Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01


AA Investigation department, NUT
tered angrily Throwing a
letter which he had been
reading across to his secretary, he exclaimed:
This is the third silly anonymous letter to-
day, informing me that DR.. Pierre Marain,
of Vennissieux, practices black magic and that
he has murdered several Of his patients. This
last letter goes step further and accuses him
also of numbering his wife Yvonne 1t gives
details Of course, but a querulous request that
the body should be Immediately exhunled and
examined.
Lets see-his wife came from Lyon and
was forrerly q Mile. Aicard. When did she
die?"
The secretary read the letter slowly and
then consulted a file Of papers.
Ten days ago, monsieur. There may be
something in this, If monsieur will permit me
to say 50. DR.. Marian runs q nursing home
and has q great reputation as a specialist:
but he Is also q fanatic in his way, spending
every penny on research.
what Is his speciality"
Cancer, believe Shall get his record
from the Surete?" HEADQUARTERS of the
French Secret Police)
can spare the time to come here for a
few minutes"
Ten minutes later the chief of the technical
laboratories entered the Office. The magis-
trate smiled.
THANK you-dear doctor. know you are
busy-but I am worried about this pile of
anonymous letters. You know-every now and
then"
ayes, know-we cannot always treat them
with the contempt which they deserve. What
is it now?"
"They all accuse DR.. Marian and his sister
who is also his assistant-what is the mat
ter? Why do you say 'ah-h like that?"
"They all accuse him Of numbering his wife,
don't they?"
Eyes, how do you know?"
'Tve also received some strange letters. Fur
thermore, I have had q chat with the doctor
who was called in to deliver the certificate
Of death. There-now you say ah-h-"
Naturally, when you spring surprise like
that ON me- Come, let US go into this mat
ter-"then-
. AT that moment the clerk returned with
bundle of papers.
sit down, Francois, want you to make
some noteS-come ini"-this last in reply to
knock. gendarme came in with letter.
There Is q naval officer waiting, M. Mag
istrate. Shall I wait to take the answer"
The magistrate opened the letter and read
It. his face slowly assuming the immobility
with which he had schooled himself to hide
surprise.
Eyes, tell him to wait. I will ring for you"
When the gendarme had gone M. Duprez
handed the letter to the laboratory chief, who
scanned it rapidly, and said: with your
permission viii send for my own report"
The Judge nodded.
Nov, doctor"-when an assistant had
brought the required papers-"let us first see
your copy Of the doctors report"
Here It is-short-but very queer. The
dead woman had been noted for her beauty;
she was only 20 when she died, yet the doc
tor says that she had become hideous-the
face shrunken, the body emaciated and the
skin strange drab color. Not white-drab!
On her left side he noticed a curious pur-
pie pickering Of the skin, cup-shaped he
calls it. The eyes. too. had an appearance
as though the dead girl had been blind for
some time"
What horrible description! also knew
Mile. Aicard and only a year ago she was
strangely beautiful. Wen?"
THAT is ALL His examination and the re-
port of his colleague, DIR. Marain, convinced
him that the poor girl had died from some
malignant growth. The husband is a cancer
specialist, you know"
But even supposing your implied theory
were true. why should he kill her? She leaves
no money-in fact it is notorious that she
was very poor. Well, Francois, what do they
say at the Surete?"
Every little. Excellent reputation. Great
scientist. Several monographs. But the Su-
rete has been forced to investigate the recent
death OF several inmates of his clinic. They
died unexpectedly. Cancer in every case"
THE investigation gave no results and