The news=record., April 17, 1909, Saturday Edition, Image 5

The
n
The
By GASTON LEROUX efc,
I quietly made my way through the
crowd and left the court almost at the
same time as Rouletabllle. He greeted
me heartily and looked happy.
"I'll not ask you. my dear fellow," I
ea Id, smiling, "what you've been doing
In America, because I've no doubt
you'll say you can't tell me until after
half past 0."
"No. my dear Salnclair. I'll tell you
right now why I 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
Glandler I knew there were two
halves to the murderer and the name
of only one of tbem. I went to Amer
ica for the name of the other half."
I was too puzzled to answer. Just
then we entered the witness room,
and Rouletabllle was Immediately sur
rounded. He showed himself very
friendly to all except Arthur Ranee,
to whom he exhibited a mnrked cold
ness of manner. Frederic Larsau
came In also. ' Rouletabllle want BP
and shook him heartily by the hand.
His manner toward the detective
showed that he had got the better of
the policeman. Larson smiled and
asked him what he had been doing in
America. Rouletabllle began by tell
ing him some anecdotes of his voyage.
Tbey then turned aside together, ap
' parently with the object of speaking
confidentially.
On the stroke of half past 6 Joseph
Rouletabllle was 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. Darzae rose to his feet, frightful
ly pale.
The president, addressing Rouleta
ll!h. said gravely:
"1 will not ask you to take the oath,
because you have not been regularly
summoned, but I trust there is no need
to urge upon you the gravity of the
statement you are about to make."
Rouletabllle looked the president
quite calmly and steadily la the face
and replied:
"Yes, monsieur."
"At your last appearance here," said
the president, "we had arrived at the
points where you were to tell us how
the murderer escaped and also his
name. Now, M. Rouletabllle, we await
your explanation,"
"Very well, monsieur," began my
friend amidst profound silence. "1
had explained how it was impossible
for the murderer to get away without
being seen. And yet he was there
With us In the court."
"And you did not see blm? At least
that is what the prosecution declares."
''No! We all of us saw him, M. Ie
President)" cried Rouletabllle.
"Then why was he not arrested?"
"Because no one besides myself
knew that be was the murderer. It
would have spoiled my plans to have
bad blm arrested, awl 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 t him. I have now brought
what I consider the indisputable,
proof."
"Speak out, monsieur. Tell us the
murderer's name."
"You will And It on the list of names
pmumt in the court on the night of
the tragedy," replied Rouletabllle.
The people present In the courtroom
began showing impatience. Some of
them even called for the name and
were silenced by the usher.
"The list Includes Daddy Jacques,
pernter, the concierge, and Mr. Arthur
Ranee." said the president "Do you
Accuse any of these?"
'fio, monsieur ,'"
"Then I do not understand what you
are driving at There was no other
person at the end of the court"
"Yes, monsieur, there was, pot ft the
end, but above the court, who was
leaning out of the window."
"Do you mean Frederic Larsan?" ex
claimed the president
Tee, Frederic Larsan!" replied Roule
tabllle In ringing tone. "Frederic
Larsan Is the murderer!"
The courtroom became Immediately
filled with loud and indignant protests,
go astonished was be that the presi
dent did not attempt to quiet it The
quick silence which followed was bro
ken bjr the distinctly whispered words
from the lips of Robert Darzae:
"It's Impossible! He's mad!"
"Ton dare to accuse Frederic Larsan.
monsieur?" asked the president "If
you are not mad, what ere yonr
proofs?"
"Proofs, monsieur? Do yon want
proofs? Well, here Is one," cried Roule
- tabflle shrilly. "Let Frederic Larsan
be called!"
"Usher, call Frederic Larsan." .
The usher hurried to the side door,
opened it and disappeared. The door
remained open, while all eyes turned
expectantly toward it The clerk re
appeared and, stepping forward, said:
"M. President. Frederic Larsan is
not here. He left at about 4 o'clock
and has not been seen since."
'That is my proof!" cried Rouleta
bllle triumphantly.
-Explain yourself," demanded the
president '
"My proof Is Laraan's flight" said
the young renorter. "He win
vsterv
Yellow
tiack. You will see no more of Fred
eric Larsan."
"Unless you are playing with the
court, monsieur, why did you not ac
cuse him when he was present? He
would then have answered-you."
"He could give no other answer than
the one he has now given by his
flight."
