The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-05-01
THE TWISTED RING.

The dead man had been seated; it was
scattered over the papers; it lay in
little crimson pools upon the blotting
pad and the carpet; in the last des-
perate struggle it had spurted from his
gaping wounds against the window
curtains and walls; the very atmosphere
of the chamber seemed imbued with it.
A horrible murder had been CON-
mitted.
Paul Pelaufski, chief of secret police
at st. Petersburg, had paid the penalty
Of his outspoken hostility to nihilism.
My name is Alfred C~assagne. I am
30 years Of age. and / am a detective.
The following telegram to the De-
partment of Secret Police in Paris had
resulted in my taking the next train to
the Russian capital:
"Pelaufsld fatally table early morning
Nihiiists. Send best mar at once. Must be
stranger to Bussia. Ours too well known.
Expense no Sbject.
"GuRLorr."
Four days later fashionable St.
Petersburg was apprised of the arrival
in tho capital Of a young French gem
tleman. pich. and rumor had it, titled,
though travelling under the nom de
voyage Of Mons. Anton Riccard. He
was accompanied by a single mar
servant. a middle aged person Of grave
department. Pierre Chafpaud was one
of the most courageous seconds in the
employ Of tho Partisan Secret Police.
On two occasions he had bean known
to risk his life to save that of his
principal. l had chosen him to ac-
company me.
On making myself known at police
headquarters l was at once takento the
scene Of the tragedy. Nothing had
boen disturbed. I found it US de-
seribed in the opening paragraph Of
this story.
The police were entirely at sea in re-
gard to the identity Of the murderer.
GurloE plnced the case in my hands,
had l at oace proceeded to make IN
examination Of the material before me.
The assassin had evidently gained
aamittanea to the chiefs apartment
during the day, had remained con-
esaled until nightfau when escape was
comparatively easy, and had then
sprung upon his victim from behind.
Pelaufski had turned to. confront his
murderer, but not quickly enough to
avoid the knife, the first blow from
which had struck him in the left breast,
tho second lower down, ~seuarely
above the region Of the heart. The
murderer had then caught him by the
throat to prevent his crying out,
and held him while he slowly Sled to
death.
Diligent inquiry ELECTED the fact that
. woman had been the last visitor to
The chief-a woman high in society, the
Baroness Woronsko. Suspicion, how
aver, in no way attached to her-in
!act, she was of the most trusted
'pies in the employment Of the govern
nent.
However, l Immediately set Pierre
Chaufaud to shadow her movements.
My impression that she would bear
watching was confirmed when I re-
seived his report.
The Baroness Woronsko. whilst in
the employ Of the Government, was in
reality a Nihilist of the worst de-
Icription.
Soon the question narrowed itself
iown to this. Assuming her to be AN
accessory to the murder of Pelaufski,
who was the actual assassin? 1t was
absurd to suppose that a frail, slight
woman like the Baroness Woronsko
! SNAo oVSLSoLAo q oIkOuS courageous
nan like Paul Pelaufski.
had one clew SO slight that it had
been overlooked by the Russian police.
out ono which no really first-class de-
~sectiye would hare passed unnoticed.
On the dead mans throat were the
black marks of the fingers which had
ltrangled him. The thumb of the
light hand had been pressed violently
INTO the skin on the neck. SO as to pro-
luce a deep abrasion.
| at once took ~ careful cast of this
Ihumb-mark with the finest wax, thus
reproducing every line exactly.
L know that the impressions on nc
two thumbs in the world are alike. Il
Is the prison-ma ark in China, remember,
land there serves the same purpose @
the rogues' gallery in America, tc
identify a criminal.
No other clew | i had to guide me. A
plain twisted ring, worn by the muir.
derer, had left its mark distinctly or
the flesh. l caused the impression OF
the hand to be photographed.
Furnished only with these slight
clews. | now set out to find the MUIR
aerer Of Paul PelaufskL. Instinct told
me. Isuppose, to look for him in the
best society of the Baroness. / soor
discovered that she was an abandoned
lntrigueante. During her husbands
absence on his country estates. she un,
~scrupulously amused herself with 8
lover. one Rudolph Pfesh, a Hungarian
0f handsome appearances and yer.
finely educated. | soon discovered this
man to be a red-hot Nihilist. The
Baroness for the time was absolutely
infatuated with him.
During all this time, you may sup.
pose that l kept a sharp lookout for the
twisted ring. | did nothing of the
J kind. Amidst the mass of jewelry
nightly displayed in the drawing.
rooms of St. Petersburg. one might II
well have searched for u needle in /;
!, bundle of hay. No, I only hoped te
use that as confrinatory evidence wher
[ had found my man.
And | was fast finding him. Already
I had roipaH tba oonG,lo,oo 80 AZ,