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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1909)
lie Mystery-- The Yellow By GASTON LEROUX I quietly nude try way through th crowd tad left the court almost at th same time an Roulerabllle. Be greeted me besrrGy mil loosed nappy. "I'll not ask yon. my dear fellow." I said, smiilnx. "what yoa've been doing la America. Tecsu--e I'e bo doubt yocll say too can't tell me until after half pa fi." "No. my dear Saincl&lr. 111 tell yoo riht now why ! went to America. I went in search of the name of the oth er half of the murderer!" -The name of the other half "Exactly: When we last left the Glandter 1 knew there were two barren to the murtferer and the name of only one of them I went to Amer ica for the name of the orher half. I was too puzzled to answer. Joat then we entered the wimeo room, and Rnnletabille was Immediately sur rounded. Be snowed hltnnelf very friendly to all except Arthur Ranee, to whom he exhibited a marked cold ness of manner Frederic Larsaa came la also. BonletabCle wtat p and shook him heartily by the hand. Bis manner toward th detective showed that he had got the better of the policeman. Larsan smiled and asked him what he had been doing In America. Bouietabilie began by tell ing him some anei dotes of bis voyage. They tbea turned aside together, ap parently with the object of speaking confidentially. On the stroke of half put 6 Joseph Bouietabilie waa again brought in. It Is Impossible for me to picture the tense excitement which appeared on every face as he made his way to the bar. Darxac rose to his feet, frightful ly pale. The president, addressing Bouieta bilie. said gravely: "1 will not ask you to take the oath, because you have not been regularly summoned, but 1 trust there Is no need to urge upon you the gravity of the statement you are about to make. Bouietabilie looked the president quite calmly and steadily In the face and replied,: ""Yea, monsieur.' "At your last appearance here," said the president, "we had arrived at the point , where you were to tell us how the murderer escaped and also his name. Sow, M. Bouietabilie. we await your explanation." "Very well, monsieur." began my friend amidst a profound silence, "i bad explained how It was impossible for the murderer to get away without being seeu. And yet be was there with us tn the court" "And you did not see him At least that is what the prosecution declares." Sol We aU of us saw him, 11. le President! cried Bouietabilie. "Then why waa he not arrested?" "Because no one besides myself knew that he was the murderer. It would have spoiled my plans to have bad him arrested, and I bad then no proof other than my own reasoning. I was convinced we had the murderer before us and that we were actually looking at him. I have now brought what I consider the indisputable proof." "Speak out. monsieur. TU us the murderer's name." "You will And It on the list of names present In the court on the night of the trafredy." replied Bouietabilie. The people present In the courtroom began showing impatience. Borne of them even called for the name and were silenced by the usher. The list includes Daddy Jacques. Bernler. the concierge, and Mr. Arthur Bance," said the president. "Do you aecuse any of these!" "No, monsieur!" "Then I do not understand what you are driving at. There was no other person at the end of the court." "Tea. monsieur, there was, not at the nd. but above .the court, who was leaning out of the window." "Do you mean Frederic Larsan V eg. claimed the president "Yes. Frederic Larsan !" replied Boule tabllle In a ringing tone. "Frederic Larsan la the murderer"" The courtroom became Immediately filled with loud and Indignant protests. So astonished wss be that the presi dent did not attempt to quiet It The quick silence which followed was bro ken by the distinctly whispered words from the Hps of Bobert Darzae: "It's Impossible! He's madr "You dare