The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-06-19

detective records Of my friend, Peter
Grove, i am struck chiefly by the sim
pltelty Of the crimes which he dIscoY.
Z cred or frustrated. mentioned this
Z TO hind once, and he responded:
simplicity, Langton, II may use
Z Q metaphor. is the keystone Of the
arch Of successful crime. We have
the upward curyer7the plot; the down,
ward -eurve-its accomplishment. I'm
less the whole be bound with that
simplicity Of design which ensures
success. the plot must fall 80
Most illustrative. Of this, I think,
was Crewes detection Of the diabot-
5 ical plan Of tho French doctor which
resulted in the death Of four men and,
the destruction Of two German gov
eminent balloons.
( The German government, there was
! mo doubt, had at last perfected 9
dttigible balloon whose. value as
war weapon was incalculable. Wheth-
5er. the French government was privy
or not to the murderous acts Of DR..
Fenelon cannot be known for certain.
u He may have been a self-inspired pa
tript. There 10 no doubt, however.
that his intention was to intimidate
the German government into aban-
donlng this type Of balloon which had
been constructed at the cost Of 80
much labor and enterprise.
You all remember the fate Of the
Kaiserfn II. and her successor, the
Kaiserin III. How each ended; in a
sipilar manner, Each, after remain:
ing In the air for forty-eight hours or
SO. arqi after lowering Immediately
over the French. defensive works upon
the boundary. collapsed while at an
altitude Of PERHAPS eight hundred feet,
dashing It's two occupants to the
ground, and instantaneously. killing
them. The balloon, in either case,
remained only as thing Of shreds
I and patches Of silk, and tangle of
,lwickerwork.
Crewe and l., who were both inter
ested in aeronautics, had been pres
emit at the start Of each balloon from
) Hamburg. There we made the &C.
quaintance OF Dr. Fenelon. Despite
ihiS French name and accent, he had
fngratiated himself into the confidence
of the German war staff as IN In
habitant OF ,Alsaee-L Lorraine one Of
those French.born citizens who had
elected to throw in their fortunes with
the German nation after that province
was wrested from Napoleon. He had
been q child when the war ended; he
was now man Of between forty and
fifty years, doctor in the new. aero
: laptieals division 5f'the. German5arny,
and an savowed hater of France. His
task 1t was to attend the starting OF
the balloonists, to test their hearts and
lungs before they ventured into the
upper air: he had free access to the
balloon, which was held captive within
the military reservation. Crewe and I
had permits to enter. for these were
accorded freely to all with satisfac-.
tory references. The secret lay In the
manufacture and none could ascertain
1t from an external inspection Of the
4 great globe. mr. r,
It was while the third balloon was
preparing to start, after the destruc-
tion Of the two, Others. that Crewe re-
solved to ascertain, II possible, the
cause Of the disasters.
..ifYou are courageous" he said to
Lieutenant Won Keller ito risk your
life after your predecessors have per-
ished,... ........-.l .,.......-..-.,.,..-,-.-.--
tits part of my job" Won Keller
answered, with a fatallstic shrug Of
his shoulders. 'Tf die-well-" !;
you do not believe in the rumors
Of foul play?ss I asked.
impossible" Won Keller answered.
However, this time ]. shall make tho
Y ascent sunaccompanied, so that treach'
cry will be impossible"
THE balloon might be tamperej.
with before you start"
RI Hardly, None but our. officers. cap
approach the tent in which 1t Il,
moored. Then, before ascending. I
!, shall test: the pull.cord and ali the ap.
paratus." ~,
!. ."A1d yet" said Crewe, "your cum.
patriots were found dead in the shredn
Z of their balloons. and they, too, had
confidence. Now let me ask. You IL
question. To what do you,ascrlbe, the
: fact that their, bodies were found
drenched with water?" >
"Ralp-or dew" said the lieutenant.
"There had been no rain. and dew
) copld, never have soaked their bodIes
to the skin and drenched their hair
I 1t is immaterial," Won Keller an.
'twered. 81 shall not die, for have
tested the balloon thoroughly and,
/. have complete confidence in It."
This, conversation took place upon
the morning of that on which the as.
cent was to be made Almost imme.
diately afterward the tent was strip
ped from the, balloon and, the huge in
. dated sphere could be seen. swaying
above the ropes which fastened it to
earth, Sphere.shaped, instead of
cigar:shaped, the steering apparatus
was hidden within; it looked like n
balloon Of an sold.fashloned type. such
4 N. r. =. 4.