The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1907-12-12
q r a n v II e

uesS.
lie sat quite still in the easy chair to
which DR.. Mason had motioned him on
ms arrival. 1t was not until the latter
had given him the outlines of the case
that he spoke at all, and then he said:
We will begin by promising a certain
state OF facts. Madame Roupell has been
murdered Who did it? Public opinion
says your friend Van Llth. / always mis-
trust public opinion. The prefect of po-
lice is not at all sure but Monsieur Cha
bot had a hand in it. l sometimes mis-
trust the prefect of police"
You mean to imply that both may be
wrong" inquired the DOCTOR
Yes, and if l am right, it leaves US
confronting two alternatives"
And they are?"
Either that the unfortunate woman
committed suicide while of unsound
mind. or that the crime is the act Of
third party to us at prt -ent unknown
Il can dispose OF the first of those sup
positions Immediately" said the doctor
Madame Roupell's mind was as sound
as yours or mine is at the present mo-
ment"
Let us proceed to an examination Of
the body. / have provided myself with
written permit to break the SEALS" said
the detective. Lead the way, plesse"
They entered the chamber of death.
Nothing had been disturbed since the visit
of the prefect. Alfred Cassagne took
rapid survey of the room. He advanced
to the bedside, and commenced a minute
inspection of the body of the murdered
woman.
He carefully removed the bandages
from the wound in the head he turned
the body over so that the light from the
window fell full upon the face of the dead
woman, revealing in the strong sunlight
each line and shadow already showing
in their marked change Of the lineaments
the inevitable approach of decay. Taking
out his penknife, Cassagne carefully re-
moved one of the clots of blood which had
accumulated near the entrance Of the
wound. and walking to the window ex-
amined 1t through small magnifying
Presently he said
Doctor, look at that blood !"
DIR. Mason took the magnifying glass
and the penknife and gazed steadfastly
upon the little red gout.
DO you see anything peculiar about
it?" asked Cassagne. "Do you not no
tice an entire absence Of natural crys-
tallization?'
The Doctors face turned pale a. a
sheet his lips twitched nervously.
This crime grows more horrible and
pta,.t tha. 10 L.,
sible to mistake your meaning. This
wound was inflicted after DEATH" he ex-
claimed. "Ihe blood Is certainly what
we call in the profession dead blood +"
"And is that not often the case where
a wound is inflicted when a person Is in
a comatose condition."
ut might be-" replied the physician.
IL have known the phenomenon Of total
suspension Of the circulation in comatose
bodies"
"And in such case, would blood flowing
from wound crystalline or not?"
''1t Is possible that it might crystalline
somewhat II the person wounded while
in comatose condition, was young and
healthy. In the case of an old and fee
BILE woman, like Madame Roupell,
should consider 1t extremely doubtful. In
w., an 81, i,,,, a;soorn +ha+ no
So u,.s.,e, ha, tal,,, ,.Iooor
az, sa", ,hot ,his u,o,pd nos ;ns;o.,d
after the wound which produced either
death or insensibillty?" said the detec-
ESactiy so' repiieu the physician
Inc question no" 49, "here III tna'
wound
we wiz una IT, saiu Cassasne' Tive
me your help mere
we hau oet'er iooe ior CONFUSION
OF some sort. lnsehsioiiity couid De pro
duced by sharp olow on the pack Oh the
mead OF uhuer the ear REMARKED Dr'
Mason
IL am not of that opinion" replied
Cassagne. III have already looked there
There is no swelling of any kind on the
back of the head, and as she Is dressed in
demi-toilette, II is easy 10 see that nc
injury has been inhicted TO the upper
part of the spinal cord
For what KIND OF wound shall we
search? 1t must be small one indeed
to escape the examination OF so good
surgeon as Monsieur Croizet,'
unfortunately monsieur Croizet' re
piled Cassagne' with curious SMILE "i'
surgeon only lie II not detective
ne Is sovu u Nv, sone.ai'A','ons I'' ne ,a'i'
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