Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-22
This Singular Titled Austrian Refused
to Disclose His Identity When His
Good Fortune Became Known, and
His Fate ls an unsoIved Mystery.

honest adventurers who simply want
to "see the world the neurasthenic,
the disheartened. the unemployed;
those who. having lost everything but
honor or having lost honor itself.
would make a new start
All this diverse human metal, thrown
into the melting pot together, is even
tually nodded into that brave, stole,
loyal, devoted, patient and tenacious
prototype of the man Of arms, the
Legionary.
or the Foreign Legion thousand
romantic tales are told. Of which the
following true story may be taken as
an example:
One day General Bruneau, command
er Of the legion, received a registered
letter. postmarked Vienna and signed
by the representative of well known
Austrian detective agency, to the fol-
lowing effect:
Monsieur le General--Wili you kindly in
form me II young man Of Austro- Hun
garian nationality. supposed to have en-
nHltu III lHt rOItlbl AebiOl hliNSi Wv
name of Justus Perth Is now at Sadla?
You will understand the interest we have
in finding him when / inform you con-
adentally that In consequence Of unfore-
seen happenings he has become. without
his knowledge or expectation sole heir to
fortune Of l2,0O0000 crowns. lnclosed Is
photograph taken when he was stu
dent at the University Of Prague.
The photograph showed stocky
youth Of perhaps twenty to twenty-five
years Of age and whose somewhat
beefy face was fringed with precocious
whisliers He wore eyeglasses, which
made 1t difficult to Judge of the form
and shade Of his eyes,
General Bruneau's first step was to
have his secretay-adjutant search the
, enlistment rolls for the name Of JUS
tus Perth, No such name appeared
Then he had all the Austrians of the
detachment line up and scanned their
faces In the hope Of identifying the
original OF the photograph Only two.
both Of whom we're recent arrivals
showed possible traits of resemblance.
and these in very imperfect degree.
These two Austrlans were closely
examined by Dhuermer the secretary
who spoke the German language flu
emily. Both denied stubbornly that
they had ever used or heard of the
name Of Justus Perth.
Possibly II may loosen your
tongues" pursued the secretary, "if |
tell you why the general is looking for
this Perth The fellow has just inner.
tied 100000 crowns, Now, is either
one OF you Justus Perth?"
"Nein."
"Nein."
"Send them back to their companies
IL is OF no use" said General Bruneau
Time passed and the incident had
been forgotten when In 1902 there
came to Bwnenu n formidable looking
envelope bearing the government seal
Of the minister OF foreign affairs. II
inclosed letter which drew from the
officer an exclamation Of surprise.
This letter was diplomatic para
phrase of the former inquiry by the
Vienna secret service agency regarding
Justus Perth II insisted upon fur
ther investigation. 10 be conducted
with more care aud discretion than in
the previous instance. Furthermore,
the commandant was confdentially ad-
vlsed that "lustus Perth" was only Il
fictitious name and that the real title
OF the person TO be found at any price
was Count otto Won X
Another photograph. more recent
than the one which had accompanied
the FIRST inquiry, was appended
mo sooner did set eyes on this pho
tograph." continued Bruneau, than |
made the astounding discovery that
the Count Otto Won X, the pseudo
Iustus Perth. was none other than the
secretary.adjuiant. Dhuermer who
had so energetlcally questioned the
two bewildepd Austrians called up be.
fore me on the former occasion,
MY course was now simple enough
shortly after that hrst interrogatory
our secretary.interpreter Dhuermer.
had been transferred TO Tonkin. In
regular course OF the annual relief OF
the hattalions serving there. This In
formation | wired to headquarters
NEXT day the response came;
"Legionary phuermer sent homo ao.
count Of health. on route Singapore
Another cipher telegram to the
French consul at Singapore brought
the following;
"Legionary phuermer. alias Count Otto
Won X, disappeared from transport steam
" roadutend OF Singapore; cannot b,
found
And the mystery remains unsolved
to this day
Around their campnres IN the Snhnr
whnt tales might not be- told II ever
these silent, lmpassive 'rrapplsts Of nc
lion should hut speak their storiesl
Los Angeles Tribune
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