Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-08-28
THE TALE OF FACRIME.


NJ. Theodore, chef de surete, sat il
his cabinet deeply perplexed, his two
elbows on his desk, his head on bis
hands. He was musing.
"And was IL going to last, this,
which had been going on for SO long
while? And these assasSins, were
they going 10 end by beating him?
Where they going to compel him by
adverse public opinion to send In his
resignation?
"Parbleu, it looked so, and as il
they did it Oh purpose, passing the
word from one to another to force
him to get out of their way Eight
assass nations, one after another!
Crimes OF the worst calibre, with
startling details, which peopled alike
with horrifying visions the sleep OF
the bureaucrat and the concierge.
And not an assassin, for al their
skillful work, had they been able to
lay their hands upon; they had fed,
every man Of them; they had disap.
peared, vanished-pllf, like puf OF
air. Celebrity, despatch, their motto,
and to 90 without leaving an address
behind them, Frankly, it had begun
to pass the bounds of ali reas N.
''Ani row, to top off these eighi
other crimes, there was still another,
a ninth onc-a murder like the
others, accomplished the evening be-
fore, under similar conditions, 4
femme galante with her throat cut.
five thousand francs worth OF jewels
gone, and-not trace of the asSas.
sins"
Despite his robust philosophy, that
had long been the admiration and
emulation OF his century, NJ. Theo.
dore fell himself drifting into mel
ancholy and reflection, not uumiXeu
with anger.
Mine murders one after the
other; nine crimes without an author;
nonsense. impussible" The chef de
eurete pulled himself together, threw
hack his head like war horse sniff.
fing battle, and--the door opened.
1t was his secretary who presented
himself, bearing i card in his fingers.
"a gentleman, monsieur, who in.
sists upon seeing you. He declares,
and the secretary smiled a little at
the absurdity OF the idea, ''he de-
clares himself in position to furn-
ish you with definite particulars re
garding the crime of yesterdat.'
'.Ah. the crime OF yesterday" The
Chief turuc quickly. Then bid
him enter" said he, and while tho
secretary re.ained the ante-roOm u
do his bidding, NJ. Theodore cast his
eye upon the card before him.
"Frederick ouscal" he read in t
half voice. ''BOuscal, BouScal; 1t
seems to me that | KNOW that name
that I've beard it somewhere"
He scrawled line upon scrap o.
paper, and handed it to the secre
tary, who returned at the moment
uShering in the visitor who had
asked to sec him, dismissed him with
a word, AMI vas ready for the mat
ter in hand.
NJ. Theodore raised his eyes. Be.
fore him was man simply but
neatly clothed, and with frank and
honest counte nance, though yeiled,
as by cloud, with sadness. The
eyes were clear and open, the NOUS
tache and goatee grey and pointed
In short, there was something in his
manner, something in his appear
ance of a militalre in retreat.
You have particulars TO give me,
have you not, monsieur?" questioned
the chef de surete; ''partIculaTS,
believe, OF the crime of yesterdays"
81 hope so, monsieur" simply re
eponded the visitor.
"Ah, hope so! You are not sure
them"
1T rests with you. NJ. le Chef
whether l am sure or not. All de-
peudS, in fact, upon an operation,
the means OF which you alone arr
able to furnish me-"
Explain, if you please"
"Ce: tainly, AID at once. though
toubtless you have heard 1T often
spoken OF, NJ lie Chef; a certain scien-
tifc procedure which permits under
certain conditions, better even than
description can do it, a reproduction
OF the portrait OF the assassin. Briefly,
behold my meaning. You know, of
course" he continued, that the pho
nomenon called vision the oh eel
which we see throws or forms upon q
screen in the eyeball itSelf--in plain
words, upon the rctina OF the eye
an image which remains there until
DISPLACED Ly another. 1t has teen
proved also that this image continue:
sven after death You recognize,
therefore. that if a person murdered,
has been struck from the front anc
in a light sufficiently distinct for hin
to see, the last thing upon which his
eyes would he fixed, would, in al
probability, be the face or form o.
the murderer. Naturally, the image
of that face or figure would be thrown
upon the retina OF the eye where, and
this is what / came to say-it Is not
only possible to refund it, but also
possible to reproduce it. All, well,
monsieur, in the case which occupie'
us"
The door of the cabinet opened
anew, and the secretary Of NJ. T1eo-
dore re-entered, holding in his hand
a FOIL Of papers, which he laid before
his chief, then turned and was gone
again as quickly as he had come. NJ.
Theodore lifted it up and ran his eye
,apidly over the contents.
"You are named Frederick BOus.
CAL are you not, monsieur" he de.
manded, presently, addreSsina hif
yisltQ8