Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-05-31

the vessel.
He at once communicated the news
to M. Lefevre and Duvall. The latter
seemed decidedly puzzled as they
made their way along the deck.
Having just worked out a theory, ap-
parently substantiated by tho facts,
that the purser had been murdered in
the room of the man Haussman and
his companion and then thrown
overheard, he was unable to under
stand the presence of the murdered
mans body in the hold.
OF course, he might still have been
made away in the way Duvall had in
dicated and his body then thrown in
to the forward hold, but why should
the murderers have gone to the
trouble, and exposed themselves to
the danger of carrying the body along
the deck to the hatch when they could
have easily disposed of it through the
window?
Experience had taught him that in
such pecularities, however, were to be
found the solution of most mysterious
crimes; he therefore accompanied
the captain with considerable eager
ness.
The body had just been brought to
the deck, and lay surrounded by hor-
rifed group composed of Mr.. Ger
maine, Mr.. Morris, and several of the
officers and men.
1t presented gruesome appear
ance. Five days had elapsed since the
disappearance of the unfortunate man,
the vessel having been at that time
on her second day out Captain Bon
not explained, in answer to questions
from Mr.. Germaine, that the covers
of the forward hatchway had been left
open during the first night at sea on
account of the heat; that on the
morning of the second day, and just
prior to the discovery of Vernon's dis
appearance, they had been closed.
1t had apparently not occurred to
any one that the purser could be in
the hold along with the cargo; the
tightly closed matches seemed to pre-
clude any such possibility. -.,.. .
q There was quantity Of heavy ma
number of large packing-cases, but
owing to the great weight of this por-
tion of the cargo it occupied COM
paratively small space; hence there
was. a distance of perhaps twenty-five
feet from the combing Of the hatch
way to the cases. Apparently the
purser had fallen into the hatchway
by accident and been either instantly
killed or so severely wounded that he
was unablesto call for help.
The ships physician, hastily sum-
moned, made careful examination OF
the body. Owing to the heat and the
length of time it had been in the hold,
it presented a frightful appearance;
but the clothing, the small dark mus
tache, the papers and other objects in
the pockets, left no doubt as to it's
identity.
The doctor reported that 4 COM
pound fracture Of the skull indicated
that death had probably been instan-
taneous. The man had evidently
pitched headlong upon the heavy
mass Of machinery. as both his head
and face were frightfully crushed and
bruised.
Duyall, firm in the belief that the
body Of the purser had been thrown
into the hold after death, requested
the doctor to search carefully for
ether wounds; but none were ap-
parent. His theory seemed to COL
lapse completely. Yet, how account
for the minute bloodstains on the
door of Haussman's room?
A still further surprise, however,
awaited the little group surrounding
the body.
When the pockets were searched
and the various papers, letters, and
trinkets belonging to the dead man
little pile. the doctor drew from one
Of the side pockets of the coat a
crumpled envelope, which Mr.. Morris
Immediately declared to be the one
entrusted by him to the purser.
An examination showed the seal
had been broken. apparently by the
force of the fall. Inside the enve-
lope We're a one-franc piece of the
period Of the first Napoleon and a
letter addressed to Mile. Estelle
Mercier.
The captain handed the package
over to Mr.. Morris.
This is your property, SIR" he re-
marked sadly. 81 regret that the seal
is broken, but apparently the CEN
tents, a. heretofore described by you
are intact"
"Yes." replied the banker; "but
why should the purser have had this
in his pocket instead of in the safer?
THAT, my dear, sir, we shall in all
probability never know. / am glad
however. that the affair has 80 far
been cleared up. Vernon is dead
Your package is returned to you
There is nothing more that We car
do"
Duvall took II. Lefeyre by the arm
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