The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917, May 28, 1908, Image 8
BEING THE CHRONICLES OF A FAMOUS PREFECT OF POLICE DURING THE REGIME OF THE SECOND EMPIRE, IN THE. REIGN OF NAPOLEON III, NOW PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE DUKE OF LAMB AY’S DIAMONDS. fRon Hi<s Foam- Covered Li pa Issued ^ a LJau/acal Yell.. MURDERER most magnificent!" was the phrase coined by Monsieur Claude when referring to his grace the duke of Lambay in the years following that worthy gentleman's departure from up his residence Be it understood in thus speaking himself abhorrent o' the singular character of the noble man in question. On the contrary the rated chief of police spoke in accents tiiai almost approached admiration. As a scientist in criminology he re timed to discuss dark deeds wrought by unprincipled people from a moral standpoint, his criticisms being coldly dispassionate. Therefore bis descrip tion of the duke must be taken strict ly as a tribute to that gentleman's infernal ingenuity. Had lie been aske I to state his opinion of the duke on other grounds ii i» possible that he would merely have smiled his inscrutable, official smile and declined to be interviewed further. But there were many other people living under the flag of the second empire who would have been ; -re'Ctly willing to burst into fervid < i quence on the subject. For the < : ntric ways of his grace formed e . rtiitful topic of conversation among Paris to take in Switzerland, tl : ,M. Claude did not express iu: classes ot Parisian society. It must be confessed that the re marks of the majority of his critics were the reverse of complimentary, act! with good reason. This man, in whose veins ran the royal blood of England, had by his monstrous ac tions and dark mysterious mode of living, completely severed all bonds of sympathy between him and the hu man race. The members of his own great family did not look upon him v ith less scorn than did those whom chance brought into contact with his •‘epnlsive personality. That the duke was perfectly aware ■if the emotions which he excited in the breasts of his fellow creatures is not a fact to cause surprise, for few people cared to disguise their feelings in regard to him. Impervious to in sult and seeming to court rather than arcld criticism, he took an insane de light in gloating over the sinister reputation he had established, and se cure in the prestige and power con ferred by his wealth permitted no chance of adding fresh infamy to his name to escape him. The house in which he dwelt was no mean index of the perverse nature of its proprietor. It stood, in the early sixties, in a secluded corner of the old Beaujon quarter, painted from eaves to foundation in bright broad rhripes of varied hues. The building of odd design and pe culiar shape, nestled in an angle of neglected gardens surrounded by high walls. An air of ghastly gloom en veloped the whole estate, an air that was in perfect keeping with the mys terious inhabitant, who came and went secretly by a small door in the wes tern wing, the main entrance, guarded by large, rusty iron gates, always remaining closed and offering an in surmountable obstacle to the curious neighbors. The treasure contained in this man sion consisted of 10,000,000 francs' worth of diamonds, and indeed the Louse might have been described as a species of gigantic strong box where in a cunning fiend kept watch and ward over the precious contents. For the duke was a miser of the most pronounced kind, a miser who in point of avariciousness has seldom, if ever, been equaled. It was for this reason that his pursuit of pleasure frequently led him to the lowest slums of Paris where his name had grown to be a by-word among the denizens of the underworld. "As mean as the I duke of Lambay" was a phrase which was often uttered by the lips of the gamins of Paris. If the grotesque appearance of his mansion was such as to awaken sus picions of the owner's insanity, one might infer upon second thoughts that there was method in his madness and that he hoped to inspire fear thereby in the minds of his enemies. And- the number of those ene mies was legion, ranging from the lowest to the highest mem bers of society. Not only did his chosen associates of the gutter hate him. but his family ever treas ured resentfully the memory of the fraud by which, when cast out of his duchy, the discrowned prince succeed ed in annexing the diamond millions which rightfully belonged to the crown. But the duke was far too cunning to rely entirely upon the outside ap pearance of his forbidding lair and the man traps that lurked here and there in the grounds, for protection. Ere a hostile step could approach his apartments a thousand bells would startle the air with their brazen clangor. Every door was equipped with a hell and all of these doors converged towards the bedroom and private study of the duke. In the rear of these two rooms reposed the strong box which contained the dia monds. And here a row of loaded pis tols communicated by unseen wires with electric hells. Should a careless hand unwitting ly, press one of the buttons which op erated the alarms a sheet of flame