The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-02-13
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rcad1nS their suspicious, TOLD tnem
that they might search him If they
wished. which they did. This was
carried out with even more than or
binary care, and the man was found
to have absolutely nothing in his peck
cts. He was dressed in the regulation
dinner suit, as if he had lately come
from some club.
Still suspecting something unusual
in such singular visit and admission
at this hour of the morning, the guards
escorted him to the council room and
waited at attention in the doorway
when his presence was announced. To
their surprise the emperor smiled as
il in recognition. babe his visitor
Good evening" in English, and dis
missed the soldiers. Reassured by this
action, the men had resumed their &C.
customed posts, thinking no more
of the matter, and regarding it simply
as one of the unusual appointments
which are made in such troublous
times.
In less than an hour, during all of
which time the guard at the door had
heard voices in seeming conversation
participated in by the three persons
with the room. he heard the emperor
and the chancellor burst into most un-
usual and hearty laughter A few
minutes later he was surprised when
the emperor came from the room and
went to his dressing chamber, from
which he emerged in the plainest Of
civilian clothing. after which he
beckoned to his two companions.
His imperial majesty cautioned the
guard to let no one know that he was
leaving or of the nocturnal visitor,
and, still accompanied by the unknown
man and the chancellor, passed from
the palace From this on he was
traced to the very carriage door, which
was closed behind the party by an
other attendant. The vehicle drove
away in the night, the glow of the
mems cigars being the last thing mo-
ticed by the man who escorted them,
thus showing that all were on very
friendly and intimate terms.
The conveyance itself was traced
for several miles into the country,
through the fact of it's having passed
several other rigs. There was moth.
Ing in it's appearance to distinguish
1t from any other, and only the fact
that the streets at that time of night
were deserted enabled the officers to
gather any idea of its direction. 9th
ers had been observed; but all were
identified and accounted for. and 1t
was by process of elimination only
that the one carrying the kaiser and
his companions was tracked. The re
turn journey of the vehicle. IL such
there had been. was not noticed. and
therefore led to the theory that some
where within the empire the kaiser
and chancellor were being held pris.
oners.
The puzzling feature of the occur
renee was that the emperor must have
been acquainted and even on terms OF
| friendliness with the man who decoyed
him away. No anarchistic attempt
could be deduced from the situation
because with the careful search tina!
had been made it was certain that
there could have been no assassina.
| ton unless most remarkable conceal
ment had been made of all evidences
| of the crime Nor was it even tenable
that the party had crossed the border
line. because in q condition of threat
ened war all travellers were being
closely watched.
Over every foot of the empire and
into the most inaccessible portions
search was being made for the place
| where the nations ruler and the chan
cellor might be held: out so far there
had been nothing whatever thai
threw even the faintest ray of lighi
on their whereabouts. The attempt.
of the secret service men and mem
bers of his majesty's family to keel
his disappearance a secret failed, ant
indeed was unnecessary, for the
people themselves had to be enlisted
In quest involving the whole country
| 1t was at this juncture that Ro
offered his services and a suggestion
to the police which was prompt,
acted upon. He described having me
the carriage which was supposed tt
have taken away the emperor, and
following the instincts OF the horse
man, he scrutinized the animals more
closely than the conveyance. He sait
he was walking round a turn in thu
road, and was almost run over be
fore he had time to gain free way
One of the horses almost brushed hin
in passing, and he noticed not only !
singularity of gait, but peculia
white mark on the animals flank.
(TO BE CONTINUED