Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-06

copyrighted by ]. B. Lippincott Co..
Editors Motel made M. Goron's
acquaintance some years ago, and was
at once struck with his extraordinary
powers of observation, his keen-wit-
tedness, and his devouring energy In
the discharge of his difficult duties
For 1t must be remembered that the
chief Of the Paris detective police
wields enormous power and Is allowed
a certain discretion-except, Of course
when a crime has been committed
to save innocent persons the disgrace
of public scandal.
A few months ago was smoking a
pipe in his study, a room hung with
trophies-a museum of crime. / saw
him take up a thick, leather-bound
volume, the pages covered with writ
ing, with here and there portraits and
curious-looking drawings This Is my
diary" he began, but suddenly stop
ped when he saw me start.
"Yes. 1t is my diary" he repeated;
"but--what's the trouble?"
your diary? And you never thought
of publishing it?" q, ....
"No," ne retorted with a smile; "the
fact is, here are all my impressions,
and certain facts"
1 did not even know the end Of the
sentence; took up the book and be-
gan reading at once; and the more I
read the more marveled. The next
morning we commenced work, and
this series is the result.-A. K.1
The Belgian government had de-
manded the extradition of the swindler
Karstens, and, for purposes Of identi-
fication, I had asked the people who
had dealings with him to come to my
office.
Among those who called upon me
was Charles Vernet, financier, and,
while listened to the evidence he gave
in clear, concise manner, the convic-
ton stole upon me that had met him
before under different circumstances.
But where?-when? Although I have
an excellent memory for faces, his fea-
lures were not familiar to me; yet his
general appearance, the way he raised
his right hand when he spoke, reused
old recollections.
who is he9" I inquired the next
day Of the police comissary in M.
Charles vernet's district. ... ...
who Is he?" repeated my friend,
with a touch Of surprise in his voice.
my dear Goron, don't you really
know Charles Vernet?" ..... 80.
"well, yes, of course I understand
he is a financier, with plenty OF mon
ey: but 1 know nothing about him."
He shrugged his shoulders.
Look here, Goron, 1 never know
when you are making fun Of anybody;
but il you put the question to me Sc
riously, let me tell you that Charles
vernet is not only rich, but bears a
good reputation on the Bourse, and is
received everywhere" u.:.s..r.
How long has he been in Paris?"
About ten years. He came here
with large fortune made at the Cape,
and has doubled it since"
"Who is he?" again asked myself
when went to bed.
For days and days the mans face
seemed to follow me. mentally pass
ed in review the various persons I had
met in the course of my career, with
out being able to locate him. Yet |
felt certain had seen him when his
name was not Charles Vernet
took out my journal, looking over
the cases with which had been con-
nected since I became chief Of the de-
tective police. And still no trace OF
him.
I worked my way back to the days
when I was assistant to M. Clement,
at the Prefecture, and police commits
sary in the Pantin Quarter, until /
came upon the murder of Moulin, the
notary's clerk, by a fellow called ST.
mon. And then I paused; for 1t sud-
denly dawned upon me that Simon
was the man 1 must have had In my
mind when I saw Charles Vernet.
Moulin lived In the Rue des Abbes-
ses, and he and Simon were friends.
One night a lodger, occupying room
below Moulin's, was awakened by the
noise Of a scuff1e overhead, and. go
ing to the rescue, met a man hurrying
past him. Moulin was lying on his
bed stabbed to the heart. When ST.
mon was arrested the next day, the
lodger recognized him as the man he
had seen on the stairs. Simon, who had
already been implicated in several
unpleasant affairs, never admitted his
guilt; and, in the absence Of direct
proofs, the jury brought in verdict
by which he escaped the guillotine, but
was sentenced to twenty years penal
servitude.
inquired at the Prefecture, where
I learned that Simon and man called
Aymard had planned to escape from
Cayenne. Aymard had succeeded In
getting away, while Simon, his face
DdlleTeQ III anu bOuy SN'NA>.
wounds, was found in a ditch. HIS
identity had been disclosed by his
jacket, which bore the number "94.
The report of Simon's death did moi
remove my doubts. But, as in the
face of the official statement could
not we'll apply to the authorities fol
assistance, 1 determined to try to solve
the problem myself
If my theory was right-that Charlie
Vernet and Simon were the same per-
son-it must have been Simon who
placed the telltale jacket with the num-
ber 81 on the body of Aymard, whom
no doubt. he had murdered to insure
his own safety. This trick had been
performed several times and, from my
recollection of Simon, he was not the
man to shrink from killing his COM
panion.
I took all the papers relating to the
Simon case with me, and gathered
from them an interesting fact. While
under remand, Simon-probably tc
curry favor with the authorities-hat
denounced a youth named Berger, a: