Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-04-12
The Mystery
/ WaSS0|Ved
WithAS0n8


~ Police baled and the crack detectives
the famous Suree Rationale unable find the slight
est trace All Paris combed and the provinces
searched For weeks, newspapers ran his picture but
clues turned up To all ntents and purposes he
literally vanished into thin air
The internationally famous musician. who had welded
the baton concert master the Paris Opera had
known enemies Police ruled the possibility foul
personal rffcrts-veru searched friends
questioned and love affairs probed Everything pos
sble done to find thread of evidence that might
account for voluntary disappearance But nothing
uncovered Foreign police tracked down tips that he
been seen but all these leads went into blind alleys
Then, with the turn Of 1912 when the officially
closed and almost forgotten LeClcr was ound-livng with
Indians the banks Of the Meta deep
ing jungles of Venezuela The finding of the missing
musician almost strange his disappearance,
Leon Ardouin French explorer recently returned to
Caracas bringing with him the story the discovery
LeCer Ardoun heading Venezuelan government expedi
ton had travelled hundreds OF miles up the mysterious
River Meta TO visit the great plateau described Conan
Doyles Lost World 49, the strange one-time haunt Of
dinosaurs and powerful, ancient civilization.
Ardoun and his hardy band of explorers padding
up the widest the rivcr-in a section never
known 10 have been visited by white before when
suddenly they heard the distant but clear of violin
The natives fearstricken refused to paddle further
The French explorer cajoled and threatened but to
avail Despite the natives refusal however the swift
current carried the party downstream bringing the music
closer Soon the melody of the mysterious voins became
distinct. Ardouin shading his eyes from hot
tropic sun, pcered down river And the explorer
recognized favorite French melody that he had heard
many times in his native Paris. He baffled Here
known to And it told him that short of
genius was drawing the violin bow.
Suddenly the rounded a bend in the and
the explorer gasped standing
edge tall uniformed white playing a violin
The hair of this strange jungle musician long and
matted and fell down about his shoulders bushy beard
covered his chest He clothes He swayed gently.
eyes closed he played and Ardouin and his men were
Bleaching their at the foot Of the knoll before he
heard them Then with startled yell this ng-hared
naked darted down the hill, and into the Jungle
Ardouin and his plunged after him, and the faster
natives tackled and pinned him to the ground until their
explorer-eader caught up AS Ardouin stood the
painting musician gasped for despite the long hair and
beard he recognized the ngmissing concert master.
Marcel LeCler!" Ardouin almost shouted
The the ground looked up and with wry
smile repeated "Ou Marcel LeCler ="
Beyond acknowledging his identity, LeC1er refused to
discuss his strange disappearance He was eager to talk
with Ardonnthe first white mamie had seen IN years
only his jungle life Whenever Ardouin referred
to his old life LeCler changed the subject
The French explorer stayed with LeCler for several
weeks and learned that the once musician.
partnership Indians eking out living by
crocodile hunting extremely dangerous occupation Once
year LeCler his two partners would paddle to the
nearest Indian settlement 200 miles away trade their
skins back again to the jungle.
LeCler intensely proud of his jungle prowess
ocordng q, rdoin there seemed to be nothing mentally
wrong great musician. He simply did not want
to why he had fled Paris and Ardouin did not press
him After the explorer later explained to author
tiles at Caracas LeCler free and able to do
he The concert master also refused all of Ardouns
enreaes with him to the capital of Venezuela
to once again up the baton Perhaps he is tired of
civilization and wants to get away from 1t all Or 1t was
love No one knows except LeCler and he won't tell
musician. according to Ardoun, heard OF the war
on his trip settlement in 1910 He made no trip
in 1s4 Indians had forgotten to ask about the
world situation he didn't of the tragic fall of France
His first question whether the French army had yet
broken through the Segfied Line and taken Berlin
Ardoun couldn't tell LeCler about Frances fate
Instead he the French army was still holding
the Nazis at the Maginot Line.
by the time LeCler learns the truth" Ardouin eX-
planned &c" hope France will once again be free In the
meantime Frenchman will have been spared
the misery of knowing has befaen his sacred land.