have a little box here that may In terest you." Whereupon he handed Colonel Fraser a Jeweler's little card box bearing the name of Mr. Graves, trie Cheapside jew eler. The officer looked- It over and said: "Where did you get this?" "If belongs to my little girl," was the ' reply. ' . "Where did she get It?" "It was given to her by a man who lodged with us his name is Franz Mul ler. He left very suddenly after the pa pers had become full of. the Mystery of the Railway Carriage." This was news with a vengeance. The cabman was taken in hand and subjected lo a rigorous cross-examination. He told all about his German lodger and said among other things, that the man had left his photograph on the bureau in the second-story back room where he had lodged. The police immediately secured the photo graph and Colonel Fraser hastened to Cheapside and presented it to Graves, the jeweler. "Did you ever see that man?" he in quired. "I did." was the reply. "He Is the for eigner who came here and exchanged the chain on the day after the Briggs mur der." Colonel Fraser returned to the cabman's home and held another long interview with the red-faced person who had so providentially furnished him with a clew. The cabby proved to be a veritable mine of information. He testified, among other -things, that he had purchased the hat which was found In the railway car riage, doing so at the request of Muller, his German boarder. It was learned that Muller had transferred his residence to a cheap lodging-house in the White chapel district. This was carefully guard ed, and Colonel Fraser having supplied himself with a warrant, went there one morning to arrest the suspect. Two men were stationed in the front of the house and two In the rear, and Colonel Fraser himself went upstairs to make the arrest. He hammered at the door. There was no response. He burst it open, and found nothing. The room was empty. The bird had flown. Another hurried investiga tion, in the course of which half of the police officers of the London force were employed, was made, and as a result of which it was learned that Muller had been seen at the office of an interna tional steamship company within 48 hours. He had purchased tickets for America, snd only that morning had left the Lon don docks In a sailing vessel which was bound for New York by way of Canada. Public excitement had now grown in tense, and there was general Indignation over the failure of the authorities to ar rest the culprit. Many weeks had gone by and, although the police had discov ered and followed several important clews, the guilty man was practically as far away from them as he had been in the beginning. Colonel Fraser realized the importance of prompt and speedy ac tion, and he at once formulated plans by which two of the shrewdest detectives In the metropolis were detailed to go to America to arreft Mr. Franz Muller. Bobby Smith, the cabman, and Air. Graves the Jeweler of Cheapside, were sent with the officers for the purpose of identifying Muller. This curiously assort ed quartet immediately went to Liverpool and took the first steamer across the Atlantic. It proved to be the City of Manchester, which in its day was one of the fast ocean liners, but which at the present time would be ranked among the slow freighters. However, the sailing vessel in which Muller took passage was even slower, and It was calculated that the Manchester would reach New York some days before the Victoria. It was an anxious voyage, and tire time 'was counted with feverish Impatience; but the expectations of the pursuers were realized and tho Manchester reached New York more than 48 hours ahead of the Vic toria. The four men waited on the cats are as a rule really attached to them. One cat whose photograph I have made every month since I have been in the business Is the most Indifferent little piece of flesh and blood that I have ever seen, yet its mistress, a wealthy un married woman, is as devoted to it as she or any woman could be to a child. "Blood? No, Indeed, this little cat hasn't even the slightest claims to blood. She was a regular little guttersnipe when I was first called in to take her picture. . "The lady had picked her up in the street only two days before.' The little thing had been hungry, and as the lady stepped from her carriage she whined and looked up in her face. I believe she even rubbed against her skirt. - "This was taken as a great evidence of intelligence, as the lady was especially fond of cats. Being without a pet just at that time the kitten was brought Into the house and fed. She found her way into the parlor, and there she has been ever since. "At the present time she -sleeps in a white enameled crib beside the bed of her mistress and has four carriages and a maid especially engaged to wheel her in Central Park. As for cushions and cloaks, they are-almost without number and all of the finest and daintiest mate rial. "The owner of this cat considers it the greatest compliment that she can pay a person is to give him a set of photo graphs of this little white and black pussy. She is an attractive looking little animal because she is clean, heajthy,and well fed, but as for intelligence well, she is' just the common purring variety of cat, and that is all there is to her. One Tabby That Has Jewels. "There is another woman who' calls on me quite frequently to photograph her pet and who elects to give her cat jewels. She is married, and requires her husband to duplicate every present of jewelry Intended for herself for her cat. "This particular cat is one of the near intelligent cats that I have met. She really appears to be proud of her brace lets and necklaces. She not only seems to take pains to lie in such a position as to show her ornaments to the best advantage, but will often annoy a visitor until particular attention has been taken Of them. "Yet I have seen that cat take as much pride in a bright ribbon bow, strutting before the mirror to admire herself and scratching my skirt until 1 expressed my approval, so I cannot believe what the cat's mistress affirms, that the cat knows an imitation stone from a real one. If a person told me that a dog could tell the difference between real and imitation I might be tempted to believe It, but a cat I haven't Imagination enough for that. "To tret a good photograph of an in telligent dog- one has first to know a little of the dog. A dog often has as much individuality as a hitman being. -'l have known owners and dogs ns thoroughly mismatched as some parents j dock, and as soon as the vessel reached the pier, they went aboard. Muller had been quite sick on the way over and he came on deck looking pale and careworn. Mr. Graves and the cabman recognised him at once and shouted in unison: "That's the man!" The two