to accuse Frederic Larsaa, monsieur?" asked the president "If you are not mad. what are your proofs?" "Proofs, monsieur? Do you waat proofs? Well, here is one," cried Bouie tabilie shrilly. "Let Frederic Larsan be called r "Usher, call Frederic Larsan." Toe usher hurried to the side door, opened It and disappeared. The dxor remained open, while all eyes turned expectantly toward it. The elerk re appeared and, stepping forward, said: "11. President, Frederic Larsan la not here. He left at about 4 o'clock nd has not been seen since." -That Is my proof r cried Bouieta bilie triumphantly. ' "Explain yourself," demanded th president , "My proof Is Larsah's flight," said the young re Dorter. "He win 111 see a race of eric "Tnleaa yoti court, monsieur, cuse him when ire playing with the j why aid jroi aot Be ne was p reseat? He would tbea have answered ye-" "Be coaid give no other answer tbas the one he has aew grvea by kla Bight" "We cannot believe that Larsaa baa fled. There was no nama for has do ing so. Did he know you'd make this charge?" -He did. I told him I would." "Do you mean to say that knowing Larsan was the mudarer you gave him the opportunity to escape?" -Yea. M. President I did." replied Bouietabilie proudly. "I am lot a po liceman; I an a jowssOs-c. aad aiy business is not to arras people. My business Is In the serrtew of trot? and la not that of an axscattotMr. If job art just, monakeur, yea wHl aea that I am right Ton em Bw naderscaad why I refrained matfl tats ban to divulge the name. ; I gave Larsaa tJme to catch the 4 J7 train for Paris, where be would know where to htte binIf and leave no traces. Ten wfll aot And Frsderte Larsaa." dnriaraa Baula tabUle. fixing bis ayes oa M. Bofcart Darzae "He la too cuaai&g. Be la a man who has always escaped yosj and whom you have long aaatebod far la vain. If he Old net mccaad te sat wlttlng me be caa yet i sally oatirtt any police. This man, whs low years i go in trod acad himself t the police and became celebrated as Fradaric Larsan. Is notorious anrtsr a Bother name nam wall knows to crime. Frederic Larsaa. M. PreeJdaat, ts Ba It merer." "Ballmeyarr cried the president "BaOmeyer!" exclaimed Bobert Dar mc. springing to bis feet "Ballmer or! It was true, then!" "Ah. M. Dartac, you don't think I am mad now!" cried Bouietabilie. Ballmeyer! Ballmer er! No other word could be heard tn th courtroom. Th president adjourned the hearing. Those of my readers who -nay not have beard of Ballmeyer will wonder at the excitement the nam caused. And yet th doings of this remarkable criminal form th ntb'acf matter of the most dramatic narrative! of the newspapers and criminal records of the past twenty years. It had been report ed that he was dead aad thus had eluded the police as he had laded them throughout the whole of his ca reer. Ballmeyer wss the beat speclmca of the high class "gentleman swindler. He was an adept at aleight xf hand tricks, and no bolder or more 'ruthless crook ever lived. He was recetved la the best society and wss a member of some of the most exclusive clubs. On many of his depredatory expeditions be bad not hesitated to use the knife and the - muttoo bone. So difficulty stopped him, and no "operatioa" was too dangerous. He had been caught but escaped on the very morning of bis trial by throwing pepper Into the eyes of tbe guards who were rond net-In-: him to court He left France later to "work" Amer ica. The police there succeeded In one capturing him, but the extraorflinary man escaped the next day. It -would need a volume to recount th adven tures of this matter criminal.