I
Mr. Mitchel was still at breakfast one morning, when the card of Mr.
Barnes was brought to him by his man Williams.
"Show Mr. Barnes in here," said he. "I imagine that he must be in a
hurry to see me, else he would not call so early."
A few minutes later the detective entered, saying:
"It is very kind of you to let me come in without waiting. I hope that I
am not intruding."
"Not at all. As to being kind, why I am kind to myself. I knew you must
have something interesting on hand to bring you around so early, and I
am proportionately curious; at the same time I hate to go without my
coffee, and I do not like to drink it too fast, especially good coffee,
and this is good, I assure you. Draw up and have a cup, for I observe
that you came off in such a hurry this morning that you did not get
any."
"Why, thank you, I will take some, but how do you know that I came off
in a hurry and had no coffee at home? It seems to me that if you can
tell that, you are becoming as clever as the famous Sherlock Holmes."
"Oh, no, indeed! You and I can hardly expect to be as shrewd as the
detectives of romance. As to my guessing that you have had no coffee,
that is not very troublesome. I notice three drops of milk on your coat,
and one on your shoe, from which I deduce, first, that you have had no
coffee, for a man who has his coffee in the morning is not apt to drink
a glass of milk besides. Second, you must have left home in a hurry, or
you would have had that coffee. Third, you took your glass of milk at
the ferry-house of the Staten Island boat, probably finding that you had
a minute to spare; this is evident because the milk spots on the tails
of your frock-coat and on your shoe show that you were standing when you
drank, and leaned over to avoid dripping the fluid on your clothes. Had
you been seated, the coat tails would have been spread apart, and
drippings would have fallen on your trousers. The fact that in spite of
your precautions the accident did occur, and yet escaped your notice, is
further proof, not only of your hurry, but also that your mind was
abstracted,--absorbed no doubt with the difficult problem about which
you have come to talk with me. How is my guess?"
"Correct in every detail. Sherlock Holmes could have done no better. But
we will drop him and get down to my case, which, I assure you, is more
astounding than any, either in fact or fiction, that has come to my
knowledge."
"Go ahead! Your opening argument promises a good play. Proceed without
further waste of words."
"First, then, let me ask you, have you read the morning's papers?"
"Just glanced through the death reports, but had gotten no further when
you came in."
"There is one death report, then, that has escaped your attention,
probably because the notice of it occupies three columns. It is another
metropolitan mystery. Shall I read it to you? I glanced through it in
bed this morning and found it so absorbing that, as you guessed, I
hurried over here to discuss it with you, not stopping to get my
breakfast."
"In that case you might better attack an egg or two, and let me read the
article myself."
Mr. Mitchel took the paper from Mr. Barnes, who pointed out to him the
article in question, which, under appropriate sensational headlines,
read as follows:
* * * * *
"The account of a most astounding mystery is reported to-day for the
first time, though the body of the deceased, now thought to have been
murdered, was taken from the East River several days ago. The facts are
as follows. On Tuesday last, at about six o'clock in the morning,
several boys were enjoying an early swim in the river near Eighty-fifth
Street, when one who had made a deep dive, on reaching the surface
scrambled out of the water, evidently terrified. His companions crowded
about him asking what he had seen, and to them he declared that there
was a 'drownded man down there.' This caused the boys to lose all
further desire to go into the water, and while they hastily scrambled
into their clothes they discussed the situation, finally deciding that
the proper course would be to notify the police, one boy, however, wiser
than the others, declaring that he 'washed his hands of the affair' if
they should do so, because he was not 'going to be held as no witness.'
In true American fashion, nevertheless, the majority ruled, and in a
body the boys marched to the station-house and reported their discovery.
Detectives were sent to investigate, and after dragging the locality for
half an hour the body of a man was drawn out of the water. The corpse
was taken to the Morgue, and the customary red tape was slowly unwound.