"We cannot believe that Larsan has
fled. There was no reason for his 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 murderer you gave
him the opportunity to escape?"
"Yes, M. President, I did," repUed
Rouletabllle proudly. "I am not a po
liceman; I am a journalist and my
business Is not to arrest people. My
business Is In the service of truth and
Is not that of an executioner. If you
are just, monsieur, you will see that I
am right You can now understand
why I refrained until this hour to
divulge the name. I gave Larsan time
to catch the 4:17 train for Paris, where
he would know where to hide himself
and leave no traces. You will .not
find Frederic Larsan," declared Roule
tabllle, fixing his eyes on M. Robert
Darzac. "He is too cunning. He Is a
man who has always escaped you and
whom you have long searched for In
vain. If he did not succeed in out
witting me he an yet easily outwit
any police. This man, who four years
ago Introduced himself to the police
and became celebrated as Frederic
Larsan, is notorious under another
name a name well known to crime.
Frederic Larsan, M. President, is Ball
meyer." "Ballmeyer!" cried the president
"Ballmeyer!" exclaimed Robert Dar-
kic, springing to bis feet "Ballmeyer!
It was true, then!"
"Ah, M. Darzac, you don't think I
am mad now!" cried Rouletabllle.
Ballmeyer! Ballmeyer! No other word
could be heard In the courtroom. The
president adjourned the bearing.
Those of my readers who may not
have heard of Ballmeyer will wonder
at the excitement the name caused.
And yet the doings of this remarkable
criminal form the subject matter of
the most dramatic narratives of the
newspapers and criminal records of the
past twenty years. It had been report
ed that he was dead and thus had
eluded the police as be bad eluded
them throughout the whole of his ca
reer.
Ballmeyer was the best specimen of
the high class "gentleman swindler.1
He was - an adept at sleight of hand
tricks, and no bolder or more ruthless
crook ever lived. He was received In
the best society and was a member of
some of the most exclusive clubs. On
many of his depredatory expeditions
he bad not hesitated to use the knife
and the mutton bone. No difficulty
stopped plra, and no "operation was
too dangerous. He bod been caught,
but escaped on the very morning of
his trial by throwing pepper Into the
eyes of the guards who were conduct
ing him to court
He left France later to "work" Amer
ica. The police there succeeded in once
capturing blm, but the extraordinary
man escaped the next day. It would
need a volume to recount the adven
tares of this master criminal. And yet
this was the man Rouletabllle bad al
lowed to get away! Knowing all about
blm "and who be was, he afforded the
criminal an opportunity for another
laugh at the society he bad defied!
could not help admiring the bold stroke
of the young journalist because I felt
certain his motive bad been to protect
both Mile. Stangerson and rid Darzac
of an enemy at the same time.
The crowd had barely recovered
from the effect of the astonishing rev
elation when the bearing was resumed.
The question In everybody's mind
was. Admitting that Larsan was the
murderer, how did he get out of the
yellow room?
Rouletabllle was Immediately called
to the bar and his examination con
tinued. "Yon have told us," said the presi
dent "that it was impossible to es
cape from the end of the court Since
Larsan was leaning out of bis window,
he had left the court How did be do
that?"
"He escaped by a most unusual way.
He cllmed the wall, sprang on to the
terrace and while we were engaged
with the keeper's body reached the
gallery by the window. He then bad
little else to do than to open the win
dow, get in and call out to pa, as if be
had just come from bis own room-
To a man of Ballmeyer's strength all
that was mere child's play. And here.
monsieur, is the proof of what I say
Rouletabllle drew from bis pocket a
small packet from which be produced
a strong iron peg.
"This, monsieur," he said, "is a
spike which perfectly flu a bole still
to be seen In tbe cornice supporting
the terrace. Larsan. who thought and
prepared for everything In case of any
emergency, had fixed this spike into
tbe cornice. All he bad to do to make
bis escape good was to plant one foot
on a atone which Is placed at tbe cor
ner of tbe chateau, another on thin
rapport, one band, on tbe cornice of
the keeper's door and tbe other on tbe
of
Room
COPYRIGHT. 1908.
BY BRENTANO'S
terrace, ami uirsun was clear or tne
ground. The rest was easy. His act
ing after dinner as if he bad been
drugged was make believe. He was
not drugged. But he did drus me.
