Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-01
CHAPTER Ill

spairing alone with their sacred dead.
CHAPTER III.
Victor Lablanche. the Partisan prefect
of police, was man who united within
himself qualities not often found con-
joined in the same individual, for while
he was a sagacious and even brilliant
tkeorist. he possessed at the same time a
thorough practical knowledge of his bust
ness. In the course of his long career on
the police he had risen. by ability alone,
from a comparatively obscure to his
present prominent position. When called
upon to unrayel a mysterious crime. he
generally adopted a certain theory, and
pursued it with the persistency of a
bloodhound, II was the arrival of this
officer that a little group of people in
side, and a promiscuous crowd of about
two hundred OF the Inhabitants of Vile
neuve who were assembled outside the
chateau impatiently awaited.
\ sudden hush fell upon the gathering
on the lawn as, about an hour after day
break. dark-colored, unpretentious road
cart turned into the avenue. NJ. Victor
Lablanche had at once responded in ner-
son to the call made upon him. The
reeking TANKS and foam-covered sides of
the animal in the shafts sufficiently at
tested the speed at which the distance
between the village and the metropolis
had been traversed.
NJ. Chabot, cool and collected as ever.
was the first to receive the project. He
conducted him into the reception room.
The mayor and NJ. Delorme, the Justice
of the peace, were slipping their coffee in
the dining room. Fearful that he might
in some way compromise her, Van Lith
had signed to Harriet not to come near
him, and she now sat. in silent, fearless
grief, with her arm about Emily's waist.
in the window seat of the library.
Five minutes after the arrival of the
coachman at his lodgings in the Rue de
Reverdy, DR.. Paul Mason was on the
road to the chateau. He had gazed for a
moment on the face of his old friend
''She must have died instantly" he re-
marked, as he turned sadly away.
NJ. lie project was now at liberty to ask
any question he chose. He did not care,
to ask any questions at present. He
would go into the room where the mayor
was, and hear what he had to say.
''Have you examined the prisoner? ~
was the first question he propounded to
that functionary.
Il have attempted to; but he refuses
to make any statement, saying he prefers
to wait until he is brought before the
tribunal. He has the right to waive the
preliminary examination before the jus
tice, of course, but he is hardly wise in
this instance. A plain explanation of
how he came to be in the chateau at that
time of night might go far toward ac-
quitting him-that is" he added, IF it
is capable of explanation"
NJ. Victor Lablanche allowed the wor-
thy magistrate to ramble on. When that
gentleman had quite finished he said:
You had better tell the prisoner and
the principal witnesses to get ready to
take the early train for Paris. The pres
ence of your local physician will be nee
essary also. so that he can testify to the
nature of the wound by which Madame
Roupell met her death. In the meantime
l will make an examination of the scene
of the murder"
That will be unnecessary. l have al
ready made one"
THE finding of this pistol, with which,
doubtless, the murder was committed"
Let me look at it."
The project took the weapon. and ex-
amined it carefully.
1T is of American manufacture" he
said. Did you find anything else?'
Nothing except some private papers
of Madame RoupelPs scattered on the
floor of her chamber"
Where is the young man who has been
accused of this crime?"
He is under a strong guard at pres
ent, in the buffers pantry. Do you wish
to see himg'
NO, l think not he said THE Judge
sits at ten o'clock, and he viii hear what
he has to say. Meantime, though, as l
said, l wish to make an inspection Of
the premises"
The mayor at once bestirred himself,
and conducted N. Lablanche upstairs to
the room where the body of Madame
Roupell was still lying. Nothing had been
moved. Even the blood which had soaked
into the hearth rug had not been wiped
up; an overturned chair lay where it had
fallen; some papers were scattered about
the room.
do not disturb them" said NJ. La
blanche, pointing to the papers. While
they simply indicate how Madame Rou-
pell was engaged at the time of the shoot
ing, and perhaps have no bearing on the
question of who committed this crime,
still it is our rule to move nothing"
And as TO who did commit it, I think
there can be no doubt" remarked the
mayor.
There is always room for doubt in
any case" replied the project. ''Of
course this young man denies his guilt,
though silent on other points,"
Most decidedly he does"
Then you have got TO prove it in or
der to bring the crime home to him. You
must recollect that under the revised
penal code of France, the prisoner has
no longer to prove his innocence of a
charge. 1t is the duty of the law to
bring it home to him"
But Monsieur Chabot assures re"
said the mayor, that he found this young
man in Madame Roupell's chamber imme-
diately after the report of the pistol"