At first the police thought that it was a case of accidental drowning,
no marks of violence having been found on the body, which had evidently
been in the water but a few hours. Thus no special report of the case
was made in the press. Circumstances have developed at the autopsy,
however, which make it probable that New Yorkers are to be treated to
another of the wonderful mysteries which occur all too frequently in the
metropolis. The first point of significance is the fact, on which all
the surgeons agree, that the man was dead when placed in the water.
Secondly, the doctors claim that he died of disease, and not from any
cause which would point to a crime. This conclusion seems highly
improbable, for who would throw into the water the body of one who had
died naturally, and with what object could such a singular course have
been pursued? Indeed this claim of the doctors is so preposterous that a
second examination of the body has been ordered, and will occur to-day,
when several of our most prominent surgeons will be present. The third,
and by far the most extraordinary circumstance, is the alleged
identification of the corpse. It seems that one of the surgeons
officiating at the first autopsy was attracted by a peculiar mark upon
the face of the corpse. At first it was thought that this was merely a
bruise caused by something striking the body while in the water, but a
closer examination proved it to be a skin disease known as 'lichen.' It
appears that there are several varieties of this disease, some of which
are quite well known. That found on the face of the corpse, however, is
a very rare form, only two other cases having been recorded in this
country. This is a fact of the highest importance in relation to the
events which have followed. Not unnaturally, the doctors became greatly
interested. One of these, Dr. Elliot, the young surgeon who first
examined it closely, having never seen any examples of lichen before,
spoke of it that evening at a meeting of his medical society. Having
looked up the literature relating to the disease in the interval, he was
enabled to give the technical name of this very rare form of the
disease. At this, another physician present arose, and declared that it
seemed to him a most extraordinary coincidence that this case had been
reported, for he himself had recently treated an exactly similar
condition for a patient who had finally died, his death having occurred
within a week. A lengthy and of course very technical discussion ensued,
with the result that Dr. Mortimer, the physician who had treated the
case of the patient who had so recently died, arranged with Dr. Elliot
to go with him on the following day and examine the body at the Morgue.
This he did, and, to the great amazement of his colleague, he then
declared, that the body before him was none other than that of his own
patient, supposed to have been buried. When the authorities learned of
this, they summoned the family of the deceased, two brothers and the
widow. All of these persons viewed the corpse separately, and each
declared most emphatically that it was the body of the man whose funeral
they had followed. Under ordinary circumstances, so complete an
identification of a body would leave no room for doubt, but what is to
be thought when we are informed by the family and friends of the
deceased that the corpse had been cremated? That the mourners had seen
the coffin containing the body placed in the furnace, and had waited
patiently during the incineration? And that later the ashes of the dear
departed had been delivered to them, to be finally deposited in an urn
in the family vault, where it still is with contents undisturbed? It
does not lessen the mystery to know that the body in the Morgue (or the
ashes at the cemetery) represents all that is left of one of our most
esteemed citizens, Mr. Rufus Quadrant, a gentleman who in life enjoyed
that share of wealth which made it possible for him to connect his name
with so many charities; a gentleman whose family in the past and in the
present has ever been and still is above the breath of suspicion.
Evidently there is a mystery that will try the skill of our very best
detectives."
* * * * *
"That last line reads like a challenge to the gentlemen of your
profession," said Mr. Mitchel to Mr. Barnes as he put down the paper.
"I needed no such spur to urge me to undertake to unravel this case,
which certainly has most astonishing features."
"Suppose we enumerate the important data and discover what reliable
deduction may be made therefrom."
"That is what I have done a dozen times, with no very satisfactory
result. First, we learn that a man is found in the river upon whose face
there is a curious distinguishing mark in the form of one of the rarest
of skin diseases. Second, a man has recently died who was similarly
afflicted. The attending physician declares upon examination that the
body taken from the river is the body of his patient. Third, the family
agree that this identification is correct. Fourth, this second dead man
was cremated. Query, how can a man's body be cremated, and then be
found whole in the river subsequently? No such thing has been related in
fact or fiction since the beginning of the world."
