The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-20

met by a detective sent from Rome.
I took him with me to q hotel, where
we discussed the situation in a pri-
vate room.
cit seems to me that we are all right
for the present. he urged. "As long
as they think you are going to carry
out the work they are not likely to send
any one else.'
EDO not be too sure,o I answered.
"There is a lame matchmaker owe
there who does not quite trust me-"
"What do you propose to do3' asked
the detective.
"To shoot King Humbert," I replied.
The man gasped at me in sheer
amazement.
"I am going to put you to a prac-
teal test, - I explained. "I am going
to try and discharge a blank cartridge
at the king. If you can prevent my
doing SC, I shall hope that his life is
safe"
W. but estn what a,r do you you expect us to dot
Ono; that is my point. You know
that I am going to kill your king, and
yet the law does not permit you to in
terfere till you see me put my finger to
the trigger Of my revolver"
HWe can stop you at the frontier
"Try," I said dryly.
He tried. A week later I was in
Rome.
In reality I did not intend to go
quite SO far as I had threatened. To
do so would have been offensive to his
majesty. What I desired was to put
the police thoroly on the alert. [
hoped to stimulate them into taking pre-
cautions which would be effective
against a real assassin.
For I knew better than to think that
Menelik's envoy would go away salts
fed with having despatched me on the
errand of death. I did not believe the
swarthy figure with the formldable
he had received some certain assurance
of the success of his murderous plans.
Before leaving the United States I
had arranged with my old employers,
) Pinkertons, to nave a watch kept on all
: outward-bound vessels, so that l might
t receive the earliest information of any
J move on the part Of the Abysslnlan.
! I had supplied them with a full descrip-
} ton of the a
' Meanwhile the Italian police did
=: their best, hampered as they were by
!, the kings chivalrous disregard of dan
ger and his dislike of surveillance. It
, is not an easy thing to guard a mon
arch against his will.
AS soon as I had satisfied myself that
my disguise as an Italian workman
was impenetrable, I went northward af-
0 ter the doomed king. AS my train
4 rolled into the station at Turin l caught
a a glimpse on the platform of a white
face with long, dragged hair and a
t haunted expression In the eyes-a race
that I had last seen in a Jersey City
slum at midnight, more b a month
9 ago. ,
e Long before the train stopped I had
a leaped out Of my compartment In hot
a pursuit; but Bresci had disappeared
I went instantly to the chief police
s officer in Turin and gave information.
Detectives were dispatched in all dl'
y r~ections to search the city; but it was
q The following morning q telegram
was put into my hands before [ got
out Of bed It was from Pinkerton's
4 and contained these words: "Man an
n gwering description has just booked
h passage to Liverpool"
" This dispatch convinced me that the
# situation was desperate. Coupling tne
news with the sight Of the evening be
Il sinian agent expected to hear within TIT
! next few hours that his dreadful enc
was achieved.
N rushed round to the police office, only
=. to learn that no arrest had been made
~ and Bresci was still at large.
4 "Unless that man is apprehendet
"a within LQ6 u6AG JWOuty'Aooi nOoiN
u King Humbert will have ceased. t.
l. live.O [ told the astonished chief o.
,e police.
10 In this extremity I decided to. pro
seed to Mona, see the king myself AM
y implore him not to stir abroad unit!
r Bresci's capture was notified. That at
ternoon, as I, entered the small town O.
= Monza, I was arrested on susp1cion!
H. It was in vain that I protested
II warned and threatened. Ny demand t.
be carried before King Humbert wa
g regarded as a proof Of guilt. My dis
OF closure Of my identity was suspecte!
as a ruse. I was confined in q Gel
IN while kilograms were being exchange
~ with nv friend the Italian detective
and with my secretary in Paris.
Il. Suddenly, as I tramped INPATIENT
o1 up and down within my narrow bounds
I was aware of a terrible commotlo
outside. Men ran past the door of m,
he prison, curses and cries were heart
ch and there was a sound of bayonets DC
nv ing fixed. Maddened by the neryou
tension, I battered with my manacie
I'd hands against the cell door.
to It was flung open from without an
IN an armed warder faced me.
to UYou are free,' he said briefly
"The right man has been arrested
ed too late.'
~. I sank down on the plank seat an
as burst into tears.