Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
CAUSED A SCANDAL
How a French Official Got on to
Many Secrets.
BY MEANS OF HIDDEN WIRES
Gave Him a Powerful Hold on
Lots of People.
UNEARTHING A MYSTERY
q NEARTHING A MYSTERY
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
PARIS, March B. 1901.
Suppose that the governor of New York
should accidentally discover a network of
powerful telephone wires leading to his
private office his home library, dining room
and bed room cunningly concealed and
furnished with microphones so sensitive
that never a whispered conversation could
escape them. Supposing that these wires,
with any number of others, should be
found converging to the house and office
of a peculiarly able and influential subor-
dinate already feared and half distrusted
by his superiors, to whom he had for a
long time, nevertheless, proved himself in
dispensable. Suppose, moreover, that the
mysterious influence of this subordinate
extended to the whole police and clerical
force of a great municipality so that mayor
and governor alike felt powerless against
it The governor of New York could cut
the telephone wires and discharge his in
huential and spying subordinate; but all
the same he might have cause to worry,
wondering what that occult Individual
might Know and what he would do next
This is exactly what has happened to NJ
Alapetite, project Of the department of
the Rhone, in France, and, therefore, gov
ernor of the rich and important territory
around the city of Lyons.
His immediate predecessor the EXPIRE
feet LerouX, has already committed sui
eide Other high functionaries have re-
signed. The local politics of Lyons are
troubled to their foundations. No one
knows where he stands, or who is for him
or against him. The local papers are silent.
The rank and file of the police and cleri-
cal forces are distrusted by their chiefs,
though nothing can be found against them.
Meanwhile the hero of the mystery of
Lyons, though discharged and disgraced,
remains the esoteric master of the depart
ment.
Meyer the Master.
He is NJ Charles Meyer and he entered
the police force as clerk in the office of
the secretary general at the moment it was
organized exceptionally for Lyons by the
law Of 1884 His previous employment as
on-commiSSioned officer in the battalion of
chasseurs a pied gave him right to no
higher place; but his activity and intelli-
gence caused him to mount steadily. Grade
by grade he rose in the hierarchy to the
post of chef de division, the unique divi
sion which at the time composed the secre-
tary Seneralship of the police of Lyons.
What this means may be illustrated by a
glance at the corresponding grades in
Paris. Here the half dozen chefs de divi-
sion hold the real power behind the throne.
The project of police is appointed and 1e-
moved; the chefs de division remain in
their places. Unless they desire it. the
project is not able to learn what is going
on. He is obliged to conciliate these great
bureaucratic chiefs, who know the ropes"
while he is ignorant. They have their I'M
behring's devoted to them, while he COM
mandS no ones devotion.
AS it is in Paris, so it was even more in
Lyons where Meyer was the unique chef
de division. His influence and authority be-
came allpOwerful In the whole organiZa-
ton of the Lyons police, uniformed and Sc
cret, there was not an act that could be
done without his passing on it. In per
oil of 81
individual who not absolutely devoted
to him, who was not, in a word. his man.
The secretaries general put at the head
of his service by the general government
had always to rely on him for the conduct
of their affairs. He was SO kind and oblig-
ing, so willing and so able, that they We're
glad to let him do the work which his Sc
cret opposition would prevent them from
accomplishing without him. At the mo-
ment Of Boulangism even the secretary
generalship was offered to him. He refused
it. He did not wish to become one OF those
political personages placed and replaced at
the pleasure Of parties. He preferred to
remain in the shadow, immovable, covered
by a responsible chief, to seem to be the
second while in reality the only master.
Respectful anxious to please in his de-
meanor before the projects and secretaries
general who succeeded each other over
him. Meyer was able to maintain his
unique place under such varying prefec-
tureships as those of NM. Massicault, Cam
bon Rivaud, Leroux and Alapetite. M.
Alapetite, who had already known Meyer
when he himself had been secretary gen.
eral found him more Indispensable and
more firmly seated than ever in his chair
of chef de division Of the Lyons police.
Illness Caused His Downfall.
A few weeks ago M. Meyer fell i'll. Sew
eral days having passed without his being
able to show up at the prefecture, and M.
Alapetite having need of certain dossiers
which ought to have been in NJ. Meyers pos
session, he sent word to the sick man, asking
for his keys. NJ. Meyer told the messenger
to come back the next day. So he was put
off from day to day After eight such
fruitless demands the project sent word
that he himself would come for the keys.
Certainly l will give them to you," re-
piled the chef de division. II don't know
where the devil they could have got to.
They must be at the office. My doctor
promises me I may go out tomorrow, and
1 will go and get them for YOU
Meyer continued too i'll to leave his bed.
He continued to make excuses about the
keys. At last the project became more
than suspicious, and informed his stubborn
subordinate that he would force the desks.
AT this the sick man, SO weak and miser-
able that he could scarcely crawl, neverthe-
less forced himself to dress, to be helped to
a cab and be transported half dead, to his
office. There the projects clerk happened
to see him for a moment hunting feverishly
through papers, burning many and putting
many OInerS ASIDE. w men ne le1t ne car
ried with him a voluminous package as
large as two municipal directories. Not a
clerk in the office had anything to reply to
the wondering remarks Of the prefect's
secretary.
When M. Alapetite learned these facts
he called in a locksmith Immediately. The
door of Meyers private office was forced
desks were opened and the search begun
when night came on. 1t was necessary to
put in a guard. and the question arose
'Who?' The project realized that it would
be impossible to find in all the Lyons po-
lice single man not entirely devoted to
NJ Meyer, ready to obey him blindly. Such
was the incredible situation of affairs
Therefore the secretary general, the high
est officer Of the department under the
project himself, mounted guard over the
mysterious Office. 1t was all the more
mysterious because already strange things
had been discovered
The results Of the next mornings search
read like chapter from Balzac or Gabo-
riau. Here was hero of police romance
for sure! In the first place they discov-
cred that this seemingly loyal functionary
had been the secret chief Of half a dozen
violent campaigns In reactionary journals
in which the representatives Of the present
government were attacked dangerously
Then they found great books. arranged al