Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-11-13
TIE TWISTED RING.

-
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
at St. Petersburg, had paid the penalty
Of his outspoken hostility to nihilism.
My name is Alfred Cassagne. | am
30 years of age, and am a 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
Nihilists. 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 appraised of the arrival
In the capital of a young French gen
tleman, rich, and rumor had it. titled,
though travelling under the nom de
voyage of Mons. Anton Riccard. He
was accompanied by a single man
servant, middle aged person of grave
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 at once taken to the
scene of the tragedy. Nothing had
been disturbed. | found it as de-
scribed in the opening paragraph OF
this story.
The police were entirely at sea in re-
gard to the identity of the murderer.
Gurlotf 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.
PeIautski 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, squareIy
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 bIed to
death.
Diligent inquiry elected the fact that
a woman had been the last visitor to
the chief-a woman high in society, the
Baroness WoronskO. Suspicion, how
in oft r. ho- -,
fact, she was one of the most trusted
spies in the employment of the govern
ment.
However, I Immediately set Pierre
Chaufaud 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 a Nihilist of the worst de-
scription.
Soon the question narrowed itself
down to this. Assuming her to be 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 strong courageous
man like Paul Pelaufski.
| had one clew so slight that it had
been overlooked by the Russian police,
but Que which no really first-class de-
tective would have passed unnoticed
On the dead mans throat were the
black 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 to pro-
duce deep abrasion.
| at once took a 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 in America, to
identify criminal.
No other clew | had to guide me. A
plain twisted ring, worn by the MUIR
derer had left its mark distinctly on
the flesh. | caused the impression of
the hand to be photographed
Furnished only with these slight
clews, | 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. I soon
discovered that she was an abandoned
intrigueante. During her husbands
absence on his country estates, she I'M
scrnpulously amused herself with
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 iewelry
nightly displayed in the drawing
rooms of St. Petersburg, one might as
well have searched for needle in
bundle of hay. No, l only hoped to
use that as confrmatory evidence when
l had found my man.
And | was fast finding him. Already
/ had gained the confidence of the
Nihilists. Daring the third month
Rudolph Pfesh conhded to me the out
lite OF Il plot to asSassinate the Gar.
Bombs were to cut no feature in this
last attempt. A peculiar and Singular
~ treacnerous method was to be en-
ployed. People would never, perhaps,
know how the Emperor met his death.
But who was to infict it?
The circle to which now belonged,
80 Pfesh informed me. had drawn lots
to decide this. and the choice had fallen
on me. l was to become the assassin.
But the details would not be coutided
to me until the night before the day set
for the execution of the plot.
That evening | was to attend at the