Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-04-17
q r a n v II /

had given him the outlines of the case
that he spoke at all, and then he said
I'VE will begin by promising certain
state of facts. Madame RoupelI has been
murdered. Who did it? Public opinion
says your friend Van Lith. always mis-
trust public opinion. The project of po-
lice is not at all sure but Monsieur Cha
bot had hand in it. / sometimes mis-
trust the project of police"
You mean to imply that both may be
wrongf' inquired the doctor.
Yes. and if 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 a
third party to us at present unknown
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 a
written permit to break the SEALS" said
the detective. Lead the way, please"
They entered the chamber of death.
Nothing had been disturbed since the visit
of the project. 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
glass which he took from his pocket.
Presently he said:
doctor, look at that blood r.
DR.. Mason took the magnifying glass
and the penknife and gazed steadfastly
upon the little red govt.
do you see anything peculiar about
it?" asked Cassagne. do you not mo-
tice an entire absence of natural crys-
tallizationG'
The doctors face turned pale as
sheet; his lips twitched nervously.
"This crime grows more horrible and
more mysterious than ever. 1t is impos-
sible to mistake your meaning This
wound was inflicted after DEATH" he ex-
claimed. THE 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."
at might be-" replied the physician.
Il have known the phenomenon OF total
suspension of the circulation in comatose
bodies"
sand in such case, would blood flowing
from wound crystalline or notT
1T is possible that it might crystalline
somewhat, if the person wounded, while
in a comatose condition, was young and
healthy. In the case of an old and fee
Bile woman, like Madame Roupell, l
should consider it extremely doubtful. In
the present instance, by means of the
glass. one can plainly discern that no
capitalization has taken place."
I'm fact, that this wound was inflicted
after the wound which produced either
death or insensibility?" said the detec-
tive.
Exactly So" replied the physician.
"The question now is, where is that
wound?"
1--WE will find it," said Cassagne. "Give
me your help here"
1--WE had better look for a confusion
of some sort. Insensibility could be pro-
duced by a sharp blow on the back of the
head, or under the ear" remarked DIR.
Mason.
II am not of that opinion" replied
Cassagne. "I 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, it is easy to see that no
injury has been inflicted to the upper
part Of the spinal cord"
''For what kind Of wound shall we
search? It 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, SIS
a surgeon only. He is not a detective.
He is good at generalizations; he fails
IN PARTICULARS. Ine WOuuQ we must look
for, since you sound Monsieur Croizet's
praises SO highly, must be no larger than
pencil point. Have you never heard of
the Venetian stlletto%
mo, cannot say that l have" an
swered DR.. Mason.
ut is an instrument made of tough
ened glass, no thicker than a knitting
needle. When plunged into a victim, it
can be broken short of in the flesh which
closes around it, 80 that 1t is hard to tell
how death supervenes. Many such deaths
have undoubtedly been charged to apo
plexy, and other causes"
us 1t possible?" calculated the physI-
clan.
''Not only possible but more than prob
able. Let US instantly begin our search
for such weapon. There will not be a
drop of blood visible. Death generally
ensues from internal hemorrhage, unless
the stiletto reaches the heart, when, Of
course, the victim dies instantly. Turn
her over on her face" said the detective.
"Shs may have been wounded in the
back"
This was done, and they carefully ex-
amined that portion of the body. For the
first time DR.. Mason's blind faith in the
skill of the man he had employed began
to show signs of yvavering Ne Heel.