The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-05-13
The Story Of a Great Paris ny s teri ),

- g.
The Parisians, says a Paris core
spondent, are determined to- have d
mystery now and then. They have been
fond Of something of the kind ever
since the time of the Tour de Nasle.
Only the other day they were horri6ed
with blood-curding descriptions Of a
house in an obscure suburb, which had
been rented by q stranger, forbidding
in appearance, and evidently bent upon
the Contamination of some, hideous
crime, Judging from the preparations
which he had made. Rumors ran in
the neighborhood that he was darkly
engaged in plotting against the life Of
some one for he had brought to the
house huge case made Of solid wood,
lined with heavy cloth and pierced with
air-holes. It seemed just the sort Of q
thing in which to imprison some help
less creature whom he was DESTROYS Of
tortnring. The woman of whom he had
hired the house spied his movements
III most iadiscreet manner, and when
one day she saw him bring in half q
dozen chains, such as are ordinarily
used for dogs she could not restrain
herself any longer, so she went off to
the neighbors with terribly-magnifed
version Of the whole matter, and the re-
suit was that the police were called in.
Meantime the mysterious stranger
appeared to have gained some knowl-
edge of the movement against him, for
he disappeared, aud was heard Of no
rn0r9-Qt that rarin1
The police agents came out from
Paris and spent day or two in the
house. There stood the wooden case,
gaping wide open, with its cushioned
sides and the staples driven into them,
seeming to indicate that human being
was to be chained in there alive. The
agents began to think that some at
tempt at blackmail was to be made bv
a band of clever criminals. Every en-
deavor was made to catch the supposed
cu1prit, and the concierges, shoemakers
and water-carriers of the capital, with
bated breath, nightly discussed the
mystery, until one fine morning the
Project of Police received q letter from
a wealthy gentlemen who lives but a
little way from Paris, explaining the
whole matter: 1t appears that some
weeks ago this gentleman was Bit
ten by one of his dogs in such
manner as to awaken suspicious
in his mind that the dog was mad.
He cauterized the wound, but the
thought that he was possible victim
of hydrophobia so preyed upon his
mind that he determined to separate
himself from his family for time, and
to experiment upon certain animals, by
inoculating them with his own blood, in
order to ascertain if the rage were real
~ lurking in his system. With this in
tention he hired the house in the
suburbs and prepared case in which
he proposed to shut up three Of his
dogs, and to study their symptoms I'M
til he felt sure either that he was free
from danger, or that there was a crisis
to fear. just as he was about to bring
the dogs to the cottage and to inoculate
them there, he found that the meddle-
some neighbors were likely to get him
into temporary trouble, so he gave ur
his design. He inclosed to the Project
the false beard and spectacles with
which he had been disguised when he
rented the cottage. The Project smiled
the peculiar smile which men do wher
compelled to admit that they are sold,
and the great mystery was at an end.