The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-11-05

surgeon, or to have any knowledge
OF surgery, yet an intelligent reading
of an obscure French journal OF a
technical character would argue no
little erudition. Had he been a ma
tive of France. even then his posses
sion of this form of literature and this
particular periodical, would sustain
the contention that he was not an or
dinary person.
Furthermore, he was at home in
the water. So much SO that, hampered
by clothes, shoes and stockings, ETC.
he was yet able to perform the act OF
producing this peculiar and rather
delicate operation down beneath the
surface of the water Produce il, too,
nicely, precisely, and with the utmost
exactness, and to carry the fainting
girl to the slips head This is no
small thing considered as a physical
feat alone.
He possessed initiation and audac-
ity. Witness his instant grasp of the
opportunity when the leaning forward
of this girl gave him II chance easily
to take advantage Of her and to take
it in such wise as 70 lerd to his action
every appearance of Offering assis-
; tance. Consider the open daylight,
the presence Of many persons who
would witness his every act. She was
strong and In the best of health and
spirits and to gain an advantage COM
parable to this might involve consider
able struggle, with attendant chances
of outside interference.
/ What was the reason for the
crime?
! Robbery?
She wore some jewels and carrie!
purse but the jewels We're found in
+! the ferry.
| What then?
| Il will tell you!
"A sudden, maddening desire to de-
prive of life in a manner Of which
/ there was but one recorded case in
all the history of crime, this person
of the opposite sex, full of life and
health and In the enjoyment Of youth
and strength-an overwhelming and
overpowering will to master and kill
this thing Of life and beauty; to de
stroy, annihilate and forever quiet
! this epitome of the promises of exis
tence.
"A sudden seizure of the periodic
mania; the auto-memory of the unus
ual crime; the presence OF the envied
one of health-an ideal victim: Tte
instant observation Of the opportuni
ty; the unhesitating grasp of the ad
vantage and commission of the crime
the easy escape from any detention
! because of the excitement attending
! the rescue; resumption Of the usua
! life and pursuits-and another haC
, been added to the list of inexplicable
murders, and an extraordinary in
stance to criminal records"
1T all sounds convincing enough,
said the Doctors auditor, but how
do you propose to catch your man.
II do not know exactly how to &C
complish the capture" replied the
Doctor, but I intend to lay my argu
ment before the coroner, together with
my finding, and advise him to delay
his verdict, or submit a tentative re
; port of death by drowning, reservine
such evidence as l am able to fur
nish against a possible apprehension
of the criminal. Also I shall advise
! him to take every means to discover
the identity of our ingenius and learn
| ed maniac"
Time passed, as time has a habit O.
doing, anC did not get to see the Doc
tor for some ten days after our con
versation relative to the Dare mys
terry. Neither had l seen any refer
ences to the case in the papers.
So was not little surprised when
one Monday morning, just as l wa
starting to my office, messenge
his pesky book, gave me a sealed en-
velope and rushed off again Sucl
expedition from member Of the leis
ure class donated either a fat fe,
or the proverbial new broom and tn,
phenomenon fixed my marked atten
ton for as much as thirty seconds
| Then I tore open the envelope ant
found clipping. 1t had been hastil.
torn out of paper and, written acros
the margin, in the Doctors ungodl,
scrawl were the words been and wen
and DONE" and his initials, 'F L.
/ When the Doctor lapses into tn,