- And yet tills was the man Bouietabilie had al lowed to get away! Kaowi&s; all about mm und who be was. be afforded tbe criminal an opportunity tor another laush at the society h had defied! I could not help admiring tbe bold stroke of the young journalist beoaue J felt certain bla motive had bees to protect both Mile. Biangerson aad rM Daraac of an enemy at tbe same time. Th crowd had barely recovered from tbe effeet of the aetoakblsg rev elation when the hearing was Nsuiasd. Tbe question la everybody's " minU wss. Admitting that Larsaa was tbe murderer, bow did be get out of th yellow room? Itouletabllle waslatandJautfy called to tbe bar and bta exatalj-afloa con tinued. "You have told as," safd the prasl drat. "that It was lraposalbU to -cap from the end f the cwart Bi-rea Larssn was leaning out of his window, he had left tbe court How 414 be do that?" "He escaped by a -seat Baaatssl way. He cllmed th wan. ssxaaf sa ie th terrace and while we Were engaged with the keeper's body reached th gallery by tbe window. He tbea had little else to do than to open the win dow, get In aad caU ottt to tM. as tf a bad Just come freta fats ws room. To a man of BaUmeyer s strength aU that waa mere child's play. Aad bet, monsieur, la tbe proof of what I say." Bouietabilie drew frota hie pocket a small paeket. from whtfn 1m produced a strong tron peg. "This, monsieur,' La said.' "hi a tpihe which perfectly tit a hoi atfll to be seen In tbe eon ice tappertlng the terrace. Larsaa. who thnwght and prepared for everything la case wf any emergency, bad fixed this spike Into the cornice. AH h had to do to make his escape good was fa p last one feet en a aton which ts placed at the cor ner of -the chateau, another ea this support, on hand on th cornice of U kteoer doer and th saber a tha back. of Room COmtlCHT. 1908. BY BREtTANO'S terrace, ana Larsan was clear ot tne . KToand. The rest was cosy. Ilia act ing after dinner as If be had been drugged was make believe. He was . not drug-red. But he did dru? me. Of course be had to make It appear a.s . if be also had been drugged so that no suspicion should fall on him fur my condition. Had I not been thus over powered Larsan would never have en tered Mile. Stangerson's chamber that night and tbe attack on ber would not have taken place." A groan came from Darxac. who ap peared to be unable to control bis suf-1 fering. ' "You can understand." added Boule- j rabllle. "that Larsan would feel him- : self hampered from the fact that n:y ' room was so close to bis and from a j suspicion that I would be on tbe watch that night Naturally be-ould not for a moment believe that 1 bus- : peered him. But 1 might see him leav- tog his room when he was about to go ! to Mile. Staugenon. He waited till I was asleep and my friend Sainolalr '. was busy trying ro rouse me. Ten ; minutes after that mademoiselle was ' calling out "Murder!" ! "How did you come to suspect Lar- : sen V asked tbe president." j "My pure reason pointed to biro. : That was why I watched him. But I 1 did aot foresee tbe dragging. He Us very cunning. Yes, my pure reason j pointed to him, but I required tangible j proof so that my eyes could see him as my pure reason saw hint. Tbe day , following the Incident of 'the lnex- j plicable gallery' I felt myself losing t control of It. I bad nllowed myself to be diverted by fallacious evidence, but I recovered and a?aln took bold of tbe right end. I satisfied myself that the murderer could not have left the gal- : tory. either naturally or supernatural- j ly. I narrowed tbe field of considera tion to that small circle, so to speak, f The murderer could not be outside ' that circle. Now. who were In it? There was, first, the murderer. Then ! there were Daddy Jacques. M. Stan- i garson, Frederic Larsan and myself ! five persoua in all, counting in the : murderer. And yet in tbe gallery ; there were but four. Now, since It bad been demonstrated to me that the fifth could not have escaped. It was evident that one of the four present ' tn th gallery must be a double he Bust be himself and the murderer also. ' Why had I not seen this before? Sim- j ly because the phenomenon of tbe : louble personality had not occurred ! before In this inquiry. j "Now, who of the four persons tn the rallery was both that