The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-23
Z = I >
WHAT WAS 1T?
By NJ. QUAD.

BY NJ QUAD.
what think your Three Americans
are going TO pass a night in the cid
Pillar mansion!"
Those words were spoken q hundred
times over In Mexico City one day
twenty years ago. and there was much
shaking OF heads and struggling of
shoulders The Americans were civil
engfneers-Hall, Peters and Townsend
who were engaged upon the city
drainage problem They had wagered
a dinner with certain Mexicans that
they would do this.
There had been SO many horrible
things happen at the old house under
the shadow of the big mountain--things
that were past belief, incredible, mon
strous. awful things
Long. long ago there came to the
| City of Mexico Spaniard. noble and
rich and with very beautiful wife.
| the Marquise Jesus Marie Rincon del
Filar- He built magnificent town
house, a house covered with wonderful
blue and white tiles, with marvellous
courts, great show place of the old
| city.
| After the completion of the town
house the marquis purchased a grea:
tract of land about two and half
miles fro mChapultepec and directly at
the foot of Moline del Rey mountain.
| and there he built an exact duplicate
of his city home, and for many years
these two houses were centers around
which the most exclusive social circle
| radiated.
Then. one day, fifty years before the
day of which 1 write, a monstrous
tragedy took place in the grand saloon
of that beautiful country place. Two
people were found literally torn to
pieces and with terrible finger marks
about their threats. The whole coun-
try was shocked at the revolving crime,
but the perpetrators were never dis
covered.
At that time was commenced a kind
of war of determination on the Pillars.
They were shot, assassinated, poisoned.
killed in duels, disappeared, died OF
disease and generally bounded to death
and yet no one knew any reason why
they should be got rid of or who was
instrumental in bringing about their
downfall. Every one could tell you that
1t was SO. but why remained sealed
book.
In the meantime the beautiful old
place had fallen upon such evil days
and was in such disrepute that people
were afraid to pass that way even
when the sun shone- Then from across
the water came a young heir to the
property and with him a captain OF
artillery, who came to take the air
| with his friend They went to look al
the country home and decided that 1t
servant could be secured. The tale
was explained, and the two decided te
! investigate The next day they Were
found flung out upon the terrace be-
fore the house. dead.
| That was the last. The city had in
vestigated, the government had inves-
tigated, the old place had been ran
sacked, thousands of dollars expended
but to no avail. and for ten years nc
one had gone near the place, and the
story was seldom mentioned. but every
street gamins in the city could tell you
all about it. Small wonder, then, thai
the rumor that some one would sleeI
in the old house had created a sensa-
ton.
/ At $50 o'clock of the day Of the wager
the trio of Americans was escorted out
to the grewsome ruins by party OF
half a dozen, who were to return in car.
meantime. After a lot of chaff in re
gard to the coming dinner, they shoot
hands the Mexicans locked the gates
and the Americans picked up hamper
they had filled, shouldered roll OF
blankets and, with laughing adieus
went down the dusky avenue to NEE
their fate. The Mexicans stood at tht
gates NtiD they saw them open the
door of the house, and with good night:
they went away and the night came
swiftly down.
At O'Clock the next morning tht
same carriages, supplemented by hal
men from the Jockey club, drew up be
fore the entrance, and their shout!
shook the heavy gates as they swarmet
about while the man with the KEY
fumbled with the rusty lock and looked
anxiously toward the silent house
At the turn of the drive in front o
the great door they found Hall. H
i had been thrown under the spreading
branches of silvery green pine, ant
when they drew him gently out ant
. laid him on the graveled walk hi
heart was still beating. but his necl
was frightfully discolored and hi
tongue, black and swollen, protrudet
between his teeth.
The house was found tightly closed
and not until the authorities were sen
for could they force the door open
They were locked on the inside, ant
when the great door that led to tn
, saloon was forced the chain was in 1t
place, as was the case with the door b.
the mantelpiece. The shutters wer
also tightly closed, and small fire still
burned upon the hearth.
Peters and Townsend were inside tn
great room-what there was left o
them. But no man could say which wa
which. Hall was taken to the hospita
, and everything possible done for him
of reason came back to the bold eyes
and at the first look the doctor knew
it was but the light before eterna
J darkness.
The police and detectives had ex
hausted themselves in their efforts t
unravel the mystery, and a company o
soldiers guarded the fatal house. The
came the day when the wounded mai
opened his eyes, and the doctor saw il
their blue depths the glorious light o
reason side by side with the blacl
shadow of the unknowable, and, seeing
kept his promise to notify the authori
ties.
The large room was bright and sunni,
and very quiet. A dozen distinguish
: looking men stood about a small irol
: cot on which lay tall, blond ma
, with death white face Beside hir
, sat the doctor, who gave him an Occa
SIGNAL stimulant. On the opposite sid
J at small table sat a notary, prepare
. the bed sat gray haired old man wit
+ a grief stricken countenance.
! yes; I remember what took plac
: on the night of August 8, 1884," reptile
/ the patient when gently questioned
My companions and myself left til
9 gate after seeing it locked. We wer
: down the avenue, entered the hous
and after lighting some candles an
building a fire in the big fireplace
the salon. where we were to spend tt
night we decided to explore the plac
1T was quite empty We found moth
y ing of interest. We returned to tt
e room on the ground floor. The fire wa
: burning all right, and we sat abot
: smoking and telling stories until abol
1890, when we ate the lunch we ha
more look about the room. 1t was oil
Hong in shape. with large windows {
both ends. They had heavy shutters II
side and strong bars outside, The