The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-09-03
AN UNsOLVED MYSTERY.


den death of NJ. Delessert, INSPECTOR of
the police de Surete, seem to have
made such an impression upon the
Pariaslan authorities that they were
recorded In unusual detail. Omittino
all particulars except what are necessary
to explain matters, we reproduce here
the undoubtedly strange history.
In the fall of 1861 there came to Paris
man who called himself Vic De Lasa.
ana was so inscribed upon his passports.
de came from Vienna, and said he was
hungarian, who owned estates on the
borders OF the Banat, not far from
Hehta. He was a small man, aged
thirty i've, with pale and mysterious
face, long blonde hair, a vague, wander
ing blue eye, and q mouth of singular
tirmness. He dressed carelessIv and
lnetfectively, and spoke and talked with
out much enlI)reSSn1e71t. His compan-
ION, presumably his wife, on the other
hand, ten years younger than him, was
a strikingly beautiful woman, of that
dark, rich, velvety, luscious, pure Hum
garian type which is so nigh akin to the
gypsy blood. At the heaters. on the
Bots, at the cafes, on the boulevards.
and everywhere that idle Paris disports
Itself, Madame Aimee de Lasa attracted
great attention and made sensation.
They lodged in luxurious apartments
on the Rue Richelieu, freuuented the
best places, received good company,
entertained handsomely, and acted in
every way as If possessed of considerable
wealth. Laso had always a good bal
ance chez Schneider, Ruter, ct cie., the
Austrian bankers in Rue RivoIi, and
Madame wore diamonds of conspicuous
luster.
How did it happen. then, that the
project of police saw fit to suspect Mon
sleur and Madame de Lasa, and detailed
Paul Delessert, one of the most g.aSse
inspectors of the force, to "pipe" him {?
The fact is, the insignificant man with
the splendid wife was a very mysterious
parsonage, and it is the habit of the
police to imagine that mystery always
hides either the cOLspirator, the adven-
turer or the charlatRn. The conclusion
to which the project had come in regard
to NJ. de Lasa was that he was an adven-
turer and charlatan too. Certainly a
successful one, then, for he was singh
larry unObtrusiye, and had in no way
trumpeted the wonders which it was his
mission to perform. Yet in a few
weeks after he had established himself
III paris the salon of M. de Lasa was the
rage, and the number of persons who
paid the fee of 100 francs for a single
peep into his magic crystal, and single
message by his spiritual telegraph, was
really astonishing. The secret of this
was that M. de Lasa was q conjurer and
dlVIner whose pretensions were Omnis-
clent and whose predictions always came
true.
Delessert did not find it very difficult
to get an introduction and admission to
De Lasa's salon. The receptions oc-
CURED every other day-two hours In
the forenoon, three hours in the even
ing. 1t was evening when Inspector
Delessert called, in his assumed charac-
ter OF nj. tlebIy, virtUoso in jewels and
convert to spiritualism. He found the
handsome parlOrs brilliantly lighted,
and charming asssmblage gathered of
welI-dressed guests, who did not at all
seem to have come to learn their for
tunes and fates, while contributing to
the-incOme of their host, but rather to
be there out of complaisauce to his vir-
tues and gifts. Nine. de Lasa per-
formed on the piano or convGrsed from
group to group in a way that seemed to
be delightful, while M. de Lasa walked
about or sat in his insignificant, uncon-
cerned way, saying word now and
then, but seeming to shun everything
that was conspicuous. Servants handed
about refreshments, ices, cordials. wines,
etc, and Delessert could have fancied
himself dropped in upon a quite modest
evening entertainment, altogether en-
TegIe, but for one or two noticeable cir
cumstances which his observant ewes
quickly took in.
Except when their host or hostess was
within hearing the guests conversed to-
gether in low tones, rather mysteriously,
and with not quite so much laughter as
is usual on such occasions. At intervals
very tall and diguifed footman would
come to guest, and, with profound
bow, present him n card on a silver
SLAYER. The guest would then go out,
preceded by the solemn servant, and
when he or she returned to the salon
some did not return at all--they inva-
riably wore dazed or puzzled look,
were confused, astOnished, frightened,
or amused. All this was so unmistak-
ably genuine, and De Lasa and his wife
seemed so unconcerned amidst it all,
not TO say distinct from it all, that
Delessert could not avoid being forcibly
struck and considerably puzzled.
Two or three little incidents, which
came under Delessert's own immediate
observation, will suffice to make plain
the character of the impressions made
upon those present. A couple of gen.
tlemen, both young, both of good social
condition, and evidently very good
friends, were cO1verslng together and
tutoying one another at a great rate,
when the digRitied fOOtman summoned
AlphOnse. He laughed gayly. "Tarry
a moment, cher Augusta" said he,
"Rnd thou shalt know all the particu-
lars Of this wonderful fortune p En-,
bien" responded Auguste "may the
oracle's mood be propitiOus !" A min
ute had scarcely elaps ed when Alphonse
returned to the salon. His face was
white and bore an appearance of con-
centrated rage that was frightful to wit
ness. He came straight to Auguste
his eyes flashing, and bending his face
towards his friend, who changed color
and recOiled, he hIssed out monsieur
Lefebure, COIts etcS an LGche!" every
well, Monsieur Meunier," responded
AUguste in the same low tone, ''to-mor-
row morning at six o'clock |" "It is
settled, false friend, execrable traitor
q Ia mort" rejoined AlphOnse, walking
of. "CCta ga sans dire" muttered
Auguoley gong JOWarus JnS uaJ-rOOms
A diplomatist of distinction, repre-
sentative at Paris of a neighboring
state, an elderly gentleman of superb
aplomb and most commanding appear
once, was summoned to the oracle by
the bowling footman. After being absent
about five minutes he returned and i'm
mediately made his way through the
press to M. de Lasa, who was standing
not far from the fireplace, with his
hands in his pockets, and look of the
utmost Indifference upon his face. De-
lessert, standing near, watched the in
terview with eager interest. "I am ex-
ceedingly sorry" said Gen. Won -,
"tO have to absent myself so soon from
your interesting SALON, NJ. de Lasa, but
the result of my seanse conviLces me
that my dispatches have been tempered
with" Il am sorry, responded NJ. de
Lasa, with an air of languid but courte-
Gus interest, 60 hope you may be able
TO discover which of your servants has
been unfaithfuL" 81 am going to do
that now" said the general adding in
sianiocsnE tones, "I shall see that both