The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-12-11

| An, no.! ne replled, VIII u ueepl
drawn sigh. "It's long story, and
can't tell it to you here in all this nois
and hustle. Let us 60 to a quie
cabaret"
agreed; and in our short walk I re
| volved in my mind all those circum
stances, so dark and impenetrable il
their profound mystery, which hao
happened years before. And remem
bered how our position, Ludwig Kuhl
had assisted me in the unavailing searcl
for His Excellency. Soon we reached .
little cabdret-their name is legion il
Antwerp-in one of the back streer!
near the cathedral; and with glass o
his favorite Boonjekamp in front o
him, he seated himself, and told me
the following sequel to the mysteriou:
disappearance. ,,s, no ,-,or, ),
he began, "when was in a better con
dition than you now see me-" and he
scanned his wretched garments, shrug.
ging his shoulders with an impatient
air.
/ nodded acquiescence.
"Well," said he, "you must also
know in your long experience of travel
that all classes of society on the Cont
nent, and particularly in Vienna, have
their secret club. The positions had
theirs; but it was subject to the rule OF
the Chief Secret Society. In my younger
days, friend, was induced, in an un-
lucky moment, to enroll myself as a
member, and take the oaths Of the Sc
cret Society of Positions. Bitterly have
l repented since, for it is to that cir
cumstance owe my present deplora-
BILE state of mind and position" - =
''But whit has that to do with the
mysterious case of His ExcellencyP"
asked of him, somewhat impatiently.
"Much more than you imagine or
can ever know, FRIEND" replied he,
sententiously -wagging his head. He
paused for a moment. "Well, will tell
you," continued he, Though you must
not break my story with your inquiring
comments. Firstly, then, you must
know that was on the establishment
of Herr Spultzen, the carriage-master
and stable-keeper from whom His Ex-
cellency the Honorable Eslington hired
his travelling carriage and horses for
his return journey. 1t was known to
the Chief Secret Society that His Ex-
cellency was in possession of important
papers, and it was also known that he
was on the point of starting with them
for England. The Chief Commander
had important reasons for obtaining
these papers, or copies of them, and of
one in particular above all others, by
fair means or foul; and what the Chief
says is to be done, IS done invariably at
any cost. The Committee had balloted
for the person who must execute their
orders, and their choice had fallen on
me as position, and the more likely to
effect a successful result. By virtue of
my oath l was bound to obey, or l
should have suffered a secret death, by
assassination probably. Ineed not tell
you my Instructions; but a dreadful
fate awaited you in the event of you or
His Excellency obstructing our wishes
In every town through which we passed
there were emissaries of the Chief Socie-
ty to assist me, so great is its organiza-
ton; and when 1 received your
tions to pull up at the next town, which
if you remember was s., Lknew the
wishes of the Chief Commander would
be effectually carried out. The landlord
of the hotel you stayed at and the
head hostler were known to me as
members of the Chief Society, and there
WOkC olhCI IColuChto III tuC IoWh tlSo
whom did not know. So
you see, my friend, how His Excellency
and you were encompassed in a net
from which there was no escape;" and
he chuckled to himself as he said it.
d" Now you remember how His Excel
lency was always engaged in writing
his dispatches and documents. Well,
there was consequently great difficulty
rxaffsvnr a x-,oxu Of fhA tk<,,
adopting foul means, and time was of
great Importance to the Chief Com
mander."
"Whatr' exclaimed, in great as
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 bloodP" a''
"Not exactly that, friend" he quiet
ly replied. "When His Excellency
went for that short walk, the head
hostler also went for a stroll in the
same direction. A short distance from
the town the hostler met a friend, also
a member, and they quickly bound and
gagged His Excellency, and carried
him to the cellar of the latter's house,
where they kept him secretly until
after the excitement of the disappear
ance and search had subsidized, when he
was taken to Vienna in the involuntary
disguise of dangerous lunatic peasant,
and afterward@" And he made q
significant sign indicative of strangula-
lion. 1.-The papers were distracted by
the landlord, and handed to me, and 1
in turn delivered them to the Chief
personally. Nothing was
sver said about the missing documents,
4 you recollect, because only one other
person besides His Excellency and the
Chief Commander knew of them, and
ne dared not say what they were."
"But how" asked 1, "was every
hing kept so quietly, as the British
made a great stir over the
matter, and large rewards were Of
teredP' -l.a. f.-H-. 3 4
WE'LL" replied he, "those to whom
he matter was referred were mostly
of the Chief Society, which,
you must remember, numbered in its
roll members of all ranks and stations.
The pair of overalls found in the copse
some days after the disappearance were
purposely placed there to lead and en-
courage the belief that His Excellency
lad been robbed and then murdered"
But you do not account for your
being here in Antwerp now," said 1.
"Well, FRIEND" continued he, and
ne drew himself closer to me and spoke
n a very low tone" we'll, the Chief
in consequence of the stir
made by both the British and our Gov
and fearing disclosure on ac-
count of the large rewards offered, took
affective steps to prevent it by ordering
he deaths of those concerned in the
The landlord of the hotel,
however, suddenly decamped to Amer !
he will be tracked, never
ear-after hearing of the deaths of the
lostler and his friend, who were found
itabbed in their beds; and I escaped
here, by circuitous routes, and l have