and volley of bullets would scorch and shatter the luckless intruder. The ghoul-like appearance of the possessor of this great treasure was such as to shock the sensibilities of the most hardened citizen. His age was an unsolved problem guarded by a mask of paint that lent a frightful fixity to a set of cadaverous features encircled by false whiskers and sur mounted by a wig of nondescript color. In his movements he resem bled an immense puppet, walking with tense, jerky steps as though every stride were controlled by invisible strings worked by a concealed opera tor. A curious rattle, caused by the striking against his corset steels of a chain mail shirt which he wore constantly as a protection against the possible stab of an assassin, awoke in the mind of the observer the no tion of a living skeleton. Living as he did the person of this erratic nobleman was an object of no small solicitude to the police of Paris who were constantly called upon to extricate him from the intrigues and plots of the ruffianly partakers of his pleasures. It might be imagined that he must inevitably have fallen a vic tim to some of the many schemes hatched by those desirous of acquiring hfs wealth, but. though the perils to which he was exposed were numerous and deadly it pleased an inscrutable providence to enable him to avoid the pitfalls which surrounded him. Nor were there wanting instances where this degraded scion of a noble house was compelled to appear before the authorities in the role of a defend ant. in most of these cases the duke was selected as an object for black mail, but on one occasion at least there was scant doubt of his guilt. Among his servants there was a 1 pretty young English lass named Ellen Crosby who had not been long in his service before attracting the admira tion of the duke, who made advances to her which were indignantly spurned by the girl, the latter evidently being a different type from the class of fe males that usually belonged to his grace's household. Exactly what transpired within the walls of the gloomy mansion after Ellen repulsed her master was never brought to light, but the fact remains that on the morning of November 20, 1863, her lifeless body was discovered ly ing in the garden below the west wing of the house, it was evident that death had been the result of a fall from an open second story window under which the body was found. Thus Jar the police investigation went, and not much further, for none of the domestics who were examined admitted having heard any unusual noise during the night which might have helped to explain the tragedy. The duke testified that, feeling indis posed. he had retired at an early hour after swallowing a sedative prescribed by his physician for insomnia. He had slumbered heavily, according to his statement, and knew nothing of the girl's death until notified by his confidential valet. Tiie latter, an Eng lishman. 26 years of age, was closely questioned by the detectives, it having come to their knowledge that a strong affection was supposed to have ex isted between him and the deceased. He proved a complete alibi showing that he had passed the night away from the house with a friend, having obtained leave for that purpose, and not returning until just after the body was found. His demeanor, as was perhaps natural when his fondness for the girl was taken into consideration, was that of a man half frantic with grief, but he bore up well under the cross examination and replied to every question asked him with a promptness and lucidity that left no doubt as to his innocence. 1 he duke turthermore averred that the sir! had acted strangely for sever al days and that he believed her to have committed suicide. This asser tion was corroborated by several of i tbe servants, although their testimony i did not greatly impress the officers, who were weil aware that none of the duke’s domestics was likely to con tradict any statement made by their employer. Shaw alone ventured to de ! ny the allegation, but his word w as not | of sufficient weight to establish the girl's sanity, and in the end Ellen Crosby was officially declared to have j destroyed herself while in an un I sound state of mind. It may be plainly stated, however, ' that neither M. Claude nor his assist ; ants believed that the unfortunate j victim had gone to her death as de ! scribed by the verdict. Popular opin j ion held the duke responsible for her I demise and in their hearts the inmates j of the prefecture agreed with this I view. But to attempt to convict the duke was useless. The waters of the fountain of justice were tainted by many a foul current during the sway of the second empire, and peremptory orders from a higher source brought the investigation to an abrupt close. The duke's wealth enabled him to set in motion powerful influences which rendered him immune to the penal ties which would have menaced an ordinary person in such a situation. Meanwhile, to the surprise of many, Henry Shaw continued in the duke’s service. He had succeeded in gaining the confidence of his master and all of the iatter's secrets, even including that of the fraud by which he had obtained the greater part