Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-27
The Story Of Great Paris Mystery.

The Parisians, says a 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 horrifed with
blood-curdling descriptions of house
in an obscure suburb which had been
rented by stranger, forbiddlng in ap-
pearance 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 a 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 Great
ure whom hei was desirous of torturing.
The woman of whom he had hired the
house spied his movements in a most
indiscrete manner, and when one day
she saw him bring. in half a 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-magnihed version of the
whole matter, and the result was that
the police were called in. Meantime
the mysterious stranger appeared to
have gained some knowledge of the
movement against him, for he disap-
peared, and was heard of no more-at
that period.
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 be-
| ing was to be chained in there alive.
The agents began to think that some
attempt at blackmail was to be made
by band of clever criminals. Every
endeavor was made to catch the sup
posed culprit, and the concierges, shoe
makers and water carriers of the capi-
tai, with bated breath nightly discussed
the mystery, until one fine morning the
Prefect of Police received letter from
a wealthy gentleman who lives but 9
little way from Paris, explaining the
whole matter. 1t appears that some
weeks ago this gentleman was bitten
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 6
possible victim of hydrophobia sc
i preyed upon his mind that he deter.
mined toseparate himself from his fam
lily for time, and to experiment upor
certain animals, by inoculating then
with his own blood, in order to ascer
tain if the rage were really lurking il
his system. With this intention he
i hired the house in the suburbs and pre-
pared case in which he proposed t.
shut up three of his dogs, and to stud,
their symptoms until he felt sure eithel
that he was free from danger or tina
there was crisis to fear. just as h,
was about to bring the dogs to the cot
tage and to inoculate them there, b.
found that the meddlesome neighbour
were likely to get him into temporary
trouble, so he gave up his design. HI
inclosed to the Prefect the false beart
and spectacles with which he had beel
disguised when he rented the cottage
The Prefect smiled the peculiar smil,
which men do when compelled to ad
NIT that they are sold. and the grea
mystery was at an end.