The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-05-21
XII.
The Vanish Diplomatist.


French embassy and temporary
charge d'affaires, reported the
matter to Chief Campbell in the
Secret Service Bureau, adding
thereto a detailed statement oil
several singular incidents follow.
ing close upon 1t. He told it in
order, concisely and to the point
while Grimm and his chief lis.
tened.
Monsieur Boissegur, the am.
bassador, you understand, is q
man whose habits are remarkab bly,
regular" he began. He has made
it a rule to be at his desk every
morning at ten O'Clock, and be-
tween that time and one o'clock he
dictates his correspondence, and
clears up whatever routine work
there is before him. have known
him for many years, and have been
secretary of the embassy under
him in Germany and Japan and
this country. l have never known
him to vary this general order OF
work unless because of illness, OF
necessary absence.
We'll, Monsieur, last Tuesday
this is Friday-the ambassador
was at his desk as usual. He die.
tated dozen or more letters, and
had begun another private let.
ter to his sister in Paris. He was
well along in this letter when
without any apparent reason, he
rose from his desk and left the
room, closing the door behind him
His stenographer's impression was
that some detail of business had
occurred to him, and he had gone
to attend to it. / may say, Mon
sieur, that this impression seemed
strengthened by the fact that he
left a fresh cigarette burning in
his ash tray, and his pen was be-
hind his ear. 1t was all as If he
had merely stepped out, intending
to return immediately-the sort
of thing, Monsieur, tina, any man
might have done.
1T so happened that when he
went out he left a sentence of his
letter incomplete. l tell you this
to show that the impulse to GO
must have been sudden one, yet
there was nothing in his manner
so his stenographer says, to indi.
cate excitement, or any other than
his usual frame of mind. 1t was
about five minutes of twelve
o'clock-high noon-when ht
went out. When he didn't return
Immediately the stenographer be
gan transcribing the letters. Al
one o'clock Monsieur Boissegul
still had not returned and his
stenographer went to luncheon"
AS he talked some inbred ex.
lcitement seemed to be growing
upon him, due, perhaps, to his re
cital Of the facts, and he paused
at last to regain control of him.
self. Incidentally he wondered il
Mr.. Grimm was taking the slight.
est interest in what he was saying
Certainly there was nothing in his
impressive face to indicate it.
Understand, Monsieur" the
secretary continued, after a mo.
ment, that I knew nothing what.
ever of all this until late that aft.
Iernoon--that is, Tuesday after.
noon about five O'Clock. l was
engaged all day upon some i'm.
lportant work in my own office
and had had no occasion to see
Monsieur Boissegur since a word
or so when he came in at ten
o'clock. My attention was called
to the affair finally by his stenog.
rapher, Monsieur Netterville, who
came to me for instructions. He
had finished the letters and the
ambassador had not returned to
sign them. At this point I began
an investigation, Monsieur, and
the further / went the more un-
easy / grew.
Now, Monsieur, there are only
two entrances to the embassy
the front door, where a servant is
in constant attendance from nine
in the morning until ten at night,
and the rear door, which can only
be reached through the kitchen.
Neither of the two men who had
been stationed at the front door
had seen the ambassador since
breakfast, therefore he could not
have gone out that way. Com.
prenez? 1t seemed ridiculous,
Monsieur, but then / went to the
kitchen. The chef had been there
all day. and he had not seen the
ambassador at all. inquired fur.
Their. No one in the Embassy, moi
la clerk, nor a servant, nor a mem.
Der of the ambassadors family
had seen him since he left his
office"
Again he paused and ran one
hand across his troubled brow.
Monsieur" he went on, and
there was a tense note In his voice
1.-The ambassador of France had
disappeared, gone, vanished! We
searched the house from the eel
lar to the servants quarters. even
the roof. but there was no trace
of him. The hat he usually wore
was in the hall, and all his other
hats were accounted for. You may
remember, Monsieur. that Tuesday
was cold. but all his top-coats were
found In their proper places. So
it seems. Monsieur" and repres-
sion ended In burst OF excite
ment, "if he left the embassy he