Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-21
. ON ANTONIO sILVEsTRA,

of the world, was alternately
moody and gay, There were times
when he talked of nothing but
death and the hereafter, and at
others he praised the joys of
living.
But his friends merely put him
down as eccentric until one day
recently the Jefe de Policia of
Heres, in Spain, received a
strange telephone call.
81 beg that you send some men
to see what has happened at the
Casa de Silvestra, Senior Jefe."
why should -" asked the
police chief abruptly. He was
tired of fake phone calls that
took his men TO odd places and
only too often proved TO be the
work of practical jokers.
But I'm sure that something
is wrong there" replied the uh.
known voice on the phone, lit has
been several days since anyone
has seen Don Antonio. His house
is all shut up, there is no smoke
coming out of the chimneys and
no one goes in or out"
Probably he's gone to Madrid
or San Sebastian for the sea
b a thing and the gambling"
snapped back the police chief.
That is your affair" answered
the voice on the telephone. but
II anything is wrong, / wish you
10 take official notice Of the fact
that on this day 1. Esteban de
Santos, called you and reported
my suspicious"
"Ah Don Esteban, why did you
not tell me who was calling, !
thought it was some prankster,"
apologized the police chief.
That is nothing" said Don
Esteban. 1T is for you TO judge
and 20 investigate. l merely give
you the facts which I have no.
ticed myself"
Immediately two squad cars,
filled with agents Of the Guariia
Civil 1.-THE Spanish national polIccJ
were roaring through the crooked
old streets of Here's toward the
suburban estate Of the famous
Silvestra family, the only heir to-
which was Don Antonio, known
III xcrcs, Madrid and, in happier
days, in Paris as one OF Europe's
noted playboys, witty. rich, cul-
tured and eccentric
When they arrived at the
wrought-iron gates OF the great
estate. the police found the gates
heavily locked and no one an
swered the bell.
1t was a serious matter 20 in
wade the privacy OF the Silvestra
family but the Jefe dc Policia did
not hesitate, for he began 20 feel
looking upon the mansion be-
You'd the high stone wall, that
perhaps there was something
wrong there. He gave a quick
order and a steel tow chain was
looped around the lock Of the
gates, fastened 10 one Of the
squad cars which. driven ahead,
yanked the gates apart and broke
the lock.
The police rushed up the drive
and then discovered that they
had 70 break open window to
enter the house. for everything
was locked up tight
Inside, there was no sign Of
anything wrong until the police
came 10 the vast wine cellar,
which always had been the pride
OF the family.
In the center of the tremen-
dous cellar was a huge cask,
capable of holding at least y 900
gallons of wine The cellar was
the last place TO be searched by
the police and the officers paused
at the sight OF the huge kcg
Suddenly, one OF them pointed 10
a great wooden post. one Of the
supports of the ceiling
Look, Senior Jefc, VIII at is
that ,"
II was a square Of paper nailed
TO the wooden post by an antique
dagger, such as might have been
carried by a grandce Of the days
of Charles V or Philip II.
The police chief advanced, care.
fully removed the paper and, call
ing one OF his men to turn his
flashlght on it, read;
ITO Anyone Interested.
Il do not wish that my servants
or my equally faithful friends
be unjustly suspected in this mat
ter. My death is entirely my own
business. A man has nothing 10
say about when he shall be- born,
but by all that is sensible he
should u We something TO say
about when he is to die. This is
my own act. If you do not UNI
derstand, please look up the his
tory OF England in the 18th cen
tury, at the time my family be-