Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-24
CHAPTER Iv.-Continued.

plot against a certain prince now
visiting in Paris. did not believe
the yarn, because the prince is neither
French nor Russian and could not
have go many enemies In Paris. How
ever. | allowed him to continue the in
vestigdlion. and he was to report to
me. This ending of the affair was en-
tirely unexpected"
ITO you and to him also, imagine"
said tine commissaire dryly.
"The question is said the chief of
detectives, ''if he did not murder NJ
de Bullion, who did murder him? 1t
was done for robbery, no doubt"
Certainly, for robbery. Commits
saire Perraud of that district IS max
ing the examination Of the premises.
expect him in at any moment"
Il must go there myself said the
chief of detectives. Il have already
sent two men, but this case seems dcs-
tined to become celebrated. 1t involves
the liberty of an American. I will take
charge of it myself
IS there anything further to be done
with this man? What 90 you think Of
his story?'
well, you yourself corroborate 4
portion of it. But he should certainly
be held pending the investigation. And,
rs in all other cases, it would be wise
to examine his person now
Buckford was ordered to take off the
leather Jacket. This revealed his own
neat fitting coat, slightly wrinkled
from the jacket
81 will see what he has in his pock-
cts" said the chief Of detectives.
few letters We're brought to light
and turned over to the project. His
watch and chain were scrutiniZed.
They We're not particularly valuable
A pocketknife, a small bunch of keys,
| handkerchief, a fountain pen and
some loose change followed.
"Well. yoI don't carry all your mon
ey in one pocket. then" said the de-
tective as he brought out the pocket
book that the conspirator had given
BucSford the previous day.
"That pocketbook was given to mo
by the man l met at NJ jacques"
The detective said nothing, but took
the pocketbook TO table and turned
out its contents.
'IIere is a pretty sum of money
10 francs he said. "And here are
some more s-what-what is this ?
IIa, messieurs, we have the murderer
of NJ. de Bullion
The commissaire and the project
spranG to their feet.
See this exclaimed the chief of de-
tectives. handing them two folded pa
pers. They opened them. They were
receipted bills. They bore the name
of Alphonse de Bullion.
well, so instead of being interested
in defeating crime. you commit it,
said the project. Now l believe your
story was Il hoax all the way through.
Remove this man to the depot. The
! JUICE d'instruction will have to take
up this case. l am through With it."
| Without ceremony poor Buckford
was hustled away and in a very short
time was locked in cell in the de-
tention bureau of the Palais de Justice
Certainly his interest in protecting
an unknown prince had led him into a
pretty scrape.
| The affair became known in the city.
| The name of NJ. de Bullion was well
known for his wealth and eccentric
ways. A murder with so much of the
mysterious element in 1t was novelty
| even in Paris, where one breathes mys-
terry with the microbes in the street.
The investigating magistrate was NJ
SENEGAL. His interest in his work was
supreme. He strived at all times to
take up a case absolutely without
prejudice. His name was synonymous
with fair play. 1t seemed to be the
one fortunate thing Of Buckford's mis-
hap that NJ. SENEGAL had charge of the
case. 1t insured q rigid and impartia!
| investigation.
| Different magistrates have different
ways of going to work. Many would
justice, have had an interview witt,
the prisoner first. Others would have
learned the known facts from the pc.
| lice records.
M. SENEGAL did neither of these. His
experience had shown him that the Pc,
lice records ut that stage Of the case,
or of any case, were almost certain to
be incorrect in some important details,
and having learned thing which prov
ed to be false, he then had the diff
Guilty to unlearn it and begin over
again. He also had discovered that q
prisoner examined in the first heat of
his capture invariably made state
| ments that were controverted at the
regular examination.
NJ. SenecaIs motto was, "Let them
all get their wind, and then / can tell
| who is lying the most"
| This method Of NJ. Senecars was re
sponsible for a couple Of very bad days
| for poor Wallace. He remained in the
depot, fretting. chatting at what he con-
| sidered an injustice and wondering if
| the investigation would ever take
place and what the result Of it would
be, for if the police still refused to be-
lieye that he had received the purse
from the plotter, he saw no way of
escaping the charge of numbering NJ.
de Bullion.
Now it so happened that this delay
~.