Of course he had to make it appear as
It he also hitd been drugged so that no
suspicion should fall ou him for my
condition. Had I not been thus over
powered Larsan would never have en
tered Mile. Stangerson's chamber that
night and the attack ou ber would not
have taken place."
A groan came from Darzac, who ap
peared to be unable to control his suf
fering. 'You can understand," added Roule
tabllle, "that' Larsau would feel him
self hampered from the fact that my
room was so close to his and from a
suspicion that I would be on the
watch that night. Naturally he could
not for a moment believe that I sus
pected him. But I might see him leav
ing his room when he was about to go
to Mile. Stangerson. He waited till 1
wns asleep and my friend Saiuclnir
was busy trying to rouse me. Ten
minutes after that mademoiselle was
calling out 'Murder!' "
'How did you come to suspect Lar
san?" asked the president."
"My pure reason pointed to him.
That was why I watched him. But 1
did not foresee the drugging. He Is
very cunning. Yes, my pure reason
pointed to him, but I required tangible
proof so that my eyes could see him
as my pure reason saw him. The day
following the Incident of 'the inex
plicable gallery' I felt myself losing
control of It I had allowed myself to
be diverted by fallacious evidence, but
I recovered and npraln took hold of the
right end. I satisfied myself that the
murderer could not have left the gal
lery, either naturally or supernntural
Iy. I narrowed the field of considera
tion to that small circle, so to speak.
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- '
gerson, Frederic Larsan and myself
five persons In all, counting in the
murderer. And yet In the gallery
there were but four. Now. since It
had been demonstrated to me that the
fifth could not have escaped, it was
evident that one of the four present
In the gallery must be a double he
must be himself and the murderer also.
Why had I not seen this before? Sim
ply because the phenomenon of the
louble personality had not occurred
before in this Inquiry.
"Now, who of the four persons In the
rallery was both that persou and the
assassin? I went over In my mind
what I had seen. I 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. Stangerson, Daddy Jacques
or myself. Had I seen Frederic Lar
san and the murderer at the same
time? No. Two seconds had passed,
during which I lost sight of the mur
derer, for, as I have noted In my pa
pers, he arrived two seconds before
M. Stangerson. Daddy Jacques and
myself at the meeting point of the two
galleries. That would have given Lar
san time to go through the 'off turn
ing' gallery, snatch off his false beard,
return and hurry with us as If, like us.
In pursuit of the murderer. I was sure
now I had got hold of the right end in
my reasoning. With Frederic Larsan
was now always associated in my mind
the personality of the unknown of
whom I was In pursuit the murderer,
in other words.
"That revelation staggered me. 1
tried to regain my balance by going
over the evidences previously traced,
but which had diverted my mind and
led me away from, Frederic Larson.
What were these evidences?
"First I had seen the unknown In
Mile. Stangerson's chamber. On going
to Frederic Larsau's room I bad found
Larsan sound asleep.
"Second.-The ladder.
"Third. I had placed Frederic Lar
san at the er.d of the 'oft turning" gal
lery and had told him that I would
rush Into Mile. Stangerson's room to
try to capture the murderer. Then 1
returned to Mile. Stangerson's cham
ber, where I had seen tbe unknown.
"The first evidence did not disturb
me much. It Is likely that when I de
scended from my ladder, after having
seen the unknown In Mile. Stanger
son's chamber, Larsan bad already fin
ished what he was doing there. Then,
while I was re-entering the chateau.
Larsan went back to bis own room
and, undressing himself, went to sleep.
"Nor did the second evidence trouble
me. If Larsan were tbe murderer he
could have no use for a ladder, but
the ladder might baye been- placed
there to give an appearance to the
murderer's entrance from without the
cbatean, especially as Larsan bad ac
cused Darzac and Darzac was not In
the chateau that night Further, the
ladder might have been placed there
to facilitate Larsan's flight In case df
absolute necessity.
"Bat the third evidence puzzled me
altogether. Having placed Larsan at
the end of the 'off turning gallery. I
could not explain bow be bad taken
advantage of the moment when I had
gone to the left wing of the chateau to
find M. Stangerson and Daddy Jacques
Professional Duectory of Wallowa County
t - - -j"t".j..j5Kj.jHj!K4M$K4,.1
THOS. M. DILL II
ATTORNEY'AT'LAW
Office first door south of New f
Fraternal Bldg., Enterprise, Ore. f
...... .77777" "
If
. BURLEIGH & BOYD
ATTORNEYS-AT-LAW f
J; Practice in all State Courts and
,5, Interior L-epartment. Careful at-?J
leinion to all business. i
s
I D. W. SHEAHAN
I LAWYER . ENTERPRISE
Practice in State and Federal
F Courts and Interior Department.
