Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1865-06-21

lane 2" / asked.
The Prefect told me they had.
"And suppose they must have put up at
the same inn there p l remarked.
Eyes" said the Prefect.
then supposed that some of the land
lords must he concerned. But my COM
panion informed me that they had been
narrowly watched, and that no shadow of
evidence rested against them.
"But," said /, 'is there not some poi
son. in this matter? Some innkeeper may
administer the poison, and then send an
accomplice after the victim
NO" returned the Prefect, with shake
of the head Experienced physicians
have examined the stomachs of the dead
men. but no trace of poison has been
found. 1t is mysterious affair. The
Sub-prcfect has done all he could. but
without effect, and now we mean to give
the whole thing into your hands. You
must 60 to Castellane at once, and there
perhaps you can get such further
information as the Sub-Prefect is able to
give you"
After comforting a while longer with
the Project, he let me have suit of ordin-
ary tradesman clothing, and thus habit
ed, | went to hotel and put up for the
night.
In the morning | procured horc and
set out, reaching Castellane before noon.
During the day | pretended to be doing
business. | went to the wooden factory
and examined lot of stuff, and also Wis.
tied several places where preserved fruits
were put up. learned that most of the
people who came there on business put al
an inn kept by man named Juan Font
ak; 50 left my horse there and engaged
lodgings
After dark called upon the Sub
Prefcct.
He told me that he used all the means
within his power, but had been able t.
gain no clue to the guilty party. Mos
of the murdered victims had been from
Marseilles, and the exciteDent in that city
was intense. Gendarmes had been sen
out upon all the roads, and secret polio
had also been upon the watch The las
victim had fallen only four or five day
before, and the deed was done only ff
teen minutes after the police had passc,
, the spot.
answered the Subj .prefect if he ha,
any suspicious. He answered that all th
suspicion he held was fastened upon Jua
Fontaix, the innkeeper Nearly all tn
murdered men had stopped at his house
and he must have known something O
: their business.
l bade the officer to keep perfectly quiet
not even to let one of his own men knov
of my presence. Then / returned to m
, inn, and finally entered into
conversation with my host upon the sui
+ ject of the mysterious deaths. He pre-
nounced it wonderful, and assured m
. that it had injured him more than h
/, could tell.
"Parbleu!" he muttercd, they'll b
, suspecting me next, if they have not a
ready done So"
/ was soon satisfied that Juan Fontai
j knew nothing of the guilty party. II
was very fearful, and at times blanche
and trembled at the thought. Most rec
pie would have seen in this signs of gull
but | thought differently.
| spent all the next day in the towr
ostensibly engaged in business with tn
e factories, but in reality hunting after som
$ clue to the object Of my mission. Nigf
e came again, but had found nothing thu
Q was new.
| had given an assumed name at tf
: inn. and stated that l belonged to the oft
of Toulon.
On the next morning ] called for m
bill, and informed my host that WI
off for home. Then ! went to the fru
nreserycrss and told him the same stor
!, stating that / must confer with my par
ner before I had concluded my bargai
A fter this ! went to the wooden factor
. and saw the business agent His nan
! was Lewis Cazaubon, and he had come
Castellane about year before. Ho seer
cd to be a straightforward business ma