of his wealth, were in his possession. Beyond expressing his belief in El len Crosby's sanity, Shaw made no ef fort towards exposing the true facts of the girl's sad fate, and wrapped himself in a mantle of impenetrable reserve that effectually withstood the inquiries of all his associates. But still waters run deep, and this man who apparently took no further interest in the tragedy was in reality planning a bitter revenge upon the individual whom he regarded as the author of his sweetheart's death. He knew that the hardest blow he could strike the miser would be to deprive him of his treasures that were dearer to him than his life blood. The first step he took in the furtherance of his scheme was to write a letter to the duke of Molinford in London, pledging himself in return for a sum of 100,000 francs to restore to the family of the duke of Lambay the diamonds of which their unscrupulous kinsman had defrauded them. Shaw had made a careful study of the strong box and the arsenal de fending it and watched patiently for an opportunity when he could open it without risking annihilation by so doing. The coffer containing the diamonds was built in the wall of the bedroom adjoining the duke's study. As before stated its steel door was equipped with a pistol battery, aud outside of the inner defense was a wooden door covered with drapery. Once the steel door was made fast by the owner it was impossible for any one not possessing a knowledge of the secret springs to open it. On December 7. 18675, the duke re moved a few stones front the coffer for the purpose of having them reset by a jeweler. With almost incredible carelessness in a man of his sus picious temperament, he forgot for the first time to lock tne inner stee; door. Shaw, who was present when his master opened the coffer, was quick to note the duke's negligence. He waited until his master had gone out. and then taking a file he carried in preparation for just such a con tingency. forced the lock of the outer door and opened the inner one. As the bolt of the inner lock had not been shot into its socket the pistol battery was rendered harmless and the muz zles of the loaded weapons gaped im | potently in the valet's face. A great treasure lay before his gloating eyes. There were diamonds of fabulous value, jeweled decora tions and gold iu abundance. Care fully Shaw selected the mosl valuable stones, stowed them away in a leather bag which he had provided for this auspicious moment, and having filled his pockets with gold, left the house. He went stranght to the railway sta tion and caught the first express train for Boulogne. The duke returning home that even ing missed the familiar figure of his trusted attendant. As the hours wore on and Shaw did not appear a ter rible suspicion flashed across the mi ser's mind. He rushed to his pre cious strong box. tore aside the silken draperies and beheld the forced lock. Flinging open the doors a glance told him that the most cherished gems of his collection had disappeared. There were missing diamonds and money to the extent of 4,000.000 francs. For a tew minutes the panic-stricken duke raged furiously, shrieking in his high falsetto voice at the servants whom his cries had summoned to the spot. It is questionable whether the approach of death could have caused more anguish in his avaricious heart. The contemplation of his treasures had been the great, supreme delight of a nature so warped and corrupted that naught else in life could stir to rapture the thin blood in his withered veins. At last he cooled down, and with the abatement of his frenzy came the hunger for revenge. Messengers were at once dispatched to the prefecture and in a short time two detectives made their appearance. Having replied to their interroga tions the duke inquired if their chief. M. Claude, was in his office. On re ceiving a reply in the affirmative he ordered his carriage and drove post haste to the head of the police de partment. M. Claude was at this time a man about 45 years of age. He was of middle height, sinewy of frame and possessed of a pair of keen steel blue eyes before whose penetrating gaze many a habitue of the under world had shrunk and stammered forth damning confession of crime. Living in the corrupt period his un compromising honesty of purpose shone all the clearer by contrast with the intriguing element which sur rounded him and rendered him as re markable for his integrity as he was famous for surpassing skill in his profession. He was seated at his desk, bending over a pile of corre spondence, when his ducal visitor en tered. “I salute your grace," he said, suavely. "Pray be seated.” The nobleman allowed his thin, emaciated figure to sink limply into a chair, and drawing a flask of perfume from his pocket removed the stopper and inhaled the contents before speak ing. M. Claude watched him coldly and when the duke raised his head said gravely: “I regret to hear of the loss your grace has sustained. I presume it is in connection with the robbery of your diamonds that I am honored by this visit?" ‘‘Yes, yes," said the duke, distract edly. “But above all I wish to have this affair conducted so that the de tails