Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-04-09

Martin Hewitt.
Investigator.
The Affair of the
Tortoise.
By ARTHUR MORRISON.
Published by Arrangement With
Harper & Brothers. y
By ARTHUR MORRISON.

~ vi SOIQC Dd1'
ticularly odd case to neglect his
~ other affairs to follow up a
matter that from a business point of
view was of little or no value to him.
AS a rule, he had a sufficient regard for
his w interests to resist such tempta-
lions, but in n curious a at least
l believe he allowed it largely to in.
huence him. "There is nothing in this
world that is at all possible" 1 have
often heard Martin Hewitt say, chat
has not happened or is not happening
in London"
The case 1 have referred to occurred
some time before my own acquaint-
ance with him began. He had called
one Monday morning at an office in re-
gard to one Of his cases, when he was
informed of a most mysterious murder
that had taken place in another part
OF the same building on the previous
Saturday afternoon.
The building vas one of a new row
In a partly rebuilt street near the Ma
tional gallery. The whole row had
oeen built by a Spectator for the pur-
poses Of letting out in flats, suits of
chambers and, in one or two cases on
b ground floors, offices. The rooms
had let very we'll and to desirable ten
ants as a rule. The least satisfactory
tenant, the proprietor reluctantly adj
mitted, was a Mr.. Rameau, d negro,
single, who had three rooms on the top
foor but one of the particular building
that Hewitt was visiting. His rent
was paid regularly, but his behavior
mad produced complaints from other
tenants. He got uproariously drunk
and screamed and howled in unknown
tongues. He fell asleep on the stair
case, and ladies were afraid to pass.
He bawled rough chaf down the stairs
n along the corridors at butcher
boys and messengers and played on
errand boys brutal practical jokes that
ended in police court summonses. He
C had a way Of sliding down the
balustrade shouting "Ho! no! no! yahr'
as he went, but as he was a big, heavy
man and the balustrade had been built
for different treatment, he had very
soon and very firmly been requested to
stop 1t. He had plenty Of money and
spent it freely; but it was generally
felt that there was too much of the
light hearted savage about him.
How much longer the landlord would
have stood this sort of thing, Hewitt's
informant said, was a matter Of con
lecture, for on the Saturday afternoon
In question the tenancy had come to a
startling full stop. Rameau had been
murdered in his room, and the body
had disappeared in the most unac-
countable fashion.
The strongest possible suspicion
pointed to a mar who had been en-
ployed in shoveling and carrying Goals,
cleaning windows and chopping wood
for several Of the buildings and who
had left that very Saturday. The crime
had, in fact, been committed with this
mans chopper, and the man himself
had been heard again and again to
threaten Rameau, who in his brutal
fashion had made a butt of him. This
man was a little Frenchman, Victor
Goujon by name, who had lost his, EN-
ployment as q matchmaker by reason
Of an injury to his right hand.
There was a tortoise living in the
basement, of which Goujon had made
rather a pet, and the negro would
sometimes use this animal as a mis-
sfle, f1ing1ng it at the little French
mans head. On one such occasion the
tortoise struck the wal! so forcibly as
to break its she'll, and then Goujon
seized a shovel and rushed at his tor.
mentor with such blind fury that the
latter made a bolt Of it.
Goujon, after correspondence with a
relative in France who offered him
work, gave notice to leave, which ex-
pired on the day Of the crime. AT
about 3 that afternoon a housemaid
proceeding toward Rameau's room met
Goujon as he was going away. Gou-
jon babe her goodby and, pointing in
the direction of Rameau's rooms. said
exultartly. "Dere shall be no more of
the black pig for me; Wit I'M I ave
done for" And he went away.
The girl went to the outer door of
Rameau's rooms, knocked and got no
reply. Concluding that the tenant was
out, she was about to use her keys
when she found that the door was un.
locked. She passed through the lobby
and into the sitting room and there fell
in a dead faint at the sight that met
her eyes. Rameau lay with his back
across the sofa and his head dropping
within an inch Of the ground. On the
head was a fearful cash. and below
it was a pool Of blood.
The girl must have lain unconscious
for about ten minutes. When she
came to her senses she dragged her.
self, terrified, from the room and up to
the housekeeper's apartments, where.
being an excitable and crea-
ture, she only screamed "MurderW and
Immediately fell in a at Of Mysteries
that lasted three-quarters Of an hour.
When at last she came to herself, she
told her story, and, the hall porter
having been summoned, Rameau's
rooms were again approached.
The blood still lay on the floor, and
the chopper, with which the crime had
evidently been committed, rested
-L R---1 --. N-Ls ~ A vi. 49, n.