Year: 1874


language.


1 have some slight knowledge of the
tongue of modern opera, and 1 read on
the title page that the work was one on
the various modes of the destruction of
animal life, and that it was by Cas-
turin. ..


And Casturini was the name of the
Professor spoken of in the newspaper
paragraph.


I felt that I was working on the right
track.


1 laid down the volume and gradually
turned the conversation to the subject
of pneumatics, in the course of which I
asked If my companion had Casturini's
air-pump. He told me no, but that he
had his air-syringe. --' '.


] asked to look at it.


For the first time the son turned on
me hurried glance of alarm. r.


But managed to appear as if [ sus-
pected nothing-as if nothing more
dangerous than love of science actuated
me in my Investigations.


And my companion was satisfied, for
he at once produced the air-syringe.


1t was a 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 I had ever seen. It was
mounted on stand of polished walnut,
like an electric machine, and, indeed,
Iooked like one-that is, a cylindrical
one. It was furnished with a crank,
by which it was worked, and had two
large, funnel-shaped mouthpieces.
These latter were not stationary, but
could be moved-brought nearer to-
gether or more widely separated, as
circumstances required. 20


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


I touched it with a feeling akin to
horror, and asked:


"Has this no other use than to de-
prive animals of life ?" '-


" None," was the smiling response.


" Can you operate it ?"


"Better than any ever met"


I was standing facing this man as he
made this boast. ~ .a.


I laid my hand on his shoulder.


He. started and seemed not to know
what to make of my conduct. 10 Z


Your crime is discovered, sir !"
said I, sternly. "You are patricide,
and J. arrest you for the murder of the
man who lies in the other chamber p


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


He sat down in the chair without
word.


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


Ispoke to him again and again sew
eral times, but could get no answer.


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


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


"This man has lost his reason 7"
were his fearful words. "What has
caused it ?"


[ told him, and showed him Castu-
rini'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 I was the first to call
to 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 endeayored to tear it up. -


1 took it and read, written in lead
pencil, the following: ,.......e,


"The shrewdness of the detective has
been too much for me. 1t was night
when [ did it, and I fancied the means
put it beyond reach Of discovery. I was
mistaken, and 1 pay the penalty of that
mistake freely now. That doctor is O
shrewd practitioner. A man does not
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. I had my reasons for the deed,
fully as potent as those I have for
this" s'' .zfg.e' S'.t.f~s


Here followed the signature of the
suicide, traced in full, bold hand.
= | turned to the physician and the Off
Ger who were with me, and had read the
letter over my shoulder.


l must confess that think my face
showed riumph-triumph at having
succeeded in tracking and taking q
criminal so adroit and calculating-an
possibly 1 had some good ground for
being elated.


I did not ask the family of the MUIR
dered man for reward, but I carried
away the air syringe, and have 1t to
this day. I have made repeated expert
ments with it since it came in my pos
session, and each succeeding one but
convinces me the more of it's deadly
and dangerous character.


There is another thing I must say
before close, and that is this I have
solved the mystery of that limp piece
of handkerchief found on the day 1
undertook the investigation of the
affair I have just been speaking of : it
was employed by hemurderert to repress
and keep back the slight foam that al