The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-08-14
by FULTON THATCHER GRANT
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Dart n

BY FULTON THATCHER GRANT
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Part II
I dislike to close the Prince case, q.
far as this history Is concerned. with.
out some sort of a solution, but there
is no solution. At least there Is none
known or even implied by the middle
Of June 1884. which is my latest in
formation. On the other hand have
just gotten news Of new trial which
the police are following. and 1t would
not be fair to drop the case without
mentioning it.
The first indication Of this new
trail came from Leon Daudet and that
was some time ago. Nothing was done
about it by the Surete. although the
Action Franchise urged the inveStiga-
ton every day until. imagine, they
grew weary of printing their remind
erS.
You will recall Simonovitch. the
false Russian engineer who, with his
new-made wife, travelled in the same
train as Albert Prince. He had been
closely questioned toward the first OF
March. Daudet, at that time, volun-
teered the information that, instead
Of being an engineer, Simonovitch was
q come-on man for the Frolics gam
bling establishment. He also pointed
out that, although he had been living
for 20 years with the lady who was his
companion on that train-ride, for
some reason or other he chose that
particular moment to marry her. In
America one might think that 1t was
about time the Russian made his mis-
tress IAN honest woman" but IN
France they take quite different at
titude toward such things. so the sud-
den change OF heart becomes INTEREST
ing if not important.
However, it was not until April 70
that any real suspicion attached itself
to Simonovitch, and then it was q
clever newspaper reporter who brought
It up. but the Surete still refused to
get excited over the possibilities.
Here is the theme.
Pierre Apesteguy Of lie Jour took
Daudet's indication OF Simonvitch
seriously. He read In Havas notice
of the arrest at Metz of a man named
Simian who, when examined, con-
fessed to having been out OF job IN
Paris during the early part OF Feoru-
airy. The man, it seems, had been
taken to the Frolics by Russian ana
introduced to an enormous, gorilla
like man who had Russian accent
and who was called the Major lie
Commandant). This man talked with
the newcomer and after about five
minutes said, with unconcealed dis
gust:
Take him away. He's no good for
the Dijon job" and walked out.
Reporter Checks Up
Now Apesteguy, like good city re-
porter, knew his underworld and
knew. furthermore, that there really
existed a notorious character Of Rus
sian birth known as the Major. He
also noticed that the vague descrip-
ton of the Russian who brought ST.
,nian to the Frolics could be par
alleled with that OF Sinlonovitch.
Apesteguy vanished from view for a
number of days. When he returned
to duty he brought with him story
with which he challenged the Surete
and the whole police organization OF
France.
In the scurry for testimony just al
ter Princes body had been found. the
police had compiled list OF "mysterl.
Gus strangers" and equally "mysteri-
GUS automobiles senior imagined
at the scene Of the crime, in the
neighborhood. in Dion and even IN
Paris. None OF these clues amounted
to anything and were dropped. one by
one, after a cursory investigation had
bumped its nose. One OF the many
was that of a Hotchkiss car seen at
the Care de Lyon at nine o'clock, the
morning of February 20. three hours
before Prince took the train, and seen
to leave there a few minutes before
the Dijon express pulled out.
Apesteguy began with this car. He
tossed out a page full OF statements
claims and allegations and challenged
the police 10 check up on them and
prove him wrong.
The Hotchkiss, he asserted, was not
q Hotchkiss but Packard, and q
powerful one, fast enough to beat the
train to Dijon. He revealed that the
Major, that tough, brutal but mysteri-
Gus underworld character, was the
owner of just such a Packard car. He
revealed that the Majors real name
is Abramovitch, that he had a GRIM
inal past. beginning. as far as France
is concerned, with his arrival IN Paris
that he was fugitive from his native
Caucasus region, and that he is
among other things, the paid gang
ster, bouncer and trouble-shooter fo1
the Frolics.
Abramoyitch's Rise Unexplained
Abramovitch. said Apesteguy with q
leer at the police, was in that Pack
ard car at the P. L. M. station from
nine to noon on the fatal morning Of
Albert Princes departure for Dion
He was alone. At twelve-five a Sec
ond- man ran from inside the station
and joined him. They whirled OF
together.
This newcomer, asserted the re-
porter, was waiting on the platform
Of the Dion train. The engineer
Simonovitch and wife were on tina
platform. AS the train signalled It
departure Simonovitch held out
white handkerchief at arms length
Seeing that signal, the waiting mar
left the platform and joined Abramo'
witch in his car.
Apesteguy demands that the Sur
etc prove that the Packard car wa!
not waiting for the Dion train at it!
destination. He demands that the!
show where Simonovitch's brothel
was that evening. He asks them Il
prove that this brother did not ride Il
Dion where he received anothel
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