The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-01-23

InOIQeQ man, WIN QeIiCately 1aSnlOneQ
hands and feet, and two eyes so color
less that in some lights they appeared
to be almost sightless.
In a month from that time he was
the power that moved that community
even in its most Insignificant machin-
cry. With marvellous skill he con-
structed out of that simple republic
OF protestants an absolute despotism.
And he was the despot
An intimation from the Tuileries in
terrupted a meeting Of the council at
the house in Paradise; an arrest was
threatened-that OF Professor Reclus
and the indignant young Countess
was requested to retire to her chateau
Of La Trappe- She obeyed, but invited
her guests to accompany her Among
those who accepted was Buckhurst
About this time the government be-
gan TO take d serious interest in John
Buckhurst. On the secret staff Of the
Imperial Military Police were always
certain foreigners-among others, my
self and a young man named James
Speed; and Colonel Jarras had already
dCCldCu " cLiIptOS III NdICuluS DUCK
hurst, when war came on France like
bolt from the blue, giving the men
Of the Secret Service all they could at
tend to-
There is no reason why it should not
be generally known that the crown
jewels OF France were menaced from
the very first by conspiracy so alarm
inc nd t1xy iy%i hot
the Emperor himself believed, even in
the beginning Of the fatal campaign,
that it might be necessary to send the
crown jewels of France to the Bank Of
England for safety.
On the 18th of July, the day that
war was declared, certain of the crown
jewels, kept temporarily at the palace
Of the Tuileries, were sent under heavy
guards to the Bank Of France. Every
precaution was taken; yet the great
diamond crucifix of Louis XII was
missing when the guard under Captain
Siebert turned over the treasures to
the governor Of the Bank of France.
Instantly absolute secrecy was or
dered, SO the news of the robbery never
end of France to the other the gend-
armerie, the police, local, municipal,
and secret, were stirred up TO activity.
Within forty-eight hours, an indi-
vidual answering Buckhurst's descrip-
ton had sold single enormous dia-
mond for two hundred and fifty thou
sand francs to a dealer in Strasbourg,
| a Jew named Fishel Cohen. An hour
after he had recorded the transaction
at the StrasboUrg Diamond Exchange
he and the diamond were on their way
to Paris, III charge Of q detective. A
few hours later the stone was identified
at the Tuileries as having been taken
from the famous crucifix Of Louis XI.
From Fishel Cohen's agoniZed de-
scription of the man who had sold him
the diamond, Colonel Jarras believed
he recognized John Buckhurst. But
how on earth Buckhurst had obtained
access to the jewels, or how he had
| managed to spirit away the cross from
| the very center OF the Tuileries, could
only be explained through the theory
of accomplices among the trusted init
| mates of the imperial encourage. And
If there existed such conspiracy, who
| was involved?
My chase after Buckhurst began as
soon as Colonel Jarras could summon
me; and as Buckhurst had last been
| heard OF in Strasbourg, I went after
| him on train loaded with red-legged,
uproarious soldiers.
| tracked Buckhurst TO Morsbronn,
where I lost all traces of him; and now
here was with my orders concerning
| the unfortunate people at La Trappe,
staring out at the dismal weather and
wondering whore my wild-goose chase
| would end.
| Half an hour later | rode out OF
Morsbronn, clad in the uniform of the
| Third HussarS, a disguise supposed to
| convey the idea to those at La Trappe
that the army and not the police were
responsible for their expulsion.
| A moist. fern-bordered wood road
| attracted me; L reasoned that it must
| lead, by a short cut, across the hills
ito the military highway which passed
! between Trois-Feuilles and La Trappe.
| So | took it, and presently came into
| four crossroads unknown to ME
This grassy carrefour was occupied
/ by q flock of turkeys, busily engaged
in catching grasshopp ers; their keeper.
a prettily shaped peasant girl, looked
/ up at ME rs [ drew BRIDE, then quietly
resumed the book she had been read
/ ing.
My child said |. will you kindly
direct me, with appropriate gestures,