Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-09

break my story with ysur inQuiring CON-
msnts. Firstly, then, you must know
that I was on the establishment of Herr
Sputzen, the carriage-master and stable
keeper from whom his Excellency the
Honorable Eslington hired his travelling
carriage and horses for his return journey.
1t was known to the Chief Secret Society
that his Excellency was in possession of
important papers, and it was also known
that he was upon the point of starting
with them for England. The Chief Com
mander had important reasons for obtain
ing these papers, or copies of them, and
Of one in particular above all O hers, bv
fair means or foul; and what the Chief
says is to be done, IS done invariably at
any cost. The Committee had ballotted
for the person who must execute their Or
ders, and their choice had fallen on me
as position, and the more likely to effect
successful result. By virtue of my oath
l was bound to obey, or shonld have
suffered secret death. by assassination
probably. I need not tell you my in
structions; but dreadful fate await
ed you in the event of you or his Ex-
cellency obstructing our wishes. In
every town through which we passed
there were emissaries of the Chief Society
to assist me, so great is the organization;
and when ! received your orders to pull
up at the next town, which, if you re-
member, was S., I knew the wishes
Of the Chief Commander would be effect
ually carried out. The landlord of the
hotel you staid at, and the head hostler
were known to me as members of the
Chief Society, and there were other resi-
dents in the town also members, whom I
did not know. So you see my friend,
how his Excellency and you were en-
compassed in net from which there was
no-escape," and he chuckled to himself
as he said it. "Now you remember how
his Excellency was always engaged in
writing his dispatches and documents.
Well, there was consequently great diff
Guilty in getting view of the papers
without adopting foul means, and time
was of great Importance to the Chief
Commander.
"What!' I exclaimed, in great aston
ishment, my hair almost on end with the
suddenness of the confession 'what Do
you mean to tell me, Carl Johann Roeckel,
that you murdered his Excellency in cold
blood2" %~~ vi
"Not exactly hat, FRIEND" he quietly
replied. "When his Excelency went for
that short walk, the head hostler also
went for a stroll in the same direction.
A short distance from the town the host
Ter met friend, also member, and they
quickly bound and gagged his Excellency
and carried him to the celler Of the lat
ter's house, where they kept him secretly
until after the excitement of the disap-
pearance and search had subsidized, when
be was taken to Vienna in the involunta-
ry disguise of Il dangerous lunatic peas
ant, and afterward-" And he made a
significant sign indicative of strangula-
ton. 1.-THE papers were distracted by
the landlord, and handed to me, and
in turn delivered them to the g. ief Com
mandcr personally. Nothing was ever
said about the missing documents If you
recollect, because only one other person
besides his Excellency and the Chief Com.
mander knew Of them, and he dared not
say what they were.."
"But how" asked I, twas everything
kept so quietly, as the British govern
ment made great ado over the matter,
and large rewards were ofered?"
"Well,' replied he, "those to whom the
matter was referred were mostly mem.
bers of the Chief Society, which, you
must remember, numbered in its roll
members of all ranks and stations. The
pair of overal]s found in the copse some
days after the disappearance were pur.
posely placed there to lead and encour.
age the belief that his Excellency had
been robbed and then murdered"
"But you do notaccount for your be.
ing here in Antwerp now," said I.
"Well, FRIEND" continued he, and he
drew himself closer, to me and spoke in
a very low tone-"weH, the Chief Com.
mander, in consequence of the stir made
BY both the British and our government
and fearing disclosure on account of the
large rewards offered, took effective steps
to prevent it by ordering the deaths Of
those concerned in the tragedy. The
landlord of the hotel, however, suddenly
decamped to America-where he will be
tracked, never fear-after hearing of the
| deaths of the hostler and his friend, who
were found stat bed in their beds; and
escaped here, by circuitous routes, and
have remained in hiding ever since. But
I am really known and discovered, and ]
go daily IN fear of my life. The sign Of
tho Black Dagger here"-and he tore
open his vest and shirt, disclosing the
print ola dagger on his brcast-es'is
known to all members of the Secret So
ciety. Ny death-warrant has long age
been signed, and I am studiously watched
feel certain, Even now, And hi
suddenly stopped, casting a cautious
glance around the room, and pointing tt
a stranger who was silently smoking and
drinking, to all appearance engrossed ir
their enjoyment. II must leave you," ht
said, in a hurried hoarse whisper, "Good
by, fiend;" and he crept aout Of thu
cabaret quickly. { ~ Il Iii
I The next morning Ludwig Kuhl'
body was found Heating in the canal
near its entrance to the Scheldt, pierced
in the breast by, short dagger with tn
device in German on its flat black handle
1--WE wait"
- g An Ambitious Text. - Il.
! The parsons do, after all, tell the bes
stories. Rev. Dr.. is responsible TO
the following: ,v>A.x v,x@%.tEs d,
In the early part of his ministry yer,