The morning call., 1892-12-29
A PARISIAN MYSTERY.

No element OF mystery or horror seems
70 be war ting in the drama that is now be-
ing enacted in Paris. Dark clouds of sus-
pcon settled on the death of Baron
Rein ach at the time it occurred. They are
new clearing up, and as they roll away the
air is filled with whispers of murder.
The late Baron was banker, man of
the world and a diplomat. When the Pan
anna Company got into difficulties he was
one. Of The first members of the "high
finance" who was called into counsel. He
seems to have proposed that the company
should buy its way out of the quagmire in
which it stood. Experience had probably
convinced him that every one was venal. if
yenallty assumed proportions broad enough,
and the practice of using money had taught
him how to approach honest men with dis
honest offers. 1t seems that this delicate
branch Of the company's business was
placed in his hands. At all events we find
the Panama Company handing him check
for three and half millions, as to which
he replied to Monchicourt, when ne was
asked what he wanted with so much money,
~ Ou' must be very simple" Ii is also
stated that on the day he received this large
check. or the subsequent day, he drew
twentY-six checks OF his own for sums
which. when added together. amounted to
precisely the sum of the Panama Company's
check. Tie Inference is obvious that he
got the money to bribe people with and that
he did bribe them accordingly.
Then follows in swift sequence the story
of his agonized visit to Rouvier. Clemeuceau IL
and Constans TO induce these influential
men to get the newspaper attacks on him
stopped. Falling in this. he went home
daSn ic
heard Of him is that he is dead. At first
blush. people came naturally to the conclu-
sion that he had committed suicide to avoid
exposure. But. on reflection, they realized
that others must have been as anxious to
get him ont Of the way in order to prevent
his telling what he knew as he could have
been TO disappear, and then the question
arose, Could he have been poisoned? His
remains were disinterred. The official re-
port of the autopsy has not yet been made
public. But it has been stated that poison
has been found in the stomach, and ii is
added that it had been placed there eight
hours before death The poison used was
thus not an irritant, aud not any of the
forms of hydrocyanic acid.
The theory on which the suspicious OF
poisoning are based is that persons in high
station saw that the game was up, and
that their crimes would be diyulged
by, Reinach on his examination by
the Judge of Inquiry. They desired
TO put him out of the way to pre-
vent his giving his evidence. M. Andrieux.
ex-Prefect of Police. states that during bis
term of Office he became cogniZsnt of an at
tempt at murder under the same circum-
stances. Science has made such progress of
late years that poison may be administered
in food without discovery by its victim.
Some Doisons operate painlessly by sus-
pending the action of the heart. 1t is quite
possible that, in his wanderings on that
terrible day, when he went from door to
door in search of sympathy and help, he
may have been induced to partake of a
hasty lunch with some seeming friend. and
the meal NAV have sealed his lips forever