Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1917-09-06

"None that was not readily recti-
fed," replied the prefect, winking sur
reptitiously at Mr.. Morris. you were
q little wrong concerning Mr.. Vernon,
but, will admit 30 was /. We are
therefore quits"
He turned to Mr.. Germaine.
III you wish, monsieur" he said,
II will relate as briefly as possible
story which concerns, more or less,
nearly every one in this ROOM"
"Go ahead, monsieur. I am eager
to hear it, and l do not doubt that the
others here share my feelings"
The prefect cleared his throat.
1.-THE matter begins" he said, with
the death of this young lady's father,
Alphonse Mercier," He paused and
glanced for a moment at the young
girl, then resumed his story.
"The originator of the scheme to
/. defraud Mile Mercier of the legacy
left to her by her father was the lat
ters physician, Reinhardt, who, as
you will remember, was later mur-
dered by his accomplice at the Hotel
Rochambeau."
This man, Reinhardt, came orig
inally from Havre, and was, in the
past, boon companion of George
Vernon, also native OF that place.
After Reinhardt came to Paris to
practise they saw little Of each other,
but still kept up their friendship.
so far as can learn, Vernon oc-
casionally went up to Paris, while
ashore, and he and Reinhardt were in
the habit of going on drinking and
gambling bouts together, during
which they lost considerable sums of
money.
"On the morning that Alphonse
MERCER sent for Mr.. Morris, for the
purpose of disposing of his little col
lection Of coins, he busted himself by
cleaning them, preparatory to turn.
ing them over to Mr.. Morris.
while doing so he made a startling
and unexpected discovery. The one
franc piece of the time of first Ma
poleon he found TO be of enormous
value, not intrinsically-not even as
rare coin, but because of a certain
matter concerning it which l will en-
plain later.
This news he communicated in
part to his physician, Reinhardt, who
happened to be with him at the time.
He did not tell Reinhardt the real
secret of the coin, but he did tell him
it was of great value.
The idea of obtaining possession
of it at once entered Reinhardt's
head. He would have done so then
and fled but for the arrival of Mr..
Morris. He saw the franc placed in
the envelope, directed to Mile. Mer-
cier, along with her fathers letter,
and saw Mr.. Morris take them away
with him.
He knew that Mr.. Morris planned
to sail Tor America on the Richelieu
the following day, and he at once
went to Havre and sought out his
friend, George Vernon. Between
them they concocted plan to obtain
possession of the coin which is, to my
mind, unequaled in its diabolical
cleverness.
Vernon, of course, knew that he
could readily remove the package
from the vessels safe, but he also
knew that he could not possibly get
away with it. Mr.. Morris would in
evitably call for its return long before
the vessel reached the dock at New
York, and he would either be obliged
TO turn it over TO him or render him
self accountable for its loss.
Another way TO conduct the theft,
OF course, would have been for some
one else, presumably Reinhardt, to at.
tack the purser, and take the package
from the safe. This, however, would
have been extremely difficult TO
carry out, without suspicion resting
upon some one on board. The ideal
method, of course, was to have it ap-
pear that Vernon had himself re
moved the package from the safe,
and for him then to disappear.
"They talked this plan over that
night at great length, and decided
that Vernon should first remove the
package from the safe himself, and
then, by means of clever disguise,
apparortiy disappear.
They knew, however, that the
number, OF passengers on the vessel
would be. well known, and that it
would he impossible 10 add another
TO the number without inviting i'm.
mediate detection.
They therefore decided to provide
an extra passenger, whom they might
conveniently dispose of at the proper
time"
Vernon, it seems, was slightly ac-
Guainied with young man of about
: his own age, in Havre, by the name
of Henri Musset, foreman in the
shipyards. This young man was at
The time desperately i'll with tubercu.
josjs. Vernon introduced Reinhardt
10 him rs 4 lung specialist. The lat.
off t, f,J.