The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-12-08
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know how insidious a thing it is,
this opium, and how dreadful curse
it may become when 1t gets hold
upon q community. I was formerly
engaged upon a most sensational case
in San Francisco, and the horrors of
the discoveries which we made there
the American police and myself-have
remained with me ever since. Par
dieu! I cannot forget them! There
fore when learned that an organized
attempt was being made to esta blish
elaborate opium dens upon a most up
to date plan in Paris exerted myself
to the utmost to break up this scheme
In its infancy"
DR.. Cumberly was hanging upon ev-
cry word.
Apart from the physical and moral
ruin attendant upon. the vice." contin-
ued Max, ''the methods of this particu-
lar organization have brought financial
ruin to many" He shook his finger at
DR.. Cumberly rs If to emphasize his
certainty upon this point. II will not
go into particulars now, but there is
system OF Wholesale robbery-sapristi.
of most ingenious brigandage- being
practiced by this group. Therefore I
congratulated myself upon the inspira-
ton which had led me to mount Cagli-
ostrOs staircase. The way in which
: these people had conducted their sin
lister trade from SO public spot as
this was really wonderful, but I had
already learned to respect the ingenu-
ity Of the group or Of the man at the
head OF it. ] wasted no time, not I!
We raided the house that evening".
'And what did you fnd?' asked DR..
Cumberly eagerly.
I'VE found this establishment elab-
orately fitted and the whole of the fit
tings were American. Eth bien! This
confirmed me In my belief that the
establishments was branch OF the
wealthy concern have mentioned in
San Francisco. There was also
branch In New York apparently. We
found six or eight people in the place
In various stages Of coma, and I can
not tell you their names because among
them were some well known In the
best society"
'.Good heavens, ~. Max, you sur
prise and shock me!'
what tell You is but the truth.
Z We apprehended two low fellows who
acted as servants sometimes in the
place. We had records Of both of
them at the bureau. And there was
also a woman belonging to the. same
class. None Of these seemed to me
very important, but we were fortunate
enough to capture In addition 4 China
man, Sen, and a certain Nine. Jean,
the latter the principal Of the estab-
lishment.''
what! A woman?"
"Morbleu! A woman-exactly! You
are surprised? Ye-. and I was sur
prised, but full inquiry convinced me
that Mime. Jean was the chief Of staff
We had conducted the raid at night,
Of course, and because Of the big names
we hushed it up. We can do these
things In Paris so much more easily
than Is possible here In London" He
illustrated, delivering a kick upon the
person of an imaginary malefactor
:sCochon! VAR he shrugged, ut is
finishedy'
The place was arranged with orr
entail mRgnificence. The reception
room-if ! can so term that apartment
was like the scene of Rimsky Korsa-
koy's 1Scheherazade.' could see that
very heavy charges were made at this
establishment. I will not bore you
with further particulars, but I will tell
you of my disappointment"
.Your disappointment
Eyes; I was disappointed. True,
had brought about the closing of that
house, but Of the huge sums OF money
fraudulently obtained from victims
could find no trace in the accounts of
Mime. Jean. She defied me with 81
lence, simply declining to give any ac-
count Of herself beyond admitting that
she conducted a hotel at which opium
might be smoked if desired. The case
then must, indeed, have ended miser-
ably, as far as was concerned, If I
had not CHANGED upon letter which
the otherwise prudent Nine. Jean had
forgotten to destroy. Triomphe! It
was letter Of instruction, and def
nitely it 'proved that she was no more
than a kind of glorifed concierge and
that the chief Of the opium group was
IN London.
Undoubtedly In London. There was
no address on the letter and no date,
and it was curiously signed Mr.. King
"Mr. Kingr'
DR.. Cumberly rose slowly from his
chair and took step toward M. Max.
"You are interested?" said the de-
tective and shrugged his shoulders,
while his mobile mouth shaped itself
In a grim smile. "Pardieu I knew
you would be. Acting upon another
clew which the lettter-priceless letter
contained, visited the Credit Lyon
nais. discovered that an account had
been opened there by Mr.. Henry Lee
roux Of London en- behalf Of his wife,
Mira Leroux, to the amount Of $1,000"
"a thousand pounds really" cried
DR.. Cumberly, drawing his heavy
brows together. "As much as that?"
Certainly. It was for f1,OO0," re-
peated Max. And the whole of that