person and tbe ' assassin? I went over in my mind j what I had seen. 1 had seen at one ' and the same time M. Stangerson and ! the murderer. Daddy Jacques and the ; murderer, myself and the murderer, so ' that the murderer, then, could not be ! either M. Stanperson. Uaddy Jacques ' or myself. Had I seen Frederic Lar- an and the murderer at tbe same time? No. Two seconds bad passed, f during which I lost sight of the mur- j derer, for, as I have noted in my pa-: pers. be arrived two seconds before ) M. Btaugerson. Daddy Jacques and J myself at tbe meeting Mlnt of the two j gallerlee. That would have given Lar san time to go through tbe 'off rum- J Ing' gallery, snatch off bis false beard. '. return and hurry with us as If, like us. t tn pursuit of tbe murderer. I was sure j now I had got hold of the right eud la my reasoning. With Frederic Larsan I was now always associated In my tnlud j the personality of the unknown of j WhOQl I WHS In nilfatllt the mn-npn. I ... I "" - .uv l.llll l.t , in other words. "That revelation staggered roe. 1 tried to regain my balance by going over the evidences previously traced, but which had diverted my mind and led me awny from Frederic Larsan. What were these evidences? "First. I had seen tUe nuknown In Mile. Stangerson's chamber. On going to Frederic Larnan's room I had found Larsan sound asleep. "8eeond.-The l:idiler. "Third. I had placed Frederic Lar aan at tbe et:d of tlie 'off turning' gal lery and had told fclui that I would rash Into Mile, Htaugerson's room to try to capture tbe murderer. Then I returned to Mile. Stancersoc's cham- i ber. where I bad seen tbe unknown. I "The first evidence did not disturb ' (be much. It is likely that when I de- j scend'.-d from my ladder, after baring : seen the unknown In Mile. Sia riper-' on' chamber. Larxan bnd already fin-1 fflbatfl wKat I... .1 . . : - . . .1 rrt I ir naa uiiiUe I lit i AUtfU, f wane 1 wss re-entering tbe chateau, i Larsan went back to bis own room and. undressing himself, went to sleep. J "Nor did tbe second evidence trouble j to. If Larsan were the murderer be could bsve no use for a ladder, but tbe ladder might have been placed i there to give an appearance to the! murderer's entrance from without the' e hate a. especially as Larsan bad ac-1 cased Darzae and Darzae was not In ! the chateau that night Further, thei ladder might h.tve been placed there ! to facilitate Larsan's flight In case of aiolute necessity. "But the third evidence puzzled me all'-trether. Having placed Larsan at the end of the 'off turning' gallery. I could aot explain how be bad taken advantage of the moment when I bad on to tbe left wing of tbe chateau to tl M. Btangerson and Daddy Jacques Professional Ditectory of Wallowa County KIMHlitM!lHWW FIRST DIVIDEND PAID. J MMm4 TH03. M. DILL ATTOLMY'AT'LAW f OfJice first door south of New t. I Fraternal BUg, Enterprise. Ore. :t X 'Z i EUBLEIGH & BOYD 1 AJTORNEYS-AT-LAW 'f Practice In al Slate Cojrts and 2 lu.erior Ivetrtien;. farsiui at j ica-m to aU buaiiieis. ttiir? SHEAHAN ENTERPRISE LAWYER PracUce In State and Federal Codr.s and Interior Dapartmeut. i MHvvfvtmMv4vv4f. ? C. T. HOCKETT. M. D. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON ? f . . , t, i, n.i 2! O'fice upstatra in Bank Build- 5- i ing. ind. Home phone in office and residence. f r :-: - : MX-K!K4 to rftam ll line. Stangerson's room. It was a very dangerous thing to do. lie risked being captured, and he knew It. And he was very nearly captured. He had not hid time to regain his post as he had certainly hoped to do. He had. then, a very strong reason for returning to his room. As for myself, when I sent Daddy Jacques to the end of the Tight gallery I naturally thought that Larsan was still at hU post Daddy Jacques In going to his ' post had not looked whan he passed to see whether Larsan was at his post ; or not "What. then, was the urgent reason which had compelled Larsan to eo to tne room a