Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-03-27


Bitterly have / repented since, for
it is to that circumstance that l
owe my deplorable state of mind
and posi- ton"
"But what has that to do with
the mysterious case of His Excel
lency ?'' | asked of him somewhat
impatiently.
much more than you can lm-
agine or can ever know, friend"
replied he, sententiously wagging
his head. He paused for mo-
ment. "Well, / will tell YOU he
continued, though you must not
break my story with your inqui.-
ing comments. Firstly, then, you
must know that / was on the
establishment of Herr Spultzen,
the carriage-master and stable
keeper from whom His Excellen-
cy 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 Ia pos
session of important papers, and 1t
was also known that he was on
the point of starting with them for
England. The Chief Commander
had important reasons for obtain
ing these papers, or copies of them,
and of Zone 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 ballotted for the
person who must execute their or
ders, and their choice had fallen
on me as postillion, and the more
likely to effect a successful result.
BY virtue of my oath was bound
to obey, or should have suffered
a secret death, perhaps by assas-
sination. Ineed not tell you my
instructions; but dreadful fate
awaited you in the event you or
His Excellency obstruoted our
wishes. In every town through
which we passed there were ennis
saries of the Society to assist me,
so great is its organization; and
when l received your instructions
to pull up al the next town, which
if you remember was s., knew
the wishes of the Chief Command
er would be effectually carried out.
The landlord of the hotel you stay
ed at and the head hostler were
known to me as members Of the
Chief Society, and there were 9TH
er residents in the town also men,
bers, whom i did not know. So
you see, my friend, how His Ex-
cellency and you were encompass
ed in a net from which there was
no escape;' and be chuckled to
himself as he said it. Nov you
rememberl how His Eficellency
was always engaged in writing
his dispatches and documents.
Well, there was consequently great
difficulty in getting view of the
papers without adopting foul
means, and time was Of great inn
portance to the Chief Command
err"
"What!' / exclaimed, in great
establishment, my hair almost on
end with the suddenness Of the
confession-'wha:! Do you mean
to tell me, Carl Johann Roeckel,
that you murdered. His Excellency
in cold blood 2" aa&
"Not exactly that, friend,' he
quietly replied. when His Ex-
cellency went for that short walk.
the head hostier also went for a
stroll in the same direction. A
short distance from the town the
hostler met a friend, also q MEM
Der, and they quietly bound and
gagged His Excellency, and car
ried him to the cellar of the lat
ter's house, where they kept him
secretly until after the excitement
of the disappearance and search
had subsidized, when he was taken
to Vienna in the involuntary dis
guise of dangerous lunatic peas
ant, and afterward -" And
he made a significant sign indica-
tive of strangulation. THE pa
pers were distracted by the land
lord, and handed to me, and l in
turn delivered them to the Chief
Commander personally. Nothing
was ever said about the missing
documents, if you recollect, be-
cause only one Other person be-
sides His Excellency and the
Chief Commander knew of them,
and be dared not say what they
were." q
"But how" asked !, twas eve
rything kept so quietly, as the
British Government made a great
stir over the matter. and large re-
wards were offered?'
"Well," replied he, "those to
whom the matter was referred
were mostly members of the Chief
Society, which, you must remem-
Der, numbered in its roll members