St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-20
The TALE OF a CRIME.

TitBit Prize story. From the French.
NJ. Theodore. chef de surete, sat in
his cabinet deeply perplexed; his two
elbows on his desk. his head on his
hands. lie was muSing.
And was it going 70 last. this. which
had been going on for so long while?
And these aSsassins. were they going to
end by beating him? Were they going
to compel him by adverse public opin-
ioR 10 send in his resignation?
''Parhleul it looked So. and as if they
did 1t CA purpose, passing the word
from one 10 another to force him to get
out of their way. Eight aSSaSsinationS,
one after anutheri Crimes OF the worst
caliber. with startling details, which
peopled alike with horrifyng visions
the sleep of the bureaucrat anu the
concierge. And not All assassin. for all
their skillful work. had they been able
to lay their hands upon: they had fled,
every man of them. they had diSap-
pearet. vanished-piff. like puff of
air Celebrity, Dispatch, their motto,
and To 90 without leaving an address
behind theml Frankly. it .had begun
to pass the bounds of all reason.
And now. to top off these eight
other crimes. there was still another. a
| ninth one-a murder Ike the Others, ac-
| complished tile evening before under
similar conditions.
The chef de surete pulled himself to-
gether, threw back his mead like war
/ horse shifting battle, and = the door
| opened,
1t was his secretary who presented
/ himself, bearing 4 card i'll his fingers.
"a gentleman, monsieur, who insists
upon seeing YOU. He declares" and the
/ secretary smiled little at the absurd
/ ity of tile idea-''he declares himself in
position To furnish you with definite
/ particulars regarding the crime OF yes
( terday."
AN. the crime of yesterday?" The
I chief turned quickly. Then bid him
! enter" said he; and while the secre-
tary regained the anteroom tn do his
! bidding NJ. Theodore cast his eye upon
! the card before him.
IL, "Frederick Bouscal," he read in a
shalt voice. ''Bouseal, BouseaI; it seems
stO me that l know that naDe-that I've
! heard it somewhere"
! !. He ScraWled a line upon scrap of
isPapeI and handed it to the secretary,
| who returned at the moment ushering
! in the visitor who had asked to see him,
/ dismissed him with a word and was
b ready for the matter in hand.
ts- Nj. neOQOTS raised HIS eyes. before
him was man simply but neatly
i clothed. and with frank and honest
eontenance, though yelled, as by a
/ cloud, with sadness.
You have particulars to give me,
have you not?" questioned the chef do
lasurete; particulars of the crime Of
yesterday?'
! d Il hope so, monsieur" simply re-
L sponded the visitor.
.'Ah, hope SO! You are not sure,
| then?''
1T rests with you, NJ. lie Chef, whether
l am sure or not. All depends, in fact,
upon an operation, the means of which
you alone are able to furnish me-"
Explain, if you please"
"Certaiuly, and at once, though doubt
less you have heard it spoken of. M. lie
J Chef-a certain scientific procedure
which permits, under certain condi-
! tons, better even than description can
do it, reproduction of the portrait of
assassin. Briefly behold my meaning.
| You know, Of course" he continued,
that in the phenomenon called vision
| the object which we see throws, or
forms upon screen in the eyebail itself
! lin plain words, upon the retina of the
! eye-an image which remains there un-
| til displaced by another. 1t has been
! proved also that. this image continues
! even after DEATH"
.Thesd0Or of the cabinet opened anew
| and the secretary of NJ. Theodore re.en-
tered, holding in his hand roll of