of the case will not be made pub lic.” “We will endeavor to respect your wishes in the matter, your grace," responded the chief. “Listen, M. Claude,” said the duke, in subdued tones. “I know that I can trust you. Now the truth is that 1 cannot afford to appear in court to prosecute this thief should you arrest him. It is imperative that the former history of the jewels which he has stolen should not become a topic of public interest.” “If 1 am not mistaken,” -returned M. Claude, languidly, “the diamonds in question at one time provoked a serious discussion between your grace and the duke of Molinford." The duke started. "How (Jo you know this?" he queried, uneasily. , M. Claude's even, white teeth flashed in a brilliant smile. "We learn many curious things in the course of our profession," he said, quietly. "As you are acquainted with the circumstances then, you will under stand that it would be by no means agreeable to have them exposed in court for the benefit of the masses," said the duke, anxiously. "Exactly,” responded M. Claude. "And the question of how the stones came into your possession does not in the least affect the fact of the robbery by your valet, nor would 1 have mentioned ihe circumstance had not your grace referred to it in the first place." The duke gave vent to a sigh of re lief. "You are a model of discretion, my dear M. Claude,” he said. "For the present I will hid you adieu." As events proved, it would have been vastly better for Henry Shaw, having executed his master stroke of plunder and revenge, had he trusted to the assistance of some professional tniet in aisposing 01 ms oooiy. for his endeavor to gain the aid and grati tude of the duke of Molinford recoiled upon him in a startling fashion. The latter, a prince of the British blood royal, waxed indignant over the pre sumption that he would consent to act as a rogue's confederate, and turned the ex-valet's letter over to the Lon don police. They, in turn, forwarded it to the prefecture at Paris, thereby furnishing M. Claude with information which made certain the capture o? the man who had so far eluded the vigilance of his most cunning sleuths. In a postcript to the letter, Shaw, to whom it did not seem to have oc curred that the duke of Molinford would refuse to benefit by his ser vices, stated that he would wait at Boulogne until a messenger arrived from England with authority to re ceive the diamonds and pay him the reward demanded. Immediately upon receiving the clue from the London police M. Claude started for Boulogne, and the following day saw him seated in the Hotel d'Angleterre in company with Henry Shaw whose own heed lessness had thus delivered him iuto iht hands of the law. The ex-valet's face was downcast and sullen, and M. Claude surveyed him with a certain amount of benig nant pity. "I do not mind telling you that per sonally 1 regret in a certain sense be ing obliged to put you under arrest." said the chief. "Officially, of course, 1 regard you as a successful criminal. But your story with reference to the unfortunate Ellen Crosby leads me'to declare that your former master richly deserves any retribution that may overtake him.” "I might have thrust a knife in his heart," said Shaw, looking up. "But i who know him so well, knew that the keenest agony 1 could inflict upon him would be to deprive him of the idols lie worships, the bright gems for which he sold his worthless soul to Satan.” "That," said M. Claude, gravely, "is probably true. But in a game where Tate deals the card.-, the boldest and most skillful gambler knows not what the end may be. And this time the duke has won the trick." Much to the surprise of certain peo ple who knew of the capture of Shaw, the duke of Lainbav upon receiving his valuables back positively refused to prosecute the prisoner. M. Claude was one of the few who smiled wisely, for he was aware that it was the dread of scandal that brought about this determination on his grace’s part, i Nay, even more, the duke actually brought such powerful influence to bear in high places that the charge against the prisoner was dropped. Prior to the release of Shaw from the prison where no was confined pending prosecution, the owner of the dia monds paid another visit to M. Claude. “I wish to ascertain," he said to the chief, “when and to what time the wretch who robbed me is to be re stored to freedom?” "Your grace's motive is no doubt a philanthropic one?” queried M. Claude, with the ghost of a smile hovering on his lips. ( "My motive is that I may take ad ditional precautions against becoming a victim of his audacity a second time," rejoined the duke, testily. "1 think you overestimate your dan ger," returned M. Claude, tranquilly. "Nevertheless your grace is welcome to the information. M. Shaw leaves the prison at eight o'clock to-morrow morning.” From the hour that the released prisoner stepped across the thresh old of the gaol into the streets of Paris those who knew him saw him no more, and it was generally supposed that he had returned to his native land. Two weeks later the newspa pers contained an item to the effect that the eccentric duke of Lambay was leaving Paris and would reside