Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-07-02
MO8OgalM AMY,
The Mysterious Deaths at Castellane,
From the Records Of French Detective
An ENCIrING STORY

NN-' i'SNNiilNb SlON1
] had some ronown rs q successful roruc-
catcher and I had some experience. too.
My field of operations, rs a usual thing.
lay within the confines of the Department
of the Lower Alps; ard though severed
under the Sub. Prctect of the Third Ar.
rondiscmont, yet the Profcct of tlc De-
Nartmcnt called upon me when he chose.
One morning--it was in The latter part Of
Nldy--l received note from the I'rcfcct.
ordering mc to como to Dignc. and sec him
with all possible despatch. The niysivc
come through the Office of our Sub Pre-
fcct, so l had nothing to do but get ready
and start ] took an carly dinner; as
'umcd the dress of peasant; Drowned
my face and hands, and set forth. ] reuch
cd blgne lust at nightfall, and as soon as
1T was dark | waited upon the Prefcct.
lie seemed to be relieved when lie saw me.
and took me to his private closet.
Now said | have you got work for
me Z? "Ycs,' he replied. /" Sit down
We sat down, and he proceeded; With
~ a few months past there hav6 been some
ot tho most mysterious murders committed
in this Department.. and in the Depart
mcnt of Var, that have ever come under
my uoticc. They are done, mostly on the
road from Castellanc to Auhs The first
victim Was h Marseillcs merchant who
had come up to CastclMc to purchase
preserved fruits. His bodY WAS found by
the road.sidc, near the line between the
two Departments and at first it was sup
posed that he must have fallen there and
died IN fit, MS no mark of violence could
he found upon him. His pockets have
been rilcd, However. The next one was
found near Annot, and undcy the same
circumstances. lie was merchant, also
and from Nice. Since then five or six
more have died upon the road in the same
mysterious way, and no marks of il.usacc
have been fousd upon any of them; but
they have al been robbed"
Have most of them STONED in Costcl.
lane" | asked.
The Prefect tod me that they had.
e" And suppose they must have put up
st some inn, there % j remarked.
e Gcs," said the Project.
bthcn supposed that some of the land.
lords must lie concerned. But my compa-
mon informed me that they had heen mar
rowly watched, and that no shadow of cyi-
dcnce rested against thom.
But" said |, is there not some moi.
son in the matter?" Some innkeepcr may
administer the portion, and then send an
accomplce after the victim"
No." returned the Prefcct with n
shake of the head. =" Experienced physi-.
clans have examined the ston achs Of &C.
vcra of the dead men, but no trace of poi.
son has been found 1t is mysterious Of
fair, The Sub-PrcCoct has done all he
could, but without effect; and now we
mean to give the whole thing into your
hands You must go to Castcllanc at once
and there you can get such further iii.
formation as the Sub-prefect can. give
you"
After comforting while longer with
the Protect, he let me have suit ofordi-
nary trodcsman's clothing, and thus habit,
ed l went toa hotel and put up for the
night. In the morning procured horse
and sat out, reaching Castellane before
noon. During the day prctendcd'to be
dong business. j went to the wool fac.
tory and examined lot Of stuff, and also
visited several places whore preserved fruit
were put up. | learned that most of the
people wIlo came there on business nut
up at an inn ker' by man named Juan
Fontaix; so ] left MY horse there, and en-
gagged lodgings
After dark ! called upon the Sub Pre-,
feet. He told me that he had used all the
means within his power, but had been able
to gain no clue to the guilty party. Most
of the murdered victims had been from
MarscilIes, and thecxcitcmcnt in that city
vas intcash Geoaarm& bah hetS ysnG