"Not so fast, Mr. Barnes. What of the Phoenix?"
"Why, the living young Phoenix arose from the ashes of his dead
ancestor. But here we have seemingly a dead body re-forming from its own
ashes, the ashes meanwhile remaining intact and unaltered. A manifest
impossibility."
"Ah; then we arrive at our first reliable deduction, Mr. Barnes."
"Which is?"
"Which is that, despite the doctors, we have two bodies to deal with.
The ashes in the vault represent one, while the body at the Morgue is
another."
"Of course. So much is apparent, but you say the body at the Morgue is
another, and I ask you, which other?"
"That we must learn. As you appear to be seeking my views in this case I
will give them to you, though of course I have nothing but this
newspaper account, which may be inaccurate. Having concluded beyond all
question that there are two bodies in this case, our first effort must
be to determine which is which. That is to say, we must discover whether
this man, Rufus Quadrant, was really cremated, which certainly ought to
be the case, or whether, by some means, another body has been exchanged
for his, by accident or by design, and if so, whose body that was."
"_If_ it turns out that the body at the Morgue is really that of Mr.
Quadrant, then, of course, as you say, some other man's body was
cremated, and----"
"Why may it not have been a woman's?"
"You are right, and that only makes the point to which I was about to
call your attention more forcible. If an unknown body has been
incinerated, how can we ever identify it?"
"I do not know. But we have not arrived at that bridge yet. The first
step is to reach a final conclusion in regard to the body at the Morgue.
There are several things to be inquired into, there."
"I wish you would enumerate them."
"With pleasure. First, the autopsy is said to have shown that the man
died a natural death, that is, that disease, and not one of his
fellow-beings, killed him. What disease was this, and was it the same as
that which caused the death of Mr. Quadrant? If the coroner's physicians
declared what disease killed the man, and named the same as that which
carried off Mr. Quadrant, remembering that the body before them was
unknown, we would have a strong corroboration of the alleged
identification."
"Very true. That will be easily learned."
"Next, as to this lichen. I should think it important to know more of
that. Is it because the two cases are examples of the same rare variety
of the disease, or was there something so distinct about the location
and area or shape of the diseased surface, that the doctor could not
possibly be mistaken?--for doctors do make mistakes, you know."
"Yes, just as detectives do," said Mr. Barnes, smiling, as he made notes
of Mr. Mitchel's suggestions.
"If you learn that the cause of death was the same, and that the lichen
was not merely similar but identical, I should think that there could be
little reason for longer doubting the identification. But if not fully
satisfied by your inquiries along these lines, then it might be well to
see the family of Mr. Quadrant, and inquire whether they too depend upon
this lichen as the only means of identification, or whether, entirely
aside from that diseased spot, they would be able to swear that the body
at the Morgue is their relative. You would have in connection with this
inquiry an opportunity to ask many discreet questions which might be of
assistance to you."
"All of this is in relation to establishing beyond a doubt the identity
of the body at the Morgue, and of course the work to that end will
practically be simple. In my own mind I have no doubt that the body of
Mr. Quadrant is the one found in the water. Of course, as you suggest,
it will be as well to know this rather than merely to think it. But once
knowing it, what then of the body which is now ashes?"
"We must identify that also."
"Identify ashes!" exclaimed Mr. Barnes. "Not an easy task."
"If all tasks were easy, Mr. Barnes," said Mr. Mitchel, "we should have
little need of talent such as yours. Suppose you follow my advice,
provided you intend to accept it, as far as I have indicated, and then
report to me the results."
"I will do so with pleasure. I do not think it will occupy much time.
Perhaps by luncheon, I----"
"You could get back here and join me. Do so!"
"In the meanwhile shall you do any--any investigating?"
"I shall do considerable thinking. I will cogitate as to the possibility
of a Phoenix arising from those ashes."