) C. T. HOCKETT. M. D. S
PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON J
Office upstairs in Bank Build-
lng. Ind. Home phone in office 1'
and residence. f
to return ro Mile. 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 had time to rejrnln his
post, as he hnd certainly hoped to do. ;
He had, then, a very strong reason for j
returning to his room. As for myself, I
when I sent Daddy Jacques to the end
of the 'right' gallery I naturally j
thoilG-llt flint- T nraon irn a otlll n f hln
uu.u.tu , u9 mill m uja
post. Daddy Jacques in going to his
post had not looked when he passed
to see whether Larsan was at his post
or not.
"What, then, wns the urgent' reason
which had compelled Larsan to co to
tue room a Becuuu nuier 1 guesseu it
to be some evidence of his presence
there. He had left something very
Important In that room. What wns It?
And had he recovered It? I begged
Mme. Bernler, who was accustomed to
clean the room, to look, and she found
a pair of eyeglasses this pair, M.
President!"
And Rouletabllle drew the eyeglasses.
of which we know, from his pocket, j
"When I saw these eyeglasses," he
continued, "I wns utterly nonplused. I
I hod never seen Larsau wear eye. I
glasses. What did they mean? Sud- j
donly I exclaimed to myself. 'I wonder '
If he Is long sighted!' I had never -seen '
Larsan write. He might then be long
sighted. The police would certainly
know and also know if the glasses
were his. Such evidence would be
damning. That explained Larsan's re
turn. I know now that Larsan or
Ballmeyer Is long sighted nnd that
these glasses belonged to him.
"I now made one mistake. I was not
satisfied with the evidence I bad ob
tained. ;J wished to see the man's
face. Had I refrained from this the
second terrible attack would not have
occurred."
"But," 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 n reason, but"
"It Is the only reason. He was mad
ly In love, and because of that and
other things he was capable of com
mitting any crime."
"Did Mile. Stangerson 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, he 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 the shadow and that he
kept his head bent down. He was
looking for the lost eyeglnsses. Mile.
Stangerson knew Larsan under anoth
er name."
"M. Darzac," asked the president
"did Mllo. Staugcrson 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 yon the
pain of being accused."
"Mile. Stangerson told me nothing,"
replied M. Darzac.
"Does what this young man say r.p
pear probable to you?" the president
asked.
"Mile. Stangerson has told me nolh
lng," he replied stolidly.
"How do you explain that on tbe
night of the murder of the keeper,"
the president nsked, turning to Roule
tabllle, "the murderer brought back the
papers .stolen from M. Stnnperuon?
How do you crplaln how the murderer
gained entrance Into Mile. Stangerson's
locked room?"
"The hist question Is easily answer
ed. A man like Larsan or Bnllmeyer
could have hud made duplicate keys.
As to the documents. I think 1. 11 run u
had not Intended to steal them nt first.
Closely watching mademoiselle with
the purpose of preventing her mar
riage with M. ISobert Darzac. he 0110
day followed her and monsieur Into
the department store. There he got
possession of the reticule which she
lost or left behind. In thnt reticule
was a key with a brass head. He dM
not know there was any value attach
ed to the key till the advertisement In
the newspapers revealed It He then
wrote to mademoiselle, as the adver
tisement requested. No doubt he osk-1
ed for a meeting, making known to her
that he was also the person who had .
for some time pursued her wltb hla
FIRST DIVIDEND PAID.
Checks for the first dividend in
the receivership of the defunct Far
mers and Traders bank at La Grande
I were paid deDosltors Wednesday.
They were for 45 Per cent and
County Treasurer Frawley received
1 tne largest $9515.84, being 45 per
deposit In the tailed bank.' Peter
O'S'j'.lvan got the largest individual
check, $4795.50. Mr. O'Sullivan, who
is a Wallowa county pioneer and
was the first county judge of this
county, had hi3 life earnings on dep
osit in the bank when it failed.
Eberhard Takes Office.
The bond of C. R. Eberhard, the
new receiver of the La Grande land
office, was approved and he assumed
the duties Thurslay. ,
Best Treatment for Colds.
