Omaha daily bee., 1914-04-19

alogued as the Mystery OF the Broken
Door, the Mystery of the Broken
Window Pane and the Mystery OF the
Cry.
II would appear that IL had never
been the custom during the Journeys
OF the Aimee to anchor In mldstream.
The houseboat-yacht was always an.
chored close TO the riverside and In
close proximity to some village or
town. Nine. Lantelme was afraid
OF the water at night! She liked al.
ways to be near land. NJ. Edwards
said that he had never before done
such thing in all his twenty years
OF river yachting. But this night.
because OF the oppressive heat, the
Aimee was brought to in mlde-Rhine.
The Aimee had been designed for
comfort. She was not particularly
ornamental on the outside. Inside
she was a palace. She had wide
windows, instead OF portfolios. Lam
telme's private bedroom was on the
starboard. IL was from the open
window Of this room that she Is
supposed to have made her way, in
one OF four manners, into the river.
The first story IN the Paris news
papers. apparently authoritative. told
how M. Edwards and Lantelme and
a small party of their friends left
Paris on the Aimee, and on the night
Of the death had sat up until
o'clock. There had been much cham
payne, and Lantelme had sung spirit
edly for the guests. M. Edwards had
excused himself early and had gone
into his cabin to write, as he said,
some letters. More than an hour
atterward the guests had been
aroused by a cry from Edwards.
They had rushed out OF their state
rooms and had found M. Edwards in
front OF Lantelme's door. He told
them that he had been In bed and
that the beauty had gone into her
room, as was her custom; that later
he had felt something was wrong.
He had gone to the door of her room
and had Knocked. Getting no an
swer, he had called TO her. Growing
more alarmed, he had shouted, and
II was these shouts that had brought
the other occupants Of the yacht from
their staterooms.
All agreed that they had then
broken open the door. They had
found the window in Lantelme's room
wide open, but no sign OF Lantelmel
There we're no marks, according to
them, OF any struggle. Every article
In the room was in order. They had
looked out into the racing river, but
had seen nothing, and they had heard
no cries. When they looked back
into the room again NJ. Edwards was
lying on the floor in a faint. They
had Immediately lowered the small
boats and searched, but they had
found nothing.
Then a second story crept out.
a woman's cry. They had gone 20
Edwards's room and had aroused
him. He said that he had heard no
cry. All had then knocked at Nine.
Lantelme's door. Getting no answer,
they had broken in the door. At this
point the story ran on as in the FIRST
one told.
AS a result OF this trial Edwards
obtained a verdict with nominal dam
ages. but II left the mystery deeper
than ever. In view OF the verdict
and other circumstances II seemed
unreasonable and unjust to suspect
Edwards Of being the direct source
OF his wife's death, but rumors d.
rected against him became stronger
than ever.
An actor who had known LAntel-
me well declared that she had told
him that her husband had threatened
to shoot her dozens OF times, and
that he made her life miserable.
Everybody then recalled how hope
lessly sad the beautiful girl always
appeared TO be.
Gould II be-" the curious Pari.
SLAMS asked themselves, that the
husband, this man OF many wives,
was possessed OF some strange mania
that made his wife's life unendura-
ble?"
This discussion was still going on
when, in January, 1912, barely six
months after Lantelme's death, her
grave in Pere La Chaise Cemetery
was broken open. The thieves had
made their way TO her particular
resting place in the large family
vault. They had rIfed her coffin, in
which she lay with her Jewels, in
cluding her famous 100000 pearl
necklace, beneath her head.
They had scattered the contents