The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-18
INDIANAPOLIS SENTINEL SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY 1885,


upon this bale lay a large
white paper envelope. IL was addressed to
the Chief of Police"
The Professor saw it first and, grasping it, |
exclaimed:
'Ahl here is something that will reveal
the secret"
Seating himself, he tore out the contents,
q number OF closely written sheets of paper.
and Powers and Jones stood by him, while
be read the following confession OF Adolphe
Werner:
Monsieur, I write this to save any inno-
cent person who may be charged with the
death of Henry Vandyke. l killed him.
Ten minutes ago the fatal messenger sped
from me TO him-sped in three seconds.
All Monsieur. he did to me horrible
crime. Mon Dieul he killed my Marie, my
wife, my angel Not the drug which he gave
her killed. No, but the shame-horriblel
My Marie, my lost lost Marie! Monsieur, do
you see this paper stained? 1 have not wept
till now. My nerves have been steel and
now l weep for Marie.
Behold the story. | was the most skilled
workman Employed in q mandatory of
firearms in my native country. l became
profoundly acquainted with the rife in its
utmost capabilities. / even made some i'm
portant Improvements in long range guns
Misfortune befell US there. Not my fault,
was the innocent cause. We sacrificed our
property, parted with the little cottage
where we lived in the ioveliest valley Of the
/ Alps AID came thither. We struggled for
two years in great poverty, until he, Henry
Vandyke, found Us among the poorest of his
poor tenants. He employed me as q servant
/ was glad to serve for wages, and was once
more happy. did not lodge in his house,
but in Q hired apartment with Marie. i
went to my service early and came late.
One day he enticed Marie from her house
by an unheard of deception.
1t was an unspesksble crime. In two
weeks my angel. She is with the good
saints above.
NY resolution was at once taken and BE-
gan 10 devise the plan. But, Monsieur, one
thing troubled me-. Every night Marie came
to me aud stood by my bed. She was very
sad and thought. feared she disapproved
though she did not speak. 1t troubled me
l say, and in the night fsltered: bat when
the day came my purpose came again.
had often obsery ed, from the window Of
his sleeping.room, this tall building, nearly
q mile distant / rented this apartment.
next went to an importer OF firearms and
sought for q rifle made in my own country.
found one of the largest size that had the
name of my old employer on it. have no
! Doubt am certain my own hands have
wrought upon it: it has my mark. l bought
with cross of spider-lines. L attached it to
the rifle, as the surest means of taking fan
! and accurate aim. made twenty. five cart
ridges with the greatest care. L made the
leaden bullets verv long and compressed
them in nicely finished mold, 80 as to
give them an increased and uniform density
|. The powder in every one wa gagged to q
perfect equality of weight
| 1t was necessary. next, to find the exact
} distance from this ROOM to his room. Before
Undertaking it | procured quiet discharge
from his service. There was no quarrel, nC
anger on either part Then at night, with q
red light, rs so that might distinguish il
I from others placed In the window OF this
) room to guide me, carefully walked at .
natural pace from the wall under his win
dow to the wall under this window. re
, peated this for several nights. Ny PAGES
from one wall to the other, with little varia
, ton In the results, averaged l, 5l4. By walk
ing 100 measured yards. and counting. the
: steps, which numbered l25 and one third
: over, learned that the exact distance from
, his window to mine Is ,2Oo yards Add
three yards from my window 10 the centre
. of my ROOM and two yards from his window
to the centre of his bed and the whole is
,2l3 yards. A very long shot, but all the
better for that. since / knew the gun could
be relied on to make it. Next, taking rifle
and cartridges, l went into the country.
. Il
farmer. l constructed a target, and with q
tspeline measured off 1918 yards. One
might suppose that / could have dispensed
with the tape line and have depended
for getting the distance on stepping 1t as
before But this would not have been salts
factory, for in walking given distance at
his natural pace one does not make the same
number of steps in the night as in the day.
was careful even to take the 100 yards
above mentioned at night, and exactly along
the line between the two rooms.
After experimenting for sever al days 80 d
firing twenty rounds. ] got my telescope
sights 30 perfectly adjusted that the last
five shots struck within half inch OF the
1centre of the bullseye OF the target. This
bullseye was invisible at the distance, ex.
cept through the telescope 1t was sufficient,
and came back to the city having been alb
sent little more than week.
was surprised on my return to see new
building in process of erection exactly on
the line between my room and Henry Van
dy kss room. Its location is much nearer
bis than mine. and saw at once that if 1t
was to have as many as three stories, it
would, when completed, obstruct the view
from my window to his, and prevent me
from taking al m at his bed On inquiry
learned that 1t was to be three stories. and it
was gong up rapidly. 1t became necessary
to act with dispatch or my plans would be
constructing strong frame or wood firmly
fastened to the floor, you see it. Two
days were consumed in this work, while. in
the meantime, the walls OF the new structure
were rapidly rising / watched their pro-
gress with eager anxiety. On the third day
the frame was ready early in the morning
and my rife was placed upon 1t, pointing to.
ward the window of Henry Vsndyke. 1t
rested between clamps provided for it and
arranged to be frightened securely. 1t now
remained only to give it the right aim aud
secure it. Looking through the telescope
saw that the curtain of the bedroom window
had not yet been drawn. He had not walked
up.
i At about 10 clock the curtain was raised
and the sash thrown up. The M aster had
gone and Agnes, the cham bermsid, had
come to make up the bed and arrange the
room. l could see her distinctly, with her
bare arms and her irowzy hair. She made
/ up the bed, and, to my regret, placed upon
it white coverlet. / had hoped she would
place on il the red coverlet which, during
my service, had often been used. saw at q
glance that the white coverlet was q serious
difficulty, because the plastering OF the wall
seen beyond the bed was alse white, and at
SD great a distance might make the outlines
of the bed very indistinct. Had the red GOV.
erlet been on the contrast in color would
have rendered 1t easy for me TO fix the aim
of the rifle on any part of the bed. l found
my fears verified. With long effort and
straining of my eyes it Was impossible to FIX
the aim with that certainty which was abso-