The herald., 1896-02-02
A MATRIMONIAL AGENCY

| or q fact as far as most men, but not to the
extent of thought reading or second sight.
Not that he had n,t tried his hand at that
fashionable art; but he used to say that his
experience of il was that it bore the same
| relation to real psychology that astrology
bears to astronomy. So he gave it up. But
in spite of his skepticism, Beothy, as prac-
tcal psychologist, had not his equal-at
least not in the detective force at Buda-
pesth
One day ne was charged with the investi-
ga ion of a case which his superiors assured
him was as clear as crystal, the only diff
Guilty being to cach the criminal, who had
absconded. 1t was wllful murder, pure and
simple. The official Instructions handed to
him were as follows:
1.-The presumed murderer, whose photo
graph is hereby appended, is Franz Muller
aged thirty-two, a native of Hamburg
resident for the past fifteen months in the
Attloutcza (Attila street, Budapesth. He
earned his living as a commercial traveller
was married and has no children. He lived
happily with his wife, Ella native of
Riga. until about four days previous to the
murder when the pair were observed to
quarrel. On June Is they left their house
in the At,ilautcza at p. NJ. ogether drove
toward the Peath Hills, where they dis
charged the cabman and continued the way
on, foot. They were met by persons living
on the Gellerthegy and others, who heard
them -disputing in a loud tone of voice. One
wcE7an declares that she heard lady, cor
responding to the description of Ella Muller
exclaim Don't kill me, Franz, FIR Gods
sake!' after which her companion was heard
to say. It's too late now Franz Muller
returned home about p. NJ, alone, packed
up some things in small trunk, and. say
ing.that he was going o England for week,
left by The last night express. Ella Muller
never returned alive Her body WIS found
by aborer of Old Pesth, hidden ami ng the
shrubs in the most lonely part of the
Schwabenber The post mortem examination
e,s ablished the fact that she died of the
effects of wound Inflicted by sharp in
strument-a dagger, or a long narrow knife
which pierced the heart. Her pockeas
were empty. and her brooch, earrings, rings.
brace.et IL d eoli watch and chain are among
the valuables missing search in the
rooms occupied by the Muller family result
ed in the discovery Of a sheet of paper in
the ady's prayer box. on which were writ
ten. in her own handwriting, the words:
"'Anothor threat from FIR. MI to-day.
I now see that he has determined to have
nv life. feel could kill the scoundrel
or myself. Oh, if had only known what
a wretch Fr. Nj is wien | married him,
or IL even now l could but reveal the Sc
cree. l have no one to advise me. Great
God take pity on met
photographic inquiries have been made
in Vienna and Hamburg, with a view to
discovering Franz Mullers whereabouts
but without success. About his guilt there
can be no re sonable doubt. He quarreled
with his wife shCrily before her death
Her own handwriting attests that he not
only hated her. but harborod designs upon
her life He was seen in her company q
very short time before the murder and
she was heard to entreat him to spare her
hit ioin wi
that he came home alone and lied from
the city that same night and has been
hiding ever since, make 1t clear that he IS
the murderer Of his wife,
Beothy went straight to London, and the
first thing he did when he got there was to
con the list of convictions at the various
police courts during the previous fortnight.
He fixed upon two men, of whom one was a
foreigner, and h.d given a false address
and probably a false name, and had been
sentenced-along with his companion-to
| fourteen days, for being mixed up in sc-re
row with the police. On inquiry, he found
that TIE man would be released On the tol-
lowing morning, and he went to TIC prison
to meet him. The moment he set eyes
upon him, he knew that he Eau run Ais
quarry to earth.
"Franz Muller, believer" he said.
( Muller turned very paIe, but asked him
| his business.
ITO learn something about yourself and
your wife," replied Beothy.
"Weil, you seem to have found out all
that there is to he known about me. Con-
cerning my wife, can give you no informa-
ton Is she not It home? If net she must
have eloped with somebody"
"Here. read this, Muller SAID Beothy,
handing him a copy Of the Hue and Cry in
German.
MY Coil Is Fila daad?" he asked, and
the detective knew by the accent OF his
voice and the deep emotion he betrayed that
he was innocent.
After short dialogue touching the details
of the murder Beothy said:
81 don't believe you guilty, but I must
bring you back to stand your trial, and my
mission is FULFILLED once | have you safe
under lock and key. But l should prefer
to solve the mystery and find out who the
murderer is 1t i.s also your interest that
should succeed in this, Therefore, pro-
pose that you should assist me in every
way. On tha other hand, will not formally
arrc1t you, but will take you quietly with
me until we cross the Austrian frontiers
" hen you must be handed over to the police
and forwarded to Budapesth. Nov, then,
tell me everything about the trouble be-
tween yourself and your wife, and all you
know about the causes that may have led
to her murder"
Muller, who was terribly urret by the
news of his wife's sudden death, fell in with
the proposal, and told the following story:
Il made Elias acquaintance in 1SS-, in
Riga, where | lived for a twelve-month as
private tutor in family. She was intro
duced to me, by a matrimonial agency, and
after ohort courtship l married her. We
then went to live in Hamburg, and soon
afterward in Leipzig. But we finally quar-
relied, because Ella insisted, after having
lived very happily with me for fourteen
months, on going to Riga 10 spend half
year with her mother, who was in bad
health, or else on my agreeing to take the
invalid old lady to live with us. | refused
both requests, and for time Ella seemed
resigned But fresh and urgent requests
came from Riga, and our quarrels became
frequent. At last we separated, and | OBJ
tained a divorce.
shortly after this | went TO Laibach,
where | obtained a fairly good situation.
This circumstance inspired me with a de-
sire to marry again. Being a stranger in
the city | applied to an international matr-
monal agency in Budapesth and on paying
the preliminary fees | received number of
names and addresses. The former were
mostly assumed, the latter were absurdly
vague, correspondence being carried on eX-
clusively through the agency. The names
kept coming in every week, and after some
time came one with a very special recon-
mendation as just the kind of person that
would suit me:
"'A young and pretty widow, Nine.
Sternweg by name possessed of f120 year
in her own Fight, without relatives, we'll
educated, and of the Roman C1tholic faith
"The description tempted me, and l
asked them to send me her address. But
l..l