Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-14
The Sturu Teller.
THE ROMANCE OF REALITY.
A FRENCH DETECTIVES STORY.

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rogue catcher, and I had some exper
ience, too. My field of operations, a.
s. usual thing, lay within the confine'
of the Department of the Lower Alps
and though 1 served under the sub
prefect of the third arondisement, ye
the prefect of the department called
upon me whenever he chose. Ont
morning-it was in the latter part o
May-I received note from the pre-
feet, ordering me to come to Digns
and see him with all possible haste
The message came through the office
of our -prefect, so that I had moth
ing to do but get ready and start.
took an early dinner, assumed the
dress of peasant, Drowned my face
and hands, and set forth. 1 reached
Digne just at nightfall, and as soon a:
it was dark I waited on the prefect
He seemed relieved when he saw me
and took me to his private closet.
"Now," said I, shave you got work
for me?"
"Yes," he replied; "sit down and
listen"
We sat down, and he proceeded.
"Within a few months past there
have been some of the most myste
rious murders committed in this de-
partment and in the department o.
war, that have ever come under my
notice. They are done mostly on the
road from Castellane to Aups. The
first victim was Marseilles merchant,
who had come up to Castellane to pur.
chase dried fruit. His body was found
by the roadside, near the line between
the two departments, and at first il
was supposed that he must have fallen
and died in a fit, as no marks of vic.
lence could be found upon him. His
pocketbook had been rifed, however
The next one was found near Annot
and under the same circumstances,
He was merchant, also, and from
Nice. Since then, five or six more
have died upon the same road in the
same mysterious way, and no marks
of ill-usage have been found upon any
of them, but all have been robbed"
"Have most of them stopped in
Castellane ?"
The prefect told me they had.
"And 1 suppose they must have put
up at the same inn, then ?" l re-
marked.
eyes," said the prefect.
1 then supposed that some of the
landlords must be concerned. But my
companion informed me that they had
been narrowly watched, and that no
shadow Of evidence rested against
them.
"But," said I, "is there not poison
in this matter? Some innkeeper may
administer the poison, and then send
an accomplice after the victim"
"No," returned the prefect, with a
shake of the head. Inexperienced
physicians have examined the stom.
achs of the dead men, but without
effect; and now we mean to give the
whole thing into your hands. You
must 20 to Castellane at once, and
there you can get such further infor-
nation as the sub-prefect can give
you"
I reached Castellane in the morning,
and went to a woolen factory and
saw the business agent. His name
was Louis Cazanbon, and he had come
to Castellane about year before. He
seemed to be a straightforward bust
ness man, and yet he was the only
man whom I had thoug ght of suspect
ing. In conversation about the mur.
ders he had been little too free and
off.handed, treating the subject more
coolly than a man with heart would
be apt to do. But still, had thus fal
been unable 10 prove anything against
him. On the present occasion l told
him, as I had told many others, thai
must return to Toulon.
felt sure that he was not the man
who had done the direct work OF
death. The plot was deeper than
that, or he would have been discovered
ere this. So resolved to wait awhile
and see if he returned. l would have
followed him if 1 could have done SC
with safety, when 1 saw him leave the
factory but he might have detected
me, and that would not do. However
in less than Is minutes he came back
He walked now with a sober, innocent
air.
saw Cazaubon at his desk, ano
then returned to my horse. l kne"
1 had a risk to run now, but l was
ready for it. If the factory agent was
at the bottom of the crime, and meant
to have me robbed, he had already sci
his machinery in motion, and the nex'
development would be upon the road
examined my pistols, and then let'
the town, taking the road along the
river towards the Alps.
l had crossed the little cascade o
St. Esprit, and was descending a short
steep hillside, when saw young
man by the roadside, at the foot of the
descent, engaged in whipping mule
He was a slightly-built fellow, and his
coarse garments were covered witt
meal. 1 knew that there was mil
upon a branch of the Nerdon, not faI
back, and I supposed he might be the
miller's boy. As came nearer, l saw
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