for the future in Switzerland. On the following day the chief of police received a communication from the nobleman in question which read as follows: "Monsieur Claude: Enclosed you will find a key which will admit you. by the small door in the west wing to my late habitation. In the upper rooms there is naught but dust and emptiness to greet the, eye.; But in a cellar below I have left a souvenir which may interest you. "In common with many other mis taken persons 1 fear that you'have hitherto supposed me dead to all feel ing *aVe that of gain. Desolated by the. thought of leaving a false im pression on the mind of such an' ad mirable' man I have endeavored to prove to you that a prince of my blood is Competent ;to execute- reveirge upon one. who • incuts' Rjs displeasure through a far more satisfactory me dium than that of your police courts. Hasten therefore, my dear friend, and behold the proof of my assertion. "Lambay." ' Shortly after recehriift- the above missive, M. Claude, accompanied by three detectives.' .approached the de serted house in the Beaujon quarter and entered by the side door. The in terior of 'the .building, denuded of its rich furnishings, -gaped black and empty before the,rti. Mr. Claude sig naled to one 6f his 'assistant £'to light the lantern he carried, j , » "We must seek the 'duke's* souve nir underground."' he said.' and direct ed bis steps to a stairway in the rear which wound its way down to the cel lars, of the' mansion. Midway on the steps he paused and held hip his hand “Listen!", he said, with a warning gesture. A muffled moan, at times .low and hoarse and again rising into a strident shriek, broke upon their ears. There succeeded a harsh, horrible snarling as of a brute in pain or anger. M. Claude shook his head in re sponse to the questioning gaze of his men. “Some new deviltry of his grace," he said, drily. “Let us proceed, but be wary." He produced a pistol and having examined the charge careful!} crept cautiously downward with- the detec tives at his heel-s. Reaching the foot of the stairs they found themselves in a vault which apparently extended •under the entire building. It was traversed by a corridor and on either side yawned the open doors, of small rooms apparently intended to accom modate provision and wine supplies for the house. The noise, which for a few moments had died away into silenee. now broke forth with redoubled vigor from the far end of the corridor, and the clashing of.iron against' stone mingled with the hoarse, guttural'growls and ear splitting cries which had appalled the listeners before. , The detectives paused and glanced askance at each other, but M. Claude's stern voice rang oitt crisply. ' Forward 1“ he commanded. “Holde the lantern high,' Franz, so that its rays may shine before' us." ' Peering into the gloom they ad vanced cautiously-and came to a halt before the closed-door of a room at the end of the passage. M.-Claude ■ turned the handle and the door swung open, easily. A snarl . like Nthat of a wild benst caused them to spring back swiftly, but the.next instant they rushed into. the. ropm uttering a simultaneous "cry of horror at • the sight that met their startled gaze. Chained to. an iron stapje in the wall there crouched in- a corner the .naked figure ^of a man whose wide staring eyebsrthf glared, hideously in the yellow light of the. lantern. His face, crusted with blood v clots and horribly facetted, writhed»ecravhlstve-' ly as they looked upon it. Then from 'his foartscovered lips issued a mani acal yell, "Which changed-at .its high est note into a series of. barks and growls; 'deep ;jhd menacing- as the hay. of. a blood-hound. Des'pite the awful change in the vis age pt the-.unfortunate, M. Claude reel ognized him at.once,', “It is Henry Shaw," he ejaculated, “but who or what is that lying beside. min . ,^-. m ' In the'shadow of the corner, could be difegprned the 'vague outlines of a dark sltape ffyfntf' ‘(jrbfetrfctie* 'and the man with thb lantern "brought ,th9 light to-bear upon it. " ' 1 : "A dog—and dead.: M. Claude,"' he exclaimed. "See how its swollen tongue protrudes from its mouth!" ‘ M. Claude beat forward and picked up an object that his foot had' trod upon and held it to the light. It was a piece of meat thickly encrusted' with salt. The chief .drew a deep breath as the truth flashed upon him. "The explanation is here," he said. “This is the duke's revenge and one well worthy of.him. He caused this wretched creature to be kidna'ped on his release from prison,; chained him here with a savage mastiff, fed the brute on salt meat* and allowed it no water until it went mad and at tacked its companion prisoner.” • "But the beast is dead." said Franz, staring at the inert, bulk of the huge animal. "Strangled," responded M. Claude. "They fought to the death and the man conquered, but at a frightful cost. His hands are. bitten into mere shreds of flesh. And he too is a vic tim of hydrophobia.”