Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1908-04-04

instructions Of this department was Z man
of unusual ability. In addition to DOS
sessing profound knowledge of the law,
NJ. Joseph Bertrand was deep and
Interested student of human nature. OF
all the cases which during his term Of
Office had come before him, none, per-
haps, had excited such widespread atten-
tlon as this mysterious murder Of the
unfortunate Nine. Roupell. The horri-
BILE nature of the crime, the heartessness
OF the assassin, and the age and rank
Of his victim, all tended to invest the
case with unusual interest.
At ten O'Clock precisely NJ. Bertrand
took his seat. The diagram which La
blanche the project of police had pre-
pared, the notes of the mayors examiDa-
ton and those of the justice Of the peace,
lay on the desk before him. There, too,
lay the pistol found on the floor of Nine.
RoupelPs chamber. In an adjoining
chamber were gathered the witnesses who
we're prepared to testify in the case.
You may bring in the prisoner" said
NJ Bertrand, when all was In readiness !;
and Charles Van Litb was led In
The judge of instruction eyed him keen
his eyes we're hollow and sunken- Alto
getber, he appeared to disadvantage, and
he was conscious that he did SO. His
youth however, and the fearless manner
in which he glanced around him, did not
fail to impress ~ Bertrand favorably.
Notwithstanding his official habit of stern
ness, the judge OF instruction was pos
sessed Of many humane qualities. 1t was
with voice, therefore, rather mild and
encouraging than harsh, that he address
ed the young man before him.
IL wish, monsieur" he said, TO afford
you every opportunity Of clearing your
self. Now state. as briefly az possible,
for there are many witnesses to be exam
ined, how you came to be in the chateau
Villeneuve last night. l see by the report
of the project that you have refused to
explain that point. Perhaps you had
good reasons for your silence then; but
you can have none now, here before me.
How did you happen to be in the chateau,
| repeat, at the time this. crime was COM
mitted, and even in Madame Roupell's
chamber"
A fearful struggle WIS taking place in
the breast of the American. To state
the true reason of his, presence In the
chamber would be to forever compromise
Harriet Weldon. and yet 10 was the only
course which could possibly clear him.
The same sense of honor, however, which
had bound him to silence when interro-
gated by the project of police, operated
to close his lips before the judge of In
struction So, instead of fatty refusing
to give the desired information, be sought
to modify the bad effect of his refusal by
saying:
81 cannot answer the question-as yet
monsieur. 1t may appear an easy one to
which to reply but l ask you to- believe
that at present there Is an lnsurmount-
able obstacle to my doing So"
An expression of vexation seemed tc
pass over the face of the judge. He hac
been favorably predisposed toward the
prisoner, and would have liked to see hin
go free.
81 warn you that your persistent re
fusal to answer is liable to be construed
as evidence of guilt. Would the explana
| ton you decline to give involve the part,
| guilty of the crime-perhaps some frien'
| of yours whom you desire to screen?"
Van Lith hesitated but a moment, an,
then. to the evident surprise Of M. Der
trand, replied:
at would not"
"Would the explanation you refuse t
| give clear your
| Again, to NJ. Bertrands growing as
constituent, the young American. replied
IL don't think 1t would"
(To be continued.)