Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-11-20
THE TWISTED RING.

There was blood on everything in the
room. 1t was on the desk at which
the dead man had been seated; it was
scattered over the papers; it lay in
little crimson pools upon the biotting
pad and the carpet; in the last des-
perate struggle it had spurted from his
gaping wounds against the window
curtains and walls; the very atmosphere
of the chamber seemed imbued with it.
A horrible murder had been COM
mitted.
Paul Pelaufski, chief of secret police
ut St. Petersburg, had paid the penalty
OF his outspoken hostility to nihilism.
My name is Alfred Cassagne. am
SO years of age, and am detective.
The following telegram to the De-
partment of Secret Police in Paris had
resulted in my taking the next train to
the Russian capital
"Pelaufski fatally stabbed early morning
Nihllsts. Send best man at once Must be
stranger to Russia. Ours too well known
Expense no object
"GURLoFF"
Four days later fashionable st.
Petersburg was apprised of the arrival
In the capital of young French gen
tleman, rich. and rumor had it. titled,
though travelling under the Iom de
voyage of Mons. Anton Riccard. He
was accompanied by single man
servant, "A middle aged person of grave
department. Pierre Chaffaud was one
of the most courageous seconds in the
employ of the Partisan Secret Police.
On two occasions he had been known
to risk his life TO save that of his
principal. | had chosen him to ac-
company me.
On making myself known at police
headquarters ! was ut once taken to the
1cene Of the tragedy. Nothing had
been disturbed. | found it as de-
scribed in the opening paragraph of
his story.
The police were entirely at sea in re-
iard TO the identity of the murderer.
Gurloff placed the case in my hands,
and at once proceeded to make an
examination Of the material before me-
The assassin had evidently gained
admittance to the chiefs apartment
during the day had remained con-
cealed until nightfall when escape was
comparatively easy, and had then
sprung upon his victim from behind.
Pelnulski had turned to confront his
murderer, but not quickly enough to
avoid the knife, the first blow from
which had struck him in the left breast,
the second one lower down, squarely
above the region of the heart. The
murderer had then caught him by the
throat to prevent his crying out,
and held him while he slowly bled to
death
Diligent inquiry ELECTED the fact that
woman had been the last visitor To
the chief woman high IN society, the
Baroness Woronsko. Suspicion, how
ever. In TO way attached to her-in
fact, she was one of the most trusted
spies in the employment of the govern
Nent.
However, | Immediately set Pierre
Chauifaud to shadow her movements.
My impression that she would bear
watching was confirmed when | re-
ceived his report.
The Baroness Woronsko whilst in
the employ of the Government, was in
reality Nihiist of the worst de-
scription.
Soon the question narrowed itself
down to this. Assuming her to he an
accessory to the murder of PelaufSki,
who was the actual assassin 1t was
absurd to suppose that frail, slight
woman like the Baroness Woronsko
could overcome II strong courageous
man like Paul Pelaufski.
had one clew so slight that it had
been overlooked by the Russian police,
but one which no really tirstclass de-
tective would have passed unnoticed
On the dead mans throat were the
back marks of the fingers which had
strangled him. The thumb of the
right hand had been pressed violently
into the skin on the neck, so as 20 pro-
duce a deep abrasion.
at once took n careful cast of this
thumb-mark with the finest wax. thus
reproducing every line exactly.
knew that the impressions on no
two thumbs in the world are alike. 1t
is the prison-mark in China, remember,
and there serves the same purpose of
the rogues' gallery ia America, to
identify criminal.
No other clew | had to guide me. A
plain twisted ring. worn by the mur-
derer, had left its mark distinctly on
the flesh. | caused the impression of
the hand to be photographed.
Furnished only with these slight
elews, | now set out to find the muir
derer of Paul Pelaufski. Instinct told
me, suppose, to look for him in the
best society of the Baroness. | soon
discovered that she was an abandoned
intrigueaute. During her husbands
absence on his country estates. she un-
scrupuIouSly amused herself with a
lover, one Rudolph Pfesh, Hungarian
of handsome appearance and very
finely educated. | soon discovered this
man to be Il red-hot Nihilist. The
Baroness for the time was absolutely
infatuated with him.
During all this time, you may sup
pose that | kept a sharp lookout for the
twisted ring. | did nothing Of the
kind. Amidst the mass of jewelry
nightly displayed in the drawing
rooms of st. Petersburg. one mi rht as
well have searched for needle in a
bundle OF hay. No, | only hoped to