The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-02-22
Through a
Telescope
A Tragedy In the Alps That
Was Seen by One Who Kept
His Own Counsel.
By F. A. mitchell.
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association
By F. A. mitchell.
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association

If you go to Interlaken it is quite
possible you may see the man who told
me this story. You will find him
standing almost any day when the at
mosphere is transparent and the glori-
Gus Jungfrau looms up beautifully in
notch between two of the foothills,
standing beside the main street Of the
town, showing the mountain through
his telescope to tourists at half franc
look / do not mean to say that
he put the facts at the bottom of his
yarn together as story. Nevertheless
they are story, and it is my part to
arrange them In proper form. Here it
is as he told it to me, with certain
transpositions of mine necessary to its
ready understanding:
One day a few summers ago l was
standing here showing people the
mountain when a party came along
consisting of young girl and two
young men. The girl and one of the
young men were Americans. The other
young man, l judged from his accent,
was French The American man was
quiet, steady looking fellow. The
Frenchman was handsome with all the
yivacity of the French people, while
the girl was one of your American
beauties. The names of all three l after
ward learned and ! shall never forget
them The American ran was Archi-
bald Wallace; the Frenchman was
Jean lie Verian; the girl was Alice
Clark
"Oh, there is a telescoper' exclaimed
Miss Clark as she approached me.
"Do let's have a look"
With her American impulse she put
her eye to the eyepiece, while l made
the adjustments.
isn't it wonderful?' she said en-
Enthusiastically. what beautiful slopes!
What awful gulfs But it is fascinat-
Ing. I'm crazy to go up there"
The very next afternoon was stand
ing here, as usual, waiting for people
to come along and pay me for a look
through my telescope, when, seeing a
mass of snow on the mountain begin
ming to move, l put my eye to the
glass. After witnessing an avalanche
| turning the glass about over the noun
tain l saw three figures, two men and
a woman, not far above the snow line.
| My glass did not reveal their features,
but 1 suspected they were the party
who had been with me the day before.
l watched them for some time. Aft
| er awhile l saw one of the men stroll
| away around a snow covered rock,
where he was screened from the 9th
ers, and look over cliff. Then he
went part of the way back and, fan
! cied, called-of course could not hear
him-to the other man, for the latter
went around the rock and Joined him,
and the two stood on the edge of the
cliff together looking over. Suddenly
/ saw one figure behind the other and
| the front one fall over the cliff.
There was a steep incline at the
cliffs base of hard snow. The mo-
ment the figure that had fallen struck
this snow saw him glance, then shoot
down on the surface. He passed be-
hind a peak, and when he again APP
peared l saw him still sliding. Then
he slid around bend and disappeared
AS soon as ] was convinced that
should not see him again l turned my
glass back to the other figure He was
running toward the woman. When he
reached her there was a pantomime
which indicated he was telling her
that the other man had fallen over the
cliff. But | knew very well that he
had pushed his friend-or enemy, as
the case might be-over. While
could not distinguish the woman's fea
lures. knew by her motions that she
was terribly moved by the tragedy
She went with the remaining man tC
the cliff, and the two seemed to be
locking down at its base to see if they
could get glimpse Of their compan
ion. Then they turned away and de
scended the mountain.
| was satisfied that one of the mel
had pushed the other over the cliff
and that they were Wallace and L.
Verian. though | could not tell which
was the victim. ! knew full well tina
the matter would soon be reported ant
resolved to keep my own counsel, Gu
rious to know in what form the trag
edy would be made known.
The same night l heard that terri
Bile accident had happened to younl
American stopping at the j. hotel
1 went there and got the story from
the concierge. He said that while {
Mr.. Wallace. an American, was look
ing over cliff crust Of snow hal
given way under his feet and he ha1
fallen 100 feet to the bottom. he hal