detectives immediately placed him under arrest, and before leaving the vessel made a search of the prisoner's box. The watch belonging to the mur dered man was found in his trtn.K, wrapped up In a piece Of leather. Most audacious of all, Muller. at the time of his capture, was wearing the hat which belonged to the murdered man. It had been cut down and somewhat altered, but there was no difficulty In finding traces which made It correspond to the article of headgear which had been in the family of the victim for many years. Through the co-operation of the Ameri can authorities, extradition papers were speedily prepared, and the prisoner went back to Elngland in the custody of his four captors, arriving there in the mid dle of September of the year of the mur der. Although the Bertilllon system of Identification by means of thumb-prints had not been perfected at that time, the first step taken by the authorities was to secure the Impressions of the prison er's hands. These were carefully com pared with the blood-print on the door of the railway carriage, and the marks of the right hand were found to corre spond fairly well with the blood-stained impression on the door of the coach. The trial occurred at the next session of the General Criminal Court. Sir Robert Collyer, the Solicitor-General, had charge' of the prosecution, ' which was based entirely upon circumstantial evi dence. It was charged that Muller had committed the murder tinder a sudden Impulse; that standing at the station he had noticed Mr. Briggs' watch and chain and Jewelry, and was filled with an over whelming desire to possess them; that on the spur of the moment he had de termined to follow him Into the car riage. The victim resisted, but his as sailant determined to possess the val uables, no matter at what cost. He had tried to choke Mr. Brlggs into Insensi bility, and not succeeding in that, had seized hold of a life preserver such as Is carried in Bnglish railway carriages and had used it to batter In the head of his venerable victim. There was a deep wound over the ear. the skull was frac tured and there were several other blows on the bead. Following up this presenta- tion of the crime, the distinguished solicitor-general presented, piece by piece, the bits of evidence which, in his mind, con victed Franz Muller of the murder of Thomas Brlggs. Sir Robert Collyer said that it was the strongest circum stantial evidence which had ever been brought forward in a murder case in his time. Muller. on his part, set up an alibi, tout It was not very we., substan tiated, and the jury without the slightest hesitation, returned a verdict of guilty. After his conviction Muller Insisted that he had been found guilty upon a false statement of facts. His case was taken up by the Society for the Protection of Germans In England, and the most pow erful influences were exerted there and abroad to obtain a reprieve for the con vict. In the meantime. Muller was urged to make a confession of his crime. He ivaded any direct response to this appeal, usually saying: "Why should man con fess to man? Man cannot forgive man; only God can do so. Man Is therefore only accountable to God." He persisted in maintaining this attitude until the very last. He was not a vicious man in any manner or way, and It was quite vident that his crime was not premedi tated, and this fact at times caused some uneasiness of conscience to his captors. His refusal to .admit this guilt was per plexing and disquieting. Finally the day of execution arrived. A German pastor attended him to the scaffold and urged him to make his peace with God. The black cap was placed over his eyes, 'and the rope was adjusted about-hls neck. The executioner prepared to1give tho signal whil-h would launch him Into eternity. At that psy chological moment Muller leaned over and whispered In the ear of his pastor: "I did It." The next second the drop had slipped, and Franz Muller had gone to meet his creator. (Next week: "Superintendent Frocst and the Versatile Rogu e. " ' ) and children, and yet there would be a certain attachment between them. Neither would understand the other, and the result would be a sort of gen eral irritation on tho part of the dog. "Whenever the owner of a dog re ports that it is an irritable animal I get the owner out of sight when taking- the dog's photograph, I have never seen a case In which a healthy dog was cross or generally Irritable that tho surroundings were not to blame. "Another point about dogs is that as a rule they prefer to be taken with children, even where they are not ac customed to children. Whenever I have a dog- that is particularly hard to take I take him to where there are children, get the kiddies interested in having their own pictures taken, and in a Ilttlo while the dog- Is In the humor and I get him at his best. "Of course I find a good many freaks among the owners of my dogs, but nothing like the same proportion as among thore who pet cats. One of the greatest extravagances that have come to my knowledge was that of a well-to-do physician. "He is middle-aged and unmarried, but to all appearances a sensible enough person; yet when his dosr died he not only went into mourning, but sent cards announcing- his dog's death to all his friends. He didn't allow the blinds of his house to be opened for weeks, and I understood that he had the body of his pet shipped to his home in the Southwest for burial. "Yes. the dog: was a blooded animal, but by no means remarkable. This man's favorite token of his esteem was a calendar of his own making Illus trated by photographs of his dog. The dog- was a hideous old beast, so one can easily imagine the fate of tho ma jority of his calendars. "Of course it is common enough for women to have their dogrs dressed .to correspond with their own gowns. Really when women have as much money and as little to think about as the average New York woman I can't sc.- much harm In It. They might de vote their time and thought , to better things, that is very true, but on the other hand they might do worse. "After one comes, to understand the apartment-house atmosphere it is readi ly understood why so many persons prefer dogs to children. Kiddies art . nice and I think there are few men and women who wouldn't prefer them If they could have homes, real homes, but not in an apartment house. "The Nw York apartment house is the paradise of the pet dog and they give me a comfortable living. I should not advise any photographer wishing to make a specialty of dogs or cats to start business in a city where- apart ment houses do not abound. In tho average apartment house one can count on finding- at least six dogs whose owners are. glad to pay for their photographs, . if not every month at least several times a year."
