Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-03-25
The Story of Great Paris Mystery.

The Parisians, says Paris CORE
spondent, are determined to have a
mystery now and then. They have
been fond of something of the kind ever
since the time of the Tour de Nesle.
Only the other day they were Mortified
with blood-curdling descriptions of a
house in an obscure suburb which had
been rented by stranger, forbiddingin
appearance and evidently bent upon the
consummation of some hideous crime,
Judging from the preparations which he
had made. RumOrs ran in the neigh
borhood 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.
1t seemed just the sort of thing in which
to imprison some helpless creature
whom he was DESTROYS of torturing.
The woman of whom he had hired the
house spied his movements in a most in
discreet manner, and when one day she
saw him bring in half dozen chains,
such as are ordinarily used for dogs, she
could not restrain herself any longer, so
she went off to the neighbors with ter
ribly magnifed version of the whole
matter, and the result was that the po-
lice were called in.
Meantime the mysterious stranger APP
peared to have gained some knowledge
of the movement against him, for he dis
appeared, and was heard of no more
at that period.
The police agents came out from Paris
and spent a 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 be-
gan to think that some attempt atblack-
mail was to be made by a band of clever
criminals. Every endeavor was made
to catch the supposed culprit, and the
concierges, shoemakers and water-car-
riers of the capital, with bated breath,
nightly discussed the mystery, until one
fine morning the Project of Police re-
ceived letter from a wealthy gentle
man who lives but a little way from
Paris, explaining the whole matter. 1t
appears that some weeks ago this gen.
tleman was bitten by one of his dogs in
such a 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 Sc preyed upon his mind
that he determined to separate himself
from his family for time, and to ex-
pertinent upon certain animals, by inoc-
ulating them with his own blood, in order
to ascertain if the rage were really lurking
in his system. With this intention he hired
the house in the suburbs and prepared
a case in which he proposed to shut up
three of his dogs, and to study their
symptoms until he felt sure either that
he was free from danger or that there
was crisis to fear. just as he was
about to bring the dogs to the cottage
and to 1noculate them there, he found
that the meddlesome neighbors were
likely to get him into temporary trouble,
so he gave up his design. He inclosed
to the Project the false beard and spec
tacles with which he had been disguised
when he rented the cottage. The Pre-
feet smiled the peculiar smile which
men do when compelled to admit that
they are sold, and the great mystery
was at an end.