Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-06-13
Alistclloun.
The Romance of Reality.


had some rerown a, q success'ul rogue-elich-
er and had some experience, too. My field
Of operations. as a usua thing, lay vi bin he con-
fines OF the Department OF the Loser \ ip- and
though | served under the Spb-prei, CT Of The
thud ACCOMPLISHMENT, Yet the Project a the De-
pArlment called upon me when he chose. Oae
mornug-it va, 10 The Ister part cf MAY re.
ceiyed a note from ihe Pretcf, oiderlrg me TO
clme TO Dsne aud see him with all possible $.
p4ch. The m,ss.ye came through the office Of
our Sub prtitc, 30 that had nothing 10 do but
TO get ready and start. 10 k an early dinner,
assumed lbe dfss, of peasant, Drowned my face
and hand., and set forth. I reached Dnge Just
at nightial, and as soon as il was dark ! waited
on the Pfriec, He seemed to be rel eyed vh.
be saw me-, and took me 20 hs private closet.
"Now, said /, nave you got work for me "
"les,' be replied "si, down end listen"
We sal down, and he proceeded Wshin a
few months past there taye been some OF he
most mysterious murders committed in hi, De-
plrtmeut aud 10 lhe Department Of War, that
have ever come under my notice. They iIe
done mostly ou the ad from tlleilans 10 Amp.
The first victim vasa Mirseiiies merchant, wac
had come up 10 Cisle.ane 10 pulehlse preserved
fruits. His body Wis found By he roadside near
the line between the two Departments and at
first il WIS supposed that he must have fallen
there and died in a dt, as 20 marks OF violence
could be found upon him. His pockets had been
ria Id however. lne next one was found near
Annot and under the same circumstances. lie
was merchant also, and from Nice. Since then,
five or SIX more have died upon the 'ame road, in
the same mysterious way, and no marks Of H.
usage have been found upon any OF them but
all have been robbed
Have most Of them stopped 10 Castei,aue "
! a,ked.
The Project told me they had.
And | Suppose they must have put up at the
same mn there remarked.
"Yrs," said the Pfeicc,.
then supposed that some Of the landlords
must be cotcsrutd. But my oompauion informed
ne that they had been narrowly watched, and
that no shadow Of evidence rested against them
But sad |, is there not some poison In
this mater2 Some iunkeeper may administer
the poison and thea seud an accompIics after
the victim
"No,' returned the Preieol, with a shake Of
the head. 4" Experienced physicians have ex-
emined the s,omachs Of the dead men, but no
trace Of p iioa has been found, It is myste-
rious aifNr The SAB Prelect has done all he
could, but wiihou, tiac,, and now We mean to
give the whole thing INTO your hands. You must
90 TO CAstelaue a, once, and there YOU eau get
such further information as the Sub Protect can
give you
After comforting a while longer With the Pre-
feet, he let me have a suit OF ordinary tradesman'
clothing, and, thus habit q, went 10 d hotel and
put up i1r the night. la the morning procured
horse and sel out, reaching Cas,eiIane before
moor. During the day pretended 10 be doirg
business | went to the wooen lactory and ex-
amined ol Of stuff aud al visited several
places where preserved traits were put up,
learned that most of the people who came there
on business put up at an inn kept 10y man
named Ian Fontlxi SO | lett my horse there
and engaged lodgitgs.
After dark | called upon TIE Sub Preieot II,
told me that he used all the mtans within hi,
power, but had been able to gam 10 clue to the
guilty parry. Most Of the murdered victims had
been from Mar,eef and the excitement in that
city was intense, Gtndarmes hal been sent oui
upon all the roads, aud secret police had also
been upon The watch. The last victim had hlIer
ooy four or five days before, and the deed Wa,
uuut ohll HtlttH MINUTES alttI lht pNACeWtn hat
passed Tue ,pol.
asked tue Sub prtftc, if he had any susp
cons. lie answered that all the suspicion b,
hid was fastened upon Juan Fontaix, the inn
Keeper. Nearly all the murdured men haC
stopped at his house. and he must have kuovr
somtthlng OF their business.
bAde the officer keep perfectly quiet, no
even 10 let one Of his own men know OF my pres
ence. Thea returned to my inn, and fnill,
enered into conversation with my host UPON th'
subject OF The mysterJu, deaths. lie pronounce,
1t wonderful, aud assured me that il had i1jure,
him more than be could tell.
"PArbleo he mutterel "they'll he suspec
ting me next, il they have not ,one SO already. y
was soon satisfied that Juan Fontax kne,
nothing Of the guilty party, lie was very ie
iu, and At times bauchtd and trt mbled a, IN
thought Most people would have seen n hi
signs OF guilt, but thought differently.
spent all the next day il lhe town, os,epsibl
engaged IN business with the actorles, tut in tea
ill hunting alter some clue to The object Of m
mission. Night came again, but / mad foun
nothing new.
had given an assumed name at the inn, an