Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-02-01

The Terrible Secret Held by a Fifth Av-
enue Lady.
From the New York Telegram


the time, and helped to bury the victim.
The story was substantially as follows:
In the employ of the Denver & Rio
Grande Rail- DAD was a young man
named Schles1nger, the son of wealthy
Boston merchant. The young man, who
had travelled extensively through
Europe, had been sent West for the
benefit of his health, and was consid-
cred one of the eligibles of Colorado
Springs society. He made many friends,
known lawyer of the place, and Mr..
Wisely, the attorney for the railroad
company.
Schlesinger told some curious stories
of lis travels, and among others that he
had fought a duel with his tutor while
abroad, over woman, and that he had
killed him. This story he told in conf
dence to Mr.. Wisely, but when he told
1t to Mr.. SOllv he varied it to the extent
of saying that he had only wounded his
instructor, and that he expected at any
time to be forced into another fight, pro-
vided his antagonist could find him.
Both his confdants paid little heed to
the story, thinking that exaggeration
might be possible and natural in one so
young.
One Saturday Mr.. solly came to the
desk where Schlesinger was at work,
letters, both addressed to himself
(Solly). The latter reached out his hand
for the letters. Schlesinger flushed and
grasped the letters hurriedly, at the
same time saying:-Don't take them
Solly; you'll spoil all the fun"
Thinking possibly some practical joke
was going on Solly desisted and started
to 60, saying at the same time that he
expected to meet his friend at a party
that evening. Schlesinger hesitated a
moment and then informed his friend
somewhat nervously that he could not
be there and begged him to make ex-
cuses for his absence. as he was obliged
to leave for Pueblo that evening on very
important private business.
He also said that Mr.. Solly would do
him favor by going to the post-office
the next day and getting his (Schlesing-
marked "Paris" to forward it to him at
Pueblo Immediately.
Solly consented and went away. The
next day in fulfillm ent of his promise,
he called at the post-office and found no
letters for Schlesinger but the postmas-
ter handed him two for himself. Struck
with certain familiar air about them,
he was convinced that they were the
some he had seen on Schlesinger's desk,
the day before. Hurriedly opening the
first one he read:
"DEAR SoLLY-Forgive me the trouble 1 cause
you. but wanted you to receive these letters to-
day at this time The other will explain itself:
expected no letter from Paris. Yours, 81
The other was longer and somewhat
incoherent, but it said that the young
mans old antagonist had found him out,
and that they were to meet at a desert
NJ, and fight without seconds. He also
requested Solly, if by 4 o'clock he was
not back at Colorado Springs, to come
out and find his body, as he had resolved
to fire in the air, and consequently be-
lieved death to be inevitable.
Solly rushed to Mr.. Wilsey's house. It
was nearly 4 o'clock and they decided
to wait till then before going in seach of
their friend, but their horses were sad
died and at exactly o'clock they gal
loped towards the Canon City road, each
one trying to make light of the fears he
had, yet dare not express.
At $50 O'Clock they came in sight of
the deserted ranch, the old stone build
ings looking grim and dreary that au-
tumn afternoon, and they finally pulled
rein in front of the door.
Dismounting and tying their horses
they proceeded to examine the build
ings thoroughly, until darkness stopped
them, but they found nothing. They
had about made up their minds to re-
turn, when suddenly the moon began to
rise, and by its light, they concluded to
make one more search of the ground.
Some little distance from the ranch. fifty
yards direct east, they came to the head
of gulch with steep sides, a small
stream of water running through it and
on each side of the stream were little
patches of grass.
Directly IN the center Of one Of these
laid some object which the dim moon
light made only more mishapen, and
the same thought came to both searchers,
as they stood on the banks of the ravine
trying their best to make out the shape
of human being from the indistinct
object upon which their eyes were
rivited. Making their way to 1t they
found it to be a body lying upon it's face,
underneath. Carefully turning it over,
the pale light showed them that their
search was over.
It was Schlesinger-and dead. His
features were as composed as when in
lie, but the moist spot on his left breast
showed that death must have
been nearly instantaneous, as he was
shot directly through the heart. Some
eight feet away something glistened on
the ground. 1t was his pistol, one
chamber empty, and showing signs Of
having been recently discharged.
Was it suicide Or murder? This his
dazed friends mutely asked each other,
and resuming their search this time for
signs of the presence of another man
around the death scene. They found
footprints exactly fifteen PAGES farther
down the gulch. They were convinced
now that there had been duel
The body was taken back to the town,
and as soon as daylight appeared Mr..
Solly led the coroner and jury to the
place where the footprints had been
seen, but it was too late, for many peo-
pie had passed over the place and the
only clue to the mystery was thus lost.
The jury declared that Schlesinger came
to his death from pistol shot inflicted
Shy party or parties unknown to the
jury"
An examination of Schlesinger's gar
ments revealed nothing except scrap
of paper, evidently torn from a letter,
in feminine handwriting. blank on one