Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-05

d L. l. . J :. =. . i . H. 6 Il
with the hammer in her hand to ask
me to account for my falseness and
my infamy. Polydore stood beside my
bed and asked for FIVE louis. He
wanted Ave louis to pay for the neces
sary obsequies for his beloved mother
Then others came--and others.
1t was 9 o'clock when awoke. The
sunlight was playing on my bed. Jim
came into the room and placed pot
Of chocolate and some rolls on the
table beside me.
Have you morning paper?"
asked.
Eyes, monsieur" he said. handing
me large bundle Of newspapers.
When he had gone locked the
door Of my room, then took up q
paper. On the frst page was my por
trait. framed in sensational article
the large headlines Of which drew my
at once:
CRIME OR ACCIDENT?
A Letter From Barrabas, the Sculptor
The Victim Son-The First Wit
nesses Strange Contradictions =
The Artists Automobile.
| had only to cut out one of these
articles. II they differed little in
form, they were alike In foundation
I have chosen the most accurate:
Is it a mysterious crime or fatal
accident that confronts Justice? The
tragedy, Of whatever nature, remains
enveloped in the most profound mys-
terry. The facts are that M. Bar
rabas, the well known sculptor, lived
at Bry-sur-Marne In a cottage on the
route to Noisy LEI Grand with his wife
and two childrena son Of 20 years,
who is studying for the bar, and
daughter OF 10 years. They were
devoted family and were universally
liked and esteemed. The tragedy
which has occurred in their midst re-
mains more than ever unsolvable.
Madame Barrabas, who is the SIS
ter Of a high parsonage In Parisian
society, the eminent lawyer Maitro
Marcadian, was found dead in her
husbands studio from a blow on tho
temple from the sculptors hammer,
which was found near the body.
The servant OF the family. who mp
to the present is the only one who
can give any information of the
tragedy, has given the following &C
count:
IT was at the end Of the garden"
she says, when M. Polydore rushed
towards me, crying out. Louise
some one has killed my mother!
have found her dead in my fathers
studio. Go Immediately to Nogent
. and fetch the police
IL wae bewildered. had only left
Madame Barrabas half hour before
and Mademoiselle Evelyn, who was
doing her piano practice.
"I went to the studio, and my be-
wilderment became terror.
"'Where is Mademoiselle? cried.
! IN. Polydore replied:
"'She is in her room. 1t is useless
to terrify her. There is time enough
for her to know. Go-go quickly!'
"And ran like mad to Nogent.
passed Mother Care and Father
Tape a l'Oeil and called out to them
as I passed. did not STOP"
So the crime, II It IL a crime, was
committed between the hours of 10
and 10:SO This Is an incontestable
point. Then the affair takes q
strange turn, which somewhat baf-
fes the police.
The Commissaire found Madame
Barrabas dead in her husbands stu
do and her daughter in a swoom "
ing on her bed, but the son Polydore
had disappeared, and although q
search in every direction was imme-
I diately started, up to this hour
there has been no clue to his where
abouts. AS to the husband of the
victim, he also has disappeared, and
what renders the mystery more i'm
penetrable, on his desk he left a let
ter addressed to his brother-in-law.
Lawyer Marcadian, in which he
states that he has killed his wife 'by
accident" and he begs the advocate
to look after the interests of his two
children. Evelyne and Polydore.
The field remains open to all
hypothesis, and the contradictory
statements have accumulated since
the opening of the inquest with
such rapidity that one Is reduced to
the most extraordinary conjectures.
According to the declaration OF
Madame Care and her neighbors. It
was they who broke the news to M.
Barrabas as he was returning home
on his way from the Marne, where
he had been fishing for several
hours. This proves, then, that the
sculptor was not at home when the
crime or accident took place. SO
the letter that he wrote to Lawyer
Marcadian il incomprehensible.
What is the reason OF his flight?
The daughter, who regained con-
sciousness after some hours, at
firmed that she knew nothing what
ever about the tragedy, except that
her brother told her that he had
found her mother dead In the studio.
It appear that the shock was 30 vio-
lent that she fell into the syncope
from which only extreme measures
arounsed her.
The government seals have been
affixed, and the inquest will con-
tinue. The Chef de la Surete has
sent two Of his most efficient opera
tives to Bry-sur-Marne.
Pub! That did not teach mo much. I
was 80 much stuffing!
Nevertheless, I heaved a sigh OF re
lief Evelyne had had the presence o
mind to remain silent, the perspicact.
to read between the lines OF my lette
y LII T. - 4 - =