The morning call., 1891-10-04
SHOT TO DEATH
At The PLAY.
The Mad MaEsmal-" Always in the
Center Of The Forehead"
Love, Jealousy and Insanity Behind the Foot
Hghts-lhe Superb Miss Arabella and
Her Rich Yankee Admirer

whose particular ueld WAS lHS"uit1i vas Ia
planning to me the case OF one oil MS patients
whom We had net in an alley and VINO had
saluted rs with patronzng alr
At that moment an explosion resounded
a few pa es from US. GraSped my hosts
arm.
What's that?" l asked. I" Has one of
your patients shot himself"
Doctor Noirot smiled.
NO" SAID he; treasure yourself. It's
still another curious case l want you to
see"
And, turning o5liquely to the left, he drew
me toward a small pavilion, hidden behind
a grove of trees. He unlocked a door, led
NE across a narrow vestibule. and we found
ourselves in a sort of long court, surrounded
by walls. A man was there, of lofty stature,
clad in a strange hunting costume, recalling
by certain details the Mexican fashion. He
had his back against the wall Of the pa
Yilion, and at the moment we entered raised
his right hand, armed with n pistol. Our
arrival did not disturb him. He aimed
slowly, with a S re hand. followed the
direction Of the weapon. and saw about
twenty yards distant, at the foot OF the op-
pOsiie wall, a white face with dark hole
in the center Of the forehead. 1t was, as
well as l could judge at that distance, the
thought l recognized the classic type Of
Diana, the Huntress.
DEAD SHOT.
The pistol was DISCHARGED The head did
not move and not fragment flew from II.
Look" SAID the doctor to HE III low
voice. It's very curious. He never misses
his mark"
He never misses ?"
No. Anthe balls are lodged in thesame
place, in that dark hole, smaller than piece
OF a hundred sous"
The man had drawn another pistol from
his belt He fired. As before the mask Ie
NAMED intact. The weapon being loaded
with several bullets, in the American fash
ion, the marksman successfully discharged
five more balls. Not one of them cut the
forehead OF tie white face. The doctor laid
his hand upon the shoulder Uf the naTks-
man, who wheeled about. His Yisage.
though Unframed by strong beard, had an
expression at once energetic and sad.
Stop au instant" said the doctor TO him.
The man made with his head sign of
consent. Then the doctor led me to the
other end Of the court and. behind the pas-
ter mask, showed NE q plate Of blackened
iron that protected the wall. In the center
Of the plate round spot glistened with re-
Elections OF lead produced by the iatt euiug
Of the balls.
You see" said he. showing me the exact
correspondence of this brilliant spot with
the hole that pierced the plaster mask,
you ses that all the balls pass through
there. You will not find one Of them else
where"
GUIDO VENTURA.
1T is marvellous" answered /. But
what strange history is associated with this
man?'
Come" said the doctor to me. ~ will
tell you all about it outside"
We again crossed the court and the vesti-
bule Of the pavilion. And this is what Dr.
NoIrot told me, while beaind us the detona-
tiuns recommended with regular intervals
between them.
This unfortunate man." said my host,
calls himself Guido Ventura. Is he an
Italian, Spauiard or an American? That's
what We don't exactly know Probably he
is an American, for it IS the New World par
tlculaIly that sends us these YirtuOSUS OF the
revolver aud the rife. 1t was from there
all events that this one came 10 France.
You may have seen him last year at the
AlcaZar dAutOmre, where he gave four or
I'VE exhibitions, and would have had all
Paris running to see him II q terrible event
haI not suddenly interrupted the course Of
his representations. But we must begin at
the beginning. There is an exciting story
involved, that certainly am the only per-
son acquainted with, having without aid,
during tile SIX months this man has been an
inmate here, succeeded in reconstructing the
details Of 1t, thanks to certain words that
an Intermittent deiITium snatches from hin.
Hence ! will give it to you as | sec it, sure
that my vision does not deceive me.
THE SUPERB ARABELLA.
Guido Ventura, when he came to Paris,
was accompanied by young woman named
Miss Arabella. She was superb creature
scarcely 20 years OF age, with the head of a
goddess and the figure of statue. Admir-
eTs were not lacking, and in less than a
week il had become the fashion to 20 see
the spleniid Arabela aid in his exercises
a nail u tad ma rt--
She stood proudly, her arms folded, her
ylsage impossible, fifteen PAGES from Guido
Ventura, who directed upon her tie vain
menace Of his pistol, the infallble ball of
which cut a card between her fingers broke
the bowl of pipe two inches from her lips,
and crushed the shell of a nut placed upon
her head.
"A slight trembling OF the marksman's
hand and all would have been over with the
superb Arabella. But the hand OF Guido
Ventura never trembled.
Evidently Guido Ventura loved this
creature like an idol. To be convinced of
It it sutficed to surprise one of those flashes
that shot from his eyes each time when, in
the foyer of the theateT where he was await
ing his turn u 90 upon the stage, some gal
liant was unusually attentive to the hand
some girl Was he jealous, also? Certainly,
aud lie must have suffered atTOciOusly, for
his companion, as cOquettish as beautiful,
seemed to delight IN eXasperating his jeal-
Ousy.
THE MANAGERS WARNING.
" On one occasion the manager of the AL
caZar 'Automne stopped her in the wings
as she was escaping with laugh from cir
CHE Of wiue-cxcitsd cOxcombs.
" see here, my little one,' he whispered
in her ear. you had better take care. Every
evening that man holds your life at his
mercyP
" Arabella burst out laughing.
:" He kill mep cried she, Struggling
her shoulders. Get along with you; he
thinks too much OF me 10 harm hair of my
headp
''And every night she stood before the
muzzle of the pistol with the same serene
tranquility, fascinating the rebellion of her
lover, as the eye of the tanner faScinates that
of the wild beast
One evening, when the name of Guido
Ventura and that of Arabella had been
shining scarcely a week upon the bills of the
AlcaZar 'AutOmne, gentleman of fiue ap-
pedrance entered the foyer, went straight to
the young woman, who uttered slight cry
OF surprise, and taking her hand kissed the
tips OF her fingers. Guido Ventura, who
was talking to the manager, turned and sud
denly grew very pale. The man who had
Just entered was rich Yankee, whose at
tentlons to Miss Arabella had made some
noise in New York 1t was because OF him
particularly that the marksman shad made
nls.engagement in Paris and haStened his
uSRdIluFe- from America,
- 49,. "A PERSISTENT ADMIRER.
But this man now had taken notion to
follow them, for it was on account of Ara
bella that he had come to Paris. As soon
as he:had ascertained where she had gone
he:had taken passage upon the next steamer.
That night as she was returning to her
ddTesslng-roon, Guido Ventura made terri
Dle:scene with his companion.
but the most terrible scene took place
some nights later. For a week the Ameri-
canhad hung about Arabella's footsteps.
Guido Ventura had striven to exact that the
manager Of the Alcazar d'Automue should
prohibit him from entering the coulisses.
But having made his way into the man
ageral Office, with his hat in hand, the
American emerged putting his wallet back
into his pocket, and there was no longer
question of his exile.
That night, when Arabella was pre-
pairing to assume her pages dress for the
performance, Guido Ventura saw paper
fall from her corsage. He picked it up.
read it; it was love letter, proposing to
the young girl an elopement and marriage
the Upyf 6aU Whap Ha 4 int n tho