We often wonder how any person
can be persuaded Into taking any
thing but Fo'.ey's Honey and Tar
for coughs, colds and lung trouble.
Do not be fooled Into accepting "own
make" or other substitutes. The
genuine contains no harmful drugs
and Is hi a yellow package. Bur
naugh & May field.
ne rei-eiveil no answer. lie
went to the postoillce and ascertained
that bis letter was no longer there. He
had already taken complete stock of
M. Darzac. nnd. having decided to go
to any lengths to gain Mile. Stanger
son, he had planned that, whatever
might happen, M. Darzac. his hated
rival, should be the man to be sus
peered.
"I do not think that Larsan bad a
yet thought of murdering Mile. Stan
gerson: but. whatever lie might do. he
made sure that M. Darzae should suffei
for It. He was very nearly of the same
height ns M. Darzac and hod almost
the same sized feet. It would not be
difficult to take nn Impression of M
Durznc's footprints nud hove similar
boots mode for himself. Such tricks
were mere child's play for Larsan or
Ballmeyer.
"Receiving no reply to his letter, he
determined, since Mile. . Stangerson
w-ould not come to him. that be would
go to her. His plan had long been
formed. lie had made himself master
of the plans of the chateau nnd the
pavilion, so that one afternoon while
M. and Mile. Stniigerson were out for
a walk and while Daddy Jacques was
away he entered the Intter by the
vestibule window. lie was alone and,
being in no hurry, he began examining
the furniture. One of the pieces, re
sembling a safe, had n very small key
hole. That Interested him! lie had
with him Ihe little key with t lie brass
head and, associating one with the
Red Front Live
Feed Stable
First Class Accommodation
Best of Hay and Grain t
ON K BLOCK SOUTH OF
HOTEL KNTE11PRISB
Did It Ever Occur To You That A
Telephone in Your Home
Provides safet, convenience, economy and
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plete? Its cost is little, its benefits are
manifold.
Home Independent Telephone Co.
Covering Union and Wallowa Counties
MAIL AND PASSENGER
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Wallowa. Appleton, Flora lo Paradise, ,
MONDAYS WEDNESDAYS and KIUDAYS; and f
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f W. C. KETCHUM
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ENTERPRISE
2 r ' e Ceriand Building.
Independent Phone.
Home
I , CON A WAY & CORKINS, f
J A. B. Conaway. O. M, Corkins.-?
1 LAWYERS
t Enterprise, Oregon.
J
I E. T. ANDERSON, M. D.
J PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON
$ Calls attended to day or night.
j iioino pnone. Enterprise, Ore. 4,
8"8't5''t'i"lf'4H).f!Mf.4.v,t,.i,iv.
DR. C. A. AULT
PHYSICIAN AND SL'RGLON I
Office la Bank Building.
Home phone both office and
residence.
ouier, ne men tt:: Key In t!ie lor';
The door opened. He saw nothing but
papers. They ni'ist lie very vrlu.ilile t-
have been put nwny In n iihp t'r key
to which be knew to be of bo nucli Im
portance. Perhaps n t hour-lit of Vaok
mnll o rrr.vd to lilm as ti m-efv.l possi
bility In helping blm In Ills designs on
Mile. Stan;,e -son. He quickly made
parcel of tbe papers and to"!s it to
the lavatory l:i tlie vestibule. Between
the time of bis first exai- lnati.ai of
the pavilion and the nl-rlit f tlie rur
derof the keeper Larsan lud I tlm
to find out what those p;:;ers con
tained, lie could do nothln.: villi
them, and I hey were rather 'o":pro
mislng. That night be, took them b:vk
to the chateau Perhaps li. Innod
thnt by returning- the (tapers be nil 'it
ibtaln some gnuitude from Mile Thin
,','erson. I'.nt whatever may have been
his reasons, he took tlie papers back
ind so rid himself of an Incumbrance."
Itoiiletnbllle coutrhed. It wns evi
dent to me that he wns eml-nrnssed
Ho bad arrived nt a point wher" In
hnd to keep back bis knowledge of
Lnrsnn's true motive. The explana
tion ho hnd given had evidently been
unsatisfactory. Rouletalillle was qtiMt
enough to note the I ad Impression he
had made, for. turning to the presi
dent, he said. "And now we come to
the explanation of the i.iyeiery of the
yellow room!"
(Continued ne t week
Read the advertluenients.
art;
BO'WtlL i
U'J
I'ROPIUKTOUS.
1