The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-19

him the opportunity W eScdpc!
YES, NJ. President. / did" replied
Rouletabllle proudly. II am not po-
liceman; / am a journalist, and my
business Is not to arrest people. My
business is in the service Of truth and
is not that of an executioner. If you
are just, monsieur, you will see that
am right. You can now understand
why l refraired until this hour to
divulge the name. j gave Larsan time
to catch the ali train for Paris, where
he would know where to hide himself
and leave no traces. You will not
find Frederic Larsan,' declared Roule-
tabille, fixing his eyes on M. Robert
Darzac. He is too cunning. He is a
man who has always escaped you and
whom you have long searched for in
vain. If he did not succeed in out
whiting me he can yet easily outwit
any police. This man, who four years
ago introduced himself to the police
and became celebrated as Frederic
Larsan, is notorious under another
name-a name well known to crime.
Frederic I4arsan, NJ. President, is Ball.
meyer"
"Ballmeyer!" cried the president.
"Ballmeyerv' exclaimed Robert Oar,
vac, springing to his feet. "Ballmeyer
1t was true, Them
"Ah, NJ. Darzac, you don't think J
am mad nowv' cried Rouletabille.
Ballmeyer! Ballmeyer! No other word
could be heard in the courtroom. The
president adjourned the hearing.
Those Of my readers who may not
have heard Of Ballmeyer will wonder
at the excitement the name caused.
And yet the doings of this remarkable
criminal form the subject matter Of
the most dramatic narratives of the
newspapers and criminal records of the
past twenty years. 1t bad been report
ed that he was deadsand thus had
eluded the police as he had eludcd
them throughout the whole Of his ca
reer.
Ballmeyer was the best specimen Of
the high class gentleman swindler"
he was an adept at sleight of hand
tricks and no holder or more ruthless
crook ever lived. He was received in
the best society and was Il member Of
some OF the most exclusive clubs. On
many of his depredatory expeditions
he had not hesitated to use the knife
and the mutton bone. No difficulty
stopped him, and no Operation" was
too dangerous. He had been caught,
but escaped on the very morning of
his trial by throwing pepper into the
eyes of the guards who were conduct
Ing him to court.
He left France later TO work" Amer
lea. The police there succeeded in once
capturing him, but the extraordinary
man escaped the next day. 1t would
need a volume to recount the adven-
lures of this master criminal. And yet
this was the man Rouletabille had al
lowed to get away! Knowing all about
him and who he was, he afforded the
criminal an opportunity for another
laugh at the society he had defied!
could not help admiring the Bold stroke
Of the young journalist, because felt
certain his motive had been to protect
pOth NhhCs otuhBCioOh anu III l(oiHdN
Of an enemy at the same time.
The crowd had barely recovered
from the effect Of the astonishing rev.
elation when the hearing was resumed
The question in everybody's mind
was, Admitting that Larsan was the
murderer how did he get out of tbs
yellow room?
Eouletabille was Immediately called
to the bar and his examination con-
tinued. -
you have told u.s." said the presi-
dent, that 1t was impossible to es.
cape from the END of the court. Since
Larsan was leaning out Of his window,
he had left the court. How did he dc
thatW
"He escaped by a most unusual way,
He climed the wall, sprang on to the
terrace and while we were gagged
with the keepers body reached the
gallery by the window. He then had
dow, get in and call out to us, as If he
had just come from his own room.
To man Of Ballmeyer's strength all
that was mere child's play. And here.
monsieur, is the proof Of what / say"
Rouletabille drew from his pocket
small packet from which he produced
a strong iron peg.
"This, monsieur" he said, lis
spike which perfectly fits a hole still
to be seen In the cornice supporting
the terrace. Larsan, who thought and
prepared for everything In case of any
emergency, had fixed this spike into
the cornice. All be had to do to make
his escape good was to plant one foot
on a stone which'is placed at the cor
ner of the chateau, another on this
support, one hand on the coruice of
the keepers door aud the other on the
terrace, and LarsaIf was clear Of the
ground. The rest was easy. His act
ing after dinner as If he had been
drugged was make, believe. He wfs
not drugged. But he did drug me.
OF course he had to make 1t appear as
II he also had been aT'ugged so that no
suspicion should fall on him for my
condition. Had / not been thus over
powered Larsan would never have en-
tered Mile Stangerson's chamber that
night and the attack On her would not
have taken place"