the darrow enigma-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



At　4。30　this　morning　M。　Godin　was　found　dead　in　his　cell；　No。　26；　at
Charles　Street　Jail。　　The　manner　of　his　death　might　still　be　a
mystery　had　he　not　left　a　written　confession　of　his　crime　and　the
summary　manner　of　his　taking　off。　　This　was　written　yesterday
afternoon　and　evening；　M。　Godin　being　permitted　to　have　a　light　on
the　ground　that　he　had　important　legal　documents　to　prepare　for　use
on　the　morrow。　　We　give　below　the　confession　in　full。

〃I　am　beaten　at　a　game　in　which　I　did　my　own　shuffling。　　I　never
believe　in　trying　to　bluff　a　full　hand。　　Had　I　had　but　ordinary
detectives　with　whom　to　deal；　I　make　bold　to　say　I　should　have　come
off　rich　and　triumphant。　　'I　had　no　means　of　knowing　that　I　was　to
play　with　a　chemist　who　would　use　against　me　the　latest　scientific
implements　of　criminal　warfare。　　It　is；　therefore；　to　the
extraordinary　means　used　for　my　detection　that　I　impute　my　defeat；
rather　than　to　any　bungling　of　my　own。　　This　is　a　grim　consolation；
but　it　is　still　a　consolation；　for　I　have　always　prided　myself　upon
being　an　artist　in　my　line。　　As　I　propose　to　put　myself　beyond　the
reach　of　further　cross…examination；　I　take　this　opportunity　to　make
a　last　statement　of　such　things　as　I　care　to　have　known。　　After　this
is　finished　I　shall　sup　on　acetate　of　lead　and　bid　good…night　to　the
expectant　public。

〃Lest　some　may　marvel　how　I　came　by　this　poison；　and　even　lay
suspicions　upon　my　jailers；　let　me　explain　that　there　is　a　small
piece　of　lead　water…pipe　crossing　the　west　angle　of　my　room。　　This
being　Sunday；　I　was　permitted　to　have　beans　and　brown　bread　for
breakfast。　　I　asked　for　a　little　vinegar　for　my　beans；　and　a　small
cruet　was　brought　to　me。　　I　had　no　difficulty　in　secreting　a
considerable　quantity　of　the　vinegar　in　order　that　I　might；　when
occasion　served；　apply　it　to　the　lead　pipe。　　This　I　have　done；　and
have　now　by　me　enough　acetate　of　lead　to　kill　a　dozen　men。　　This
form　of　death　will　not　be　particularly　pleasant；　I　am　aware；　but　I
prefer　it　to　its　only　alternative。　　So　much　for　that。

〃I　was　horn　in　Marseilles；　and　my　right　name　is　Jean　Fouchet。　　My
father　intended　me　for　the　priesthood；　and　gave　me　a　good　college
education　in　Paris。　　His　hopes；　however；　were　destined　to
disappointment。　　In　college　I　formed　the　habit　of　gambling；　and　a
year　after　my　graduation　found　me　at　Monte　Carlo。　　While　there　I
quarrelled　with　a　gambling　accomplice　and　ended　by　killing　him。
This　made　my　stay　in　France　dangerous　for　me；　and　I　took　the　first
opportunity　which　presented　itself　to　embark　for　America。

〃Familiarity　with　criminals　had　made　me　familiar　with　crime；　and　I
added　the　occupation　of　detective　to　my　profession　of　gambling。
These　two　avocations　had　now　become　my　sole　means　of　support；　and　I
plied　my　trades　in　New　York；　Boston；　and　Philadelphia　for　several
years；　during　which　time　I　became　a　naturalised　citizen　of　the
United　States。

〃When　the　Cuban　rebellion　broke　out　I　could　not　restrain　my　longing
for　adventure；　and　joined　a　filibustering　expedition　sailing　from
New　York。　　I　did　this　from　no　love　I　bore　the　Cuban　cause；　but　merely
for　the　excitement　it　promised。　　While　handling　a　heavy　shot　during
my　first　engagement　I　accidentally　dropped　it　upon　my　left　foot；
crushing　that　member　so　badly　that　it　has　never　regained　its　shape。
This　deformity　has　rendered　it　impossible　for　me　to　conceal　my
identity。　　Three　months　after　this　accident　I　was　taken　prisoner　by
the　Spanish　and　shipped　to　Spain　as　a　political　malefactor。　　A　farce
of　a　trial　was　granted　to　me；　not　to　see　whether　or　not　I　was　guilty；
but　simply　to　determine　between　the　dungeon　and　the　garrote。　　It
would　have　been　far　better　for　me　had　I　been　sentenced　to　the　latter
instead　of　the　former。