mvuuu uuiei 1 guesseo. it to be some evidence of his presence , there. He had left something very 1 Important In that room. What was It? And had he recovered It? I begged ' Mme. Bernler, who was accustomed to clean the room, to look, and she fouud : a pair of eyeglasses this pair, M. : President!" j And Bouietabilie drew tbe eyeglasses, of which we know, from bis pocket 1 "When I saw these eyeglasses." he continued. "1 was utterly nonplused. : I had never seen Larsan wear eye glasses. What did they mean? Sud denly I exclaimed to myself, 'I wonder If he Is long sighted! I bad never seeu Larsan write. He might then be long sighted. The police would certainly know and also know If tbe glasses were his. Bucb evidence would be damning. That explained Larsan's re turn. I know now that Larsan or Ballmeyer Is long sighted and that these glasses belonged to him. "I now made one mistake. I was not satisfied with the evidence I bad ob tained. I wished to see the man's face. Had I refrained from this the second terrible attack would not have occurred." "Eut." asked the president "why should Larsan go to Mile. Stangerson's room at all? Why should be twice at tempt to murder her?" "Because he loves her, M. President." "That Is certainly a reason, but" "It is the only reason. He was mad ly In love, and because of tbat and other things he was capable of com mitting anv crime." "Did Mile. Staugerson know this?" "Yes, monsieur, but she was Ignorant of the fact that the man who was pur suing her was Frederic Larsan; other wise, of course, be would not have been allowed to be at the chateau. I noticed when he was In her room aft er the Incident In the gallery that he kept himself in tbe shadow and tbat be kept his head bent down. He was looking for the lost eyeglasses. Mile. Stangerson knew Larsan under anoth er name." "M. Darzae," , asked the president "did Mile. Stangerson in any way con fide in you on this matter? How Is It that she has never spoken about It to any one? If you are Innocent she would have wished to spare you the pain of being accused." "Mile. Stangerson told me nothing," replied M. Darzae. "Does what this young man say tp pear probable to you?" tbe president asked. "Mile. Stangerson has told me noih ing." be replied stolidly. "How do you explain tbat on the night of the jnurder of tbe Ueeiter." the president asked, turning to Bouie tabilie. "the mnnlcrcr broncbt bnck fut paper. stolen from SI. StnTi-.-crsoii-How do you explain how tbe mr:(r': gained entrance l:i;o Mile. Siangeivun'--locked room?" "The lust question l.i eaiiy nnstvvr ed. A uiau UUe Lnrn or B:illnierci could h:ive U;id made dti!lifutr kcr As to the documents. 1 think Ir had not Intended to steal tbeia nt fir: Closely watching mademoi :ic with the purpose of preventing her mar riage with M. Boliert Darzae. he one day followed ber and monsieur im., the department store. There he g! possession of the reticule wbi-li pv. lost or left behind. In that rcti-;; was a key with a brass he-id. nP not know there wns any vnltip nttnch ed to tbe key till the advertisement li the newspapers revealed It. He then wrote to mademoiselle, ns the sdver tlsement requested. No donbt he nb ed for a meeting, making known to her that he was also tbe person who ha'.l j for some time pursued ber with ulsj t D. V e f lor - - the receivership of the defunct F.r- : mers s.nd Traders bank at La Grande i. .-. naid depositor Wednesday. for 43 cenl and ' - o eparate thecks. rojntv Treasurer Frawley received th largest 15515.84. being 45 peri cent of the county funds he had on , deposit in the iailed bank. Peter j Ml OSaivat got the Urges: individual!? COXA WAT lc CORKTXS ! - cnecn. r. - . : it - MnM- MT.tan.fv n in no or lnQ'T " 7 I i. n t Hill St aa vvuui a' was the first county judge of this 'I h hnk .he .. failed W J Funk &. Co. have received T- j a handsome ne delivery wagon and iiare now prepare 1 to deliver goods o a ty part of to-n at all hours f , tne da.v j Be:t Trea'ment for Colds. V e o.'ten wonder bow any per3on can be persua ;ei Into taking any but Fo er 8 Honev and Tar j for coughs, colds "and lung trouble. i D" not be foolei Into accepting "own ! tndke" or other substitutes. The j genuine contains no harmful drugs j and U iu a yello' pa.'Uage. Bur- I nauPQ Mayfield. tie r-er co no nniwer. Hi' ! went to the ifc'StouVe and a.