Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-08-10
PARIS, THE CITY OF
MANY MYSTERIES
Now 1t Is an Individual Who
Never Appears Without
Silk Mask.
APPARENTLY GENTLEMAN
When Questioned as to His Identity
He Only Says: 81 Have
Sworn Never to
.., Unmask."
APPARENTLY GENTLEMAN
From the Washington Star.

~ AAIC, 10 ~ IN
cal plot, no astounding disappearance.
The mystery is simply concerning the
identity of the Man III the Mask as all
Paris calls him.
The Man IN the Iron Mask himself
scarcely is more of a mystery than the
we'll groomed, handsome, courteous
man who is the center of the newest
sensation. Why he goes masked no
one knows, who he is no one a been
able to find ~out-where he lives no one
can learn-therefore Paris is interested.
The Man in the Mask appeared frst
-abou two months ago.. Tall, slender,
and graceful, CARRIED in the most nod-
ish of evening clothes, he appeared IN
the fashionable MaisOn Doree, IN the
Boulevard des Italiens. At hrst glance
there sesmed nothing strange in his
appearance, but on closer inspection
it was seen that drawn tightly across
the upper part of his face, and hitting
the shape of his features, revealing yet
concealing them, was a silken or eel
skin mask.
Mask Not Noticeable at Distance.
From the nearby tables it could be
seen that he was disguised, but from
any greater distance the mask was not
noticeable.
Some smiled, thinking he had drop
ped In on his way to a masked ball,
and but little attention was paid to
him. A detective who noticed him
gave him a little thought. then dis
missed any suspicious he might have
had.
The man dined well, handed the
waiter a liber fee, strolled out into the
boulevard. and walked away.
The next appearance OF the mask
was at the Coincide, where he was in
one of the premiere loges. The fact that
he was masked attracted considerable
comment among those near enough to
detect the half transparent pigment
drawn across the handsome face. 1t
attracted so much attention that one
of the house detectives approached his
seat and spoke to him. The man made
a slight gesture Of annoyance and dis
sent and continued to watch the per-
fOrmanCe.
The little scene was witnessed by
scores, and the next day the mystery
of the man in the mask began to take
shape. He appeared that day walking
on the Boulevard Po~issonniere late in
the evening, and later he appeared in
the Cafe de Paris, behind the opera.
Beginning of Mystery.
Really it was there that he became
a mystery. A crowd of merrynlakers,
noticing the mask, called to him, and
without hesitation he Joined them,
seating himself at the table with them
and drinking wine. His speech and
manner indicated high breeding and
refined manners. If he knew any of
the party he concealed the fact, and
when they, after some time, spoke jest
ingly of the mask, he appeared slight
~ annoyed.
Take it off. let US see your face"
remarked one.
Il have sworn never again to I'M
mask" he replied quitely.
That remark, the only one so far as
i .-~-.- 49, L.. -.rA- I@- -~~Ia-4AwI
ed to make concerning the mask, made
him in a moment one of the most in
teresting features OF Paris. The re-
mark was repeated everywhere and
one of the journals printed something
about him.
From tina evening he was famous
Everyone in Paris, that is, all who fire.
1uent the b~oulevards, the theaters, mu-
sic halls or restaurants, talked of him
and Wondere who he was and why he
wore the mask. He went everywhere
openly and without seeking anything
in particular. He evidently loves art.
for frequently his afternoon strolls are
through the galleries. Always he is
plenteously supplied with money-yet
no one ever has seen him in a bank.
Unable to Trace Him to His Residence.
Effort after effort was made by curl
III ones to trace him to his place OF
residence. The very freedom with
which he entered apartment buildings,
hotels and other public places protect
ed him from the shadows. Apparently
totally unconscious of the fact that he
was being followed, he always disap-
peared suddenly from the view of the
person who was striving to trace him
and was seen nj more until the next
day.
There was just one clew which for a
time promised to reveal to the curious
~,N- na-,.tIf~- = - ,,nih1n xO,ro.I;-n. 49,.
that was the fact that he generally
appeared to the public gaze coming
from the Rue de PEchelle into the
Rue de Rivoli, a short distance from
the Palais Royal and the Tuileries.
Once he was seen TO turn from the Rue
Saint Honore into the Rue de lEchelle
"a short half block from the place he
usually appears in the Rivoli. But be-
yond that he never has been traced.
Some declare that he slips on the
mask while walking along the street
and that, when he want to disappear
and elude pursuers, all he has TO do is
to take off the mask and walk past
them unconcernedly.
They declare their belief that his
statement that he never again would
remove the mask was a mere preten3e.
Narrow Escape from Detection.
A short time G three young men,
sitting with a party of actresses in q
boulevard cafe, drinking wine, saw the
Man in the Mask stroll out and they
pledged themselves In a cup OF wine to
follow him and unmask him.
He walked down the Boulevard Beau
marchais. closely followed by the trio
OF young men. He turned to the left
into the Rue 81. Claude, with the men
pressing close behind him. The man
seemed absolutely ignorant OF the fact
that he was being Swallowed, and
walked leisurely, playing with a glove
that he carried IN his land.
About that time a sergeant OF police,
in citizens clothes, observed the odd
procession and. noticing the suspicious
actions OF the three young men, fall
into the shadowing anie to see what
was happening.
Directly in front of the Church of
St Denis dt Saint Sacrament. IN the
Rue de Turenne. the three men sprang
forward and ~grappled with the Man in
the Mask. Two plnioned hi1 arms be-
hind hin while the other. with q quick
motion, reached for the mask TO tear
IL from the mans ace Twice his I'm
gers clutched at the mask, then, just
as the sergeant sprang forward. the
- a g Ss-L,--- - $3.50