Year: 1874

ScTOuS tndI love OI SCleHCc uCtudtcu nlc
in my investigations:


1t was strange instrument. In shape
it was like an ordinary syringe, such as is
daily employed in medicine, only larger
perhaps twice as large as any of that
kind had ever seen. 1t was mounted OH
stand of polished walnut, like an cleo
trio machine, and, indeed, looked like
one-that is, cylinder one. 1t was fur
nished with a crank, by which it was
worked, and two large funnel. shaped
mouthpieces. These latter were not sta
tionary, but could be moved, brought
nearer together or more widely separated,
as circumstances required.


This, then, was the instrument of death,
and it performed its dread work silently
and surely and left no external trace.


touched it with feeling akin to hor-
ror, and asked:


Has this no other use than to deprive
animals of life?"


"None," was the smiling response. y


"Can you operate it"


Better than any / ever met"


/ was standing facing the man as he
made this boast.


laid my hand on his shoulder.


He started and seemed not to know
what to make of my conduct.


"Your crime is discovered, sir!" said l
sternly. You are rarricide, and l
arrest you for the murder of the man
who lies in the other clamber!"


His face turned fairly purple with rage
and fear, and then grew inky black.


He sat down in the chair without a
word.


His courage and, above all things, his
Incompatible audacity, had altogether
abandoned him at this terrible crisis


spoke to him again and several times,
but could get no answer.


Then rang the bell and sent for the
coroner's physician.


He came, looked at the man still sitting
on the chair speechless and black in the
face, and shook his head.


"This man has lost his reason !" were
the fearful words. What has caused
it?"


/ told him, and showed him Casturini's
air syringe.


We took our prisoner into custody and
conveyed him, in close carriage to the
police station.


The ride somewhat restored him, but
he was still altogether overwhelmed and
crushed.


We left him in a cell and went our
various ways.


In the morning was the first to call
and see him.


The officer in charge told me he had
been up the greater part of the night,
and was then sleeping.


l waited half an hour, and then, in
company with the doctor, who had, by
that time, arrived, went to the cell.


The man was there on the bed, lying in
his shirt and pantaloons, with his face
downward, and motionless.


The doctor touched him-he was cold
and stiff. The parricide was dead.


BY his side lay paper, crushed and
rumpled as if in his last agonies he had
endeavored to tear it up.


l took it and read, written in lead
pencil, the following:


"The shrewdness of the detective has
been too much for me. 1t was night
when / did it, and fancied the means
put it beyond the reach of discovery. /
was mistaken, and / pay the penalty of
that mistake freely now. That doctor is
a. SIlIcWu pIuCtiIlOuCI. "A uihl uoco, uOJ
counterfeit madness with him with i'm
punity. Had he been as wise in his way
as the detective was in his, the law would
not have been cheated of its prey. /
had my reasons for the deed, fully as
potent as those have for this"


Here followed the sigma .ure of the sui
eide, traced in full, bold hand.


turned to the physician and the
officer who were with me, and had read
the letter over my shoulder.


must confess that l think my face
showed triumph-triumph at having sue
ceeded in tracking and taking Il criminal
so adroit and calculating-and possibly /
had some good ground for being elated.


did not ask the family of the muir
dered man for reward, but l carried
away the air-syringe, and l have it to
this day. have made repeated exper-
iments with it since it came in my pos
session, and each succeeding one but con-
vinces me the more of its deadly and
dangerous character.


There is another thing / must say be-
fore / close, and that is this: have
solved the mystery of that limp piece of
handkerchief / found on the day under
took the investigation of the affair / have
Just been speaking of; it was employed
by the murderer to repress and keep
back the slight foam that always flies
from the mouth of the subject whenever
submitted to the action of the syringe.


l look back upon this adventure now
as one of the most important events in
my career, and take pride in telling ii
over and over again. 1t shows what
science is connected with the detection
of crime, and it also shows from what
slight link massive chain of fconcfusive
evidence may be forged. ] say look
back to it with pride, and can only
hope that an intelligent public will hear
and approve my recital-the story of the
UNKNOWN DEATH.