-u-ertalned that Id: letter wns no lonsrer there, no had already taken romplete stock of M. Darzae. mul. having decided to go to auy lengths to pain Mile. Stauger son. he nrd planned that whatevei might happen. M. Dnrznc. his hated rival, should be tbe man to be sus pected. 'I do not think tbat Larsan hnd a yet thought of murdering Mile. Stan gerson; but. whatever he might do. he made sure tbat XI. Darzae should snffei for It lie was very nearly of the same height as M. Darzae and had almost tbe same sized feet It would not b difficult to take an Impression of M Darzac's footprints and have similar boots made for himself. Such tricks were mere child's play for Larsan or Ballmeyer. "Receiving no reply to bis letter, he determined, since Mile. Stangerson would not come to him. tbat be would go to ber. Ills plan had long been formed. He luid uinde himself master of tbe plans of the chateau and the pavilion, ro that one afternoon while M. and Mile. Stangerson were out for n walk and while Daddy Jacques was away be entered the latter by the vestibule window. Ilc wns alone and. being In no hurry, he began examining the furniture. One of tbe pieces, re sembling a safe, hud a very small key hole. Tbat Interested liim! He hnd witb him tbe little key with tbe brass head and, nsiiv-lntlng one with the Red Front Live Feed Stable First Class Accommodation -Best of Hay and Grain & ONE BLOCK SOFTH OF HOTEL ENTERPRISE Did It Ever Occur To You That A Telephone in Ycur 1 w Provides safety, convenience, economy and pleasure, and makes your home li!i- com plete? Its cost is li'ttle, its benefits are manifold. Home Independent Telephone Co. Covering Union and Wallowa Counties MAIL AND PASSE,, E. STAGE filNE Wallowa pplet r. V,oM Y- WKI) ; .- rrcra Paracii- e. Flor l"; !' V.-. ... ;. ' VVf MILLIONS OF iwi j 'il !-.' ij, vVm. Mukr rk Brother, SUITE 204. Wallowa National BanK Snildinf, Enterprise, Oregon. -w - ! 1 ! Hfr,. W. a KETCHUM DEMIST - ENTERPRISE T : e ijerj-nd Building. Ham. ... . ja. B. Conaway. O. M. Corkin.I , a m LA11U5 ' 4 X V Enterprise, Oregon. E. T. ANDERSON. M. D. PBYSIQAX AND SURGEON l-B I Calls attended to day or night, f ir or nign Home phone. Enterprise, ore, ; Kl-4:-MujkjL f , , ivi' '.rViM- 9 . 1 . jj 1 , DR. C. A. AT7LT rBYSICIAH AND SURGEON Of.'lie in Bank Building . Home phone both office and resident. 6 tnuer. ne irieo ii." Key tn t (. .. The door opei e". He sav. ii"t!-ln- int papers. They p ut lie very v;.iu-r:--hnve been put away In n s;:fc ;'i to which he knew to be of so um portmi'-fv rcrhaps a tlmtu;-lit 1 " 1 nnll oicunvd to Mm ns n ti:;efrl illlty in h"'p!i.T bim In his i Mile Stanren:u tie onl. kl i parcel of t?-? paper- rnd t'- !: the lavrtnrj in the r-wtl'-ulo. P- -1 the time f Ms Frt es'n:::l f 'be pavilion nnd the ! ht f Vy t der of the keener I.nr--' hat? '.:' to find out whr.t tbi-se pnicr talned. He could do nothi-.!-theru. and t!i'y tvere rather nUing. Thnt nlrht ! tool; t' 1 . t;, to the cbate-n r that by retun.-lir: ' obtain Bocie rr'fi"' frerson Eut v-!i;.-i his reasons hp to! 'lnn-i - iwers . 'r-") V r r.i.1- ' the pn- ind so rid h!-nself t f nn in n Iiou'etal'IIle con-Vd It I dent to me flint h'- wns e' He bad arrived pt n point hnd to keep lin -k his k:i-" Larsau's true motive Tbe ;i tlon he hnd given hnd evlde- " ' . unsatisfactory Ronlotabr.le v-i- ' enough to note th- I -ad luipn- i .;. had made. for. turning to the dent, he said. "And now we v.vw v the explanation of the taystery f th' yellow room!" (Continued next wee BOfWFLL PUOPRIETOHS 80 . - . y " mi & TEIMS.