The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-04-29
1.-THE LITTLE FORTUNE"
By Arnold Frederick-Copyrght by +. A. Munsey Co.


Brussels, and Gunther, his attend
ant. Haussman was supposed to
be an invalid.
"The two went aboard the yes
sci at night.
The following night the safe
was opened and the package re-
moved. Vernon did this himself,
left his office, and threw the key
through the grating of his window
onto the desk within.
lie then went quietly into
Reinhardt's room and, removing
all his clothing. assumed that of
Musset. In the operation, YER
mons scarf pin dropped on the
floor, where it was recovered
some days later.
They had decided to replace
the package in Musset's pocket,
substituting for the franc piece
another of the same period, and
which would be, for all any one
could tell, precisely like it. They
PiODoDtu W liloN tic boug
into the forward hold, where it
would not be discovered until the
cargo was removed in New York.
They knew that the body, aft
err lying in the hold for nearly a
week, would be practically unrec-
equitable. The calculated on Ver-
mons clothes, papers, ETC., as well
as the package containing the coin
and letter in the dead mans peck
ct proving sufficient evidence that
the body was that of Vernon him
self.
I'm order to carry out this plan
they had to shave off Musset S
black beard. Vernon, meanwhile,
had assumed false black beard,
and had built out his nose to dis
guise his features. There was no
necessity for him to resemble
Musset, except in a very general
way. No one had obtained a good
look at Reinhardt's invalid COM
panion since he came on board.
Having completed their prep
arations, they walked with Musset,
either dead or under the influence
of a drug, to the forward hatch,
and threw him into the hold.
II have said that but for one
mistake the perpetrators of the
crime would never have been cap
tured. | should say but for two.
One of these consisted in over
looking a gold locket which hung
about Musset's neck. The other,
and most fortunate one, from
their standpoint, consisted in the
fact that they got the two franc
pieces, absolutely identical in out
ward appearances, mixed. They
put the one belonging to Mile.
MERCER into the dead mans pock-
ct and retained the worthless one
themselves.
They made this discovery the
following day, but they were then
powerless. The forward hatch had
been closed, not to be opened
again until the vessel reached
New York.
Instead. therefore, of being
able to at once make off with their
plumber, Vernon and Reinhardt
were obliged to 60 to the Hotel
Rochambeau, knowing that within
short time Mr.. Morris would de-
liver to Mile. MERCER the coin
they were after.
That very afternoon Vernon
and Reinhardt got into a bitter
quarrel concerning the latter's re-
sponsibility for retaining the
wrong coin. Reinhardt had made
the mistake, Vernon tainted him
with 1t. Reinhardt attacked him,
and Vernon killed him with his
knife.
when Vernon, who was on the
watch for Mr.. Morris, saw from
his window that the latter was
accompanied by myself and NJ.
Duvall he at once suspected trou-
BILE, and fled from the hotel while
we were interviewing Mile. Mer-
cier.
"He made at once for his own
apartment, of which he, of course,
had the key, and as he could not
appear as himself, he posed as
Charles Vernon, his brother.
HE also called to his assist
ance woman of his acquaintance
clever crook, whom he had
known both in Paris and in New
York.
Then through a mistake of
mine he came into possession of
the genuine franc.
"Vernon's plans, however, had
gone wrong. He was wanted in
New York for the murder of Rein
hardt, and so far as he knew, for
that of Mile. MERCER and myself
as well. He thereupon hit upon a
bold plan. He decided to go
aboard the Richelieu in the early
morning, as though he were pas
senger, and by locking himself in
the storeroom in which he was
afterward found, pretend that he
had been there ever since the rob-
berry OF the safe, week before.
His whole story about being
imprisoned in the storeroom, as
we'll as about his twin brother,
was a lie. I have ascertained that
he had no brother.
at will probably not interest
you greatly to hear how I subse-
quently secured the franc from
Vernon in Paris, and had him
placed under arrest. After all its