The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-15
BYRNES FIRST SUCCESS.
THE STORY THAT A PARTISAN TOLD
TO THE INSPECTOR.

TO THE INSPECTOR.
An Ambitious Amateur accomplished
What the Regular Detectives OF
Paris Failed to Do-How He Secured
the Confession of Murderess and
What He Did About 1t.
(CopUfgH 1890
NEW York, April 13.-One of the at
taches Of the Bureau brought in card one
day and laid it on the desk with the words:
Insists on seeing you pers )nally, but will
not explain the nature Of his business"
A hasty glance at the card showed me
that the man was a stranger.
"Tell him to wait" l said elf his business
is important he can speak with the sergeant
in charge; when get time l will see him.
Some hours later laid down my pen and
pushed the papers on the desk to one side,
conscious that hard days work was over.
| had been out and in several times but had
used the private passage rather than the
public. AS / was arranging the desk to
leave it for the night, noticed the stran-
gers card still lying there. / picked it up
and real it. 1 have it still and here it is:
HENRI ST. V. DE BEAUSSANT,
No. Is RUE DE VICTORIE,
PARIS.
Surprising, of course that Monsieur de
Beaussant had made ais business known to
the sergeant, put on my hat aud coat and
went out. AS | was passing through the
general office, tall AID slim man rose
from a char in the corner, and hat in hand
addressed me:
Monsieur the Chief Inspector Byrnes"
YES" | answered, and turned inqulring
to one of the attaches.
This is the gentleman" he said smiling
significantly, "who has been waiting, for
you"
Then looked at the stranger.
81 am De Beaussant," he replied, to my 81
lent inquiry.
And have you been waiting here for five
hoursp exclaimed in surprise.
He shrugged his shoulders deprecatingly
ut is nothing" he declared, "now that
have the honor of speaking to you. | will
come again if it is not within your conven-
fence or pleasure at the present"
1t struck me that the man deserved an
audience for his patience even If he were no
more than the crank that | suspected him to
be, and returned with him to the private
office. His face was dark and thin, and a
pointed mustache and imperial gave him
what we recognize as atypically French APP
pearance HIS manner of speaking was
about as have quoted it above, delivered
with slight accent and usually with good
choice of words, but a little stilted and
pompous
"Whst is your businessP' / asked, when
he had taken a chair.
81 wish to be employed as detectectiye
on your staff he replied.
"You might have received your answ er
to that WISH" said, without waiting so
long to see me.
"Ah, yes" he admitted, "a negation.
That is true, but there are circumstances to
be considered. You will pardon nv SEEM
ing insistence, for il is not for the detective
to complain of tedious waiting Patience,
silence, persistence that is unobstruSive
these are some of the qualities that, pardon
me for saying IL, are essential in the true
detective"
M. de Beaussant amused and interested
me.
81 presume you have had some expert
ence,n | said, "what has it been?"
"Ah, Monsieur the chief" he responded,
"that is the question difficult to answer,
but knew that it must be asked and | am
prepared to tell you. 1t will be brief "
Then he told his story. 1 shall give it as
nearly as | can recall in his own words. 1t
is not necessary that should say here whetl-
er he eventually became a member of the
SIT is well that you should know" he be-
gan, that my parents were well to do and
brought me up as an educ 4ted gentleman Of
leisure. At thirty diaster of business left
my little fortune wreck, and a few hun
dred francs represented all l possessed. |
went to work with friend as book-keep-
er, but my habits were such that | could
not live on my salary. Moreover | was
deeply in love with-call her Marie. She
N of the n NpaOiac Wn uu.r
to be married. Under the circumstances
| must make more money. | had no trade no
skill at anything, but had read ever thing
in French literature about detectives, and
it occurred to me that the life of detective
might satisfy my craving for activity and
adventure and that there might be pros
poets of obtaining high rewards in it. 1t
was my only hope. l felt confident that |
knew the methods to be pursued, and that
experenc would lead to success. In this
Marie encouraged me, and promised to mar
ry me, whatever my circumstanc %. at the
conclusion of my first successful effort.
81 applied to the chief # the department.
No matter how gained his interest; per-
haps did not, but at all events, he ended
our conversation by showing me a para
graph in a newspaper. 1t said that Monsieur
Lemaitre, wealthy gentleman, had been
found dead in his fiacre at an early hour
in the morning, by the cabman who had
driven him to the door Of his hotel. There
was no evidence Of violence, but murder
was suspected because Lemaitre's Jewels
and money were missing.
IA postmorten,' concluded the chief,
has revealed the the presence Of morphine
in the deceased's stomach. You may I'M
dertake to find the murderer, but others
are ahead of you. / will tell you all they
know-the claimants number
with the greatest zeal l undertook the
task. l saw the cabman, as had the others.
He had picked up Lemaitre at certain
street corner at 3 q. m. The gentleman
was, as usual at that hour, somewhat under
the influence of liquor. With him was a
woman heavily yelled When they had
gone some distance the lady called upon the
cabman TO stop.
az will get out here she said; this is my
house, and you may leave N. Lemaitre at
his hotel
That was all he knew. l visited the ho-
tel and the woman's house, only to find that
several women living in the neighborhood
were already under arrest. Such informa-
nation as | secured gave me no assistance
Somewhat nonplussd | went TO the corner
where the fiacre had been hailed. The reg
ular detectives, l thought, are doubtle IS
searching the drug stores to find where the
poison was obtained. will try to find where