. As he finished speaking the maniac uttered another terrific yeil and sprang to an erect posture -with his chain clanking furiously. He stood for an instant with mutilated hands out stretched and then lurching forward ’ fell heavily on the sfope flobr. His limbs twitched Convulsively, stiffened and •lay‘!stHlV M.gOlaude (bent over hint and’ saw that a film of, ghastly, white" hAi "Settled over the staring eyes. * ■ '!", „• * ?It. is .finished, 'be said softly, to his meD..;"Ther.y«jgeatieerof the-.d’uke has run.its.oqjirse.” . •'(Cowrfgh.^- ’by 1V.‘- G. Cliapman.) - ., • < .<».•»*• •• | ?'/.* ■ HOUSE WHERE MARK TWAIN S HERO LIVED TORN DOWN. Hannibal, Mo., Where Place Stood, Unconscious of Its Greatness— Anecdote of House and of the Two Mark Twains. Hannibal. - Mo.—Huckleberry Finn'--* ancient habitation in North Hannibal, near the riverfront, has passed from the earth. Since Hannibal has admit ted that. MarK •, w.«s- reall; a giyat titaji.^it has :taketj_iyjfarti< ul . • pride-.t in "i-he "hoary-h’fldfrt&r.'idomicil* rhVd’the" revenue der-lvtAf1 front post chrds showing the-• stituetiisfe would have built a' much, better house R H. Coons.' the owner of ti)e jtroperty recently had the “Huck”/Fitrn home torn down’to erect a row of modern flats; which will have, .it is hoped a livening effect on the . somewhat dreamy district of North Hjunibal A chararteristiovstory'is ttrid in con nection with the house. Otje'’summer day a gentleman from the past came to. Hannibal "to secure dado for a Mark" Twain-story. He could find Ho] lidav hill easily enough without a guide, because it towered up ’i> h* sky’on- the north end. and prevented the" town's' further extension unle>^ the good citizens take a notion to tun nel. ‘ • An ice man was asked for the direc tion to Huck Finn's cottage. "Never heard of .him," said the na tive. ,"He. sure don't live in these ? - -... - Th'e'stranger went west a block- anj accosted a boy with a fishing rod on his shoulder. "He don’t run with our crowd.” he said, ".Maybe.-he lives down by the bridge.1’- , *• - ’ , "I'm not looking for Huck F^nn him self,” said the visitor. "He's dead, btit "Then you might try the grave yard." replied the boy. "It's up yon der—the stones is marked, I reckon." Presently a citizen came along who could furnish the information. Huck' home was only two blocks from where the ice man said "he didn't live in those parts." In the basement door stood a black “aunty," with her hands resting on-her -hips. She wore .a ;tri colored handkerchief on her head. “1 knows." she said; "you's one o' dent relicky hunters." "I'm engaged in. gathering some ma terial in reference to Mark Twain," House Where Huckleberry Finn Once Lived. said the easterner, pleasantly, “and as this is—" “Well, you' needn't so no furder." said the big aunty hospitably. "He's right heah. " "Who's her??" "Mark Twain." "In this house?” "To-be sho!.v “What's he doing here?" asked the surprised visitor. "Ah-doun' know, but yo' kin cum in an' see..'.' • She led the way to another under ground apartment, and, with pride, pointed to something qn a pallet. The' stranger's eyes, gradually becoming accustomed to the semi-light, distin guished an infant pickantriny busily endeavoring to swallow its glossy arm. As the two came and stood by the bed it suspended pperations and thought fully regarded them out of two big white eyes. "Quite a baby." said the guest. "How'd you come to call it Marl: Twain?” ... "Da tole me lf Ah did that,' Mist-ill Sant Clemons, wot used to Mb' heali. would sen' 'im sumthin' nice," i* * "Did he?" • » ■ "Ah reckon Mistah Clemens. thot;hit was nice," she said, doubtfully: '/he sent im a raazer an' a lookin' glass. "Mr.-Clemens was grateful?" "Mebbe so. And he writted to hiy ole man sayin' if the raazer did .what he expected he'd Ire pleased to sen' a tombstone fer th' baby.” Will Breed Alliflatprs. One thousand alligators-, ranging. • from the length of a lead perns! to monsters that could crush a man in their jaws have arrived from the southwestern part of Louisiana and were landed loose in a new gator farm in East Los Angeles. They were ■brought in a specially arranged freight car over the Southern Pacific.—Los .Angeles Times. , . Cheap Gas Production. Prof. Blau <of Germany has discov ered a new process of developing il luminating gas that may be bought by the bottle at the rate of 15 cents a pound. A 22-pound cylinder at 15 cents a pound would give a 50-candle power light for four months used four hours a day. That is to say, the cost would be 1 1-7 cents an hour, or, say, $1.25 a month, or even less.—Brooklyn Eagle. Future for Egypt. An Egyptian paper says that the na tive families pay an average tax of $4.85 an acre, 91; 28.5 per cent, of the crop. Foreigners and land companies hold 655.000 acres. Through their in solvency and liquidation, and the re distribution of the estates formed since 1902,. it is probable that large amounts of gold may be unhoarded. Much the Best. “What is the best thing for a poet to have?" asked tht? bardlet, "a deep knowledge of human nature, a temper ament that enters into the emotions of others or a natural gift for saving things beautifully?" "All yoUr. sues* s missed, replied the .veteran rhymer. The best , thing for a poet, to have is a job.” .. 7 . ; , " All' Keystones. t Every stone in an arch is at key stone, though the name is usually ap plied to the center one? - * ’ *