〃As　a　political　offender　I　was　doomed　to　imprisonment　at　Ceuta；　an
old　Moorish　seaport　town　in　Morocco；　opposite　Gibraltar　and　upon
the　side　of　the　ancient　mountain　Abyla。　　This　mountain　forms　one
of　the　'Pillars　of　Hercules；'　the　Rock　of　Gibraltar　being　the　other。
It　is　almost　impregnable；　and　is　used　by　Spain　as　Siberia　is　used
by　Russia；　only　it　is　far；　far　more　horrible。　　The　town　was　built
by　the　Moors　in　945；　and　nowhere　else　on　earth　are　there　to　be　found
an　equal　number　of　devices　for　the　torture　of　human　beings。　　If
anyone　thinks　the　horrors　of　the　Inquisition　are　no　longer
perpetrated　let　him　get　sent　to　Ceuta：　I　have　good　cause　to　believe
that　the　Inquisition　itself　is　far　from　dead　in　Spain。　　Alas　for　the
person　who　is　sent　to　Ceuta！　　The　town　is　small；　and；　to　guard
against　possible　attack；　the　Moors　constructed　a　chain　of　fortresses
around　it。　　It　is　in　the　black　cellars　of　these　disintegrating
fortresses　that　the　dungeons　are　located。　　They　are　in　tiers　to　the
depth　of　fifty　or　sixty　feet；　and　are　hewn　out　of　the　solid　rock。
They　are　reached　through　narrow　openings　in　the　stone　floors　of　the
fortresses；　and　when　one　of　these　horrible　holes　is　opened　the　foul
odor　of　filth　and　decomposition　is　utterly　overpowering。　　Some　of
these　dungeons　contain　as　many　as　thirty　or　forty　men。　　I　was　placed
in　a　cell　reserved　for　solitary　confinement。　　I　have　never　been　a
man　who　regarded　life　seriously；　or　feared　to　risk　it　upon　sufficient
occasion；　but　my　heart　froze　within　me　when　the　horror　of　my
situation　was　revealed　to　me。　　A　stone　box　perhaps　eight　feet　square
…　as　I　lay　upon　the　floor　I　could　touch　its　opposite　sides　with　my
hands　and　feet　…　had　been　prepared　for　my　entrance　by　cutting　a　slit
in　one　of　its　walls　just　large　enough　for　the　passage　of　my　body。
Through　this　narrow　opening　I　was　dropped　into　the　total　darkness
within。　　A　blacksmith　followed　and　welded　my　fetters；　for　locks　and
keys　are　never　used。　　A　chain　having　a　heavy　weight　pendant　from　it
was　riveted　to　my　ankle；　and　an　iron　band　was　similarly　fastened　to
my　waist。　　This　band　was　fastened　by　a　chain　to　an　iron　ring　deeply
sunk　in　the　solid　rock。　　When　these　horrible　preparations　were
completed　the　blacksmith　left　me　and　a　mason　bricked　up　the　slit
through　which　I　had　entered；　leaving　only　a　hand…breadth　of　space
for　air　and　the　thrusting　through　of　such　scraps　of　food　as　were　to
be　allowed　me。　　Language　is　powerless　to　describe　the　feelings　of　a
man　in　such　a　position。　　He　realises　that　his　only　hope　is　in　disease
…　disease　bred　of　the　darkness；　the　dampness；　the　starvation；　and
the　horrible　filth。　　He　says　to　himself：　'How　long；　0　God！　　how
long？'　…　For　hours　I　remained　prone　and　inert　…　how　long　I　do　not
know；　night　and　day　are　all　one　in　the　dungeons　of　Ceuta。　　Then　I
began　to　think。　　Could　I　escape？　　I　felt　that　all　power　of　thought；
all　cleverness　would　soon　desert　me；　and　I　said　to　myself：　'If
anything　is　to　be　done；　it　must　be　done　at　once。'　　I　knew　not　then
what　long…drawn　horrors　a　mortal　could　endure。　　Whenever　I　attempted
to　walk　the　iron　mass　fastened　to　my　leg　would　'bring　me　up　short；'
often；　in　my　early　forgetfulness　of　it；　throwing　me　prone　upon　my
face。　　After　a　little　I　learned　to　move　with　a　halting　gait；
striding　out　with　the　free　limb　and　pausing　to　pull　my　burden　after
me　with　the　other。　　This　habit；　learned　in　the　squalor　and　darkness
of　the　dungeon　hells　of　Ceuta；　I　have　never　been　able　to　unlearn。

〃It　was　many　days　before　I　could　see　how　anything　short　of　a　miracle
could　enable　me　to　escape。　　I　tried　to　calmly　reason　it　all　out；　and
every　time　came　to　the　same　horrible　conclusion；　viz。：　I　must　rot
there　unless　help　came　to　me　from　without。　　This　seemed　impossible；
and　all　the　horrors　of　a　lingering　death　stared　me　in　the　face。
Every　two　or　three　days　one　of　the　jailers　would　come　to　the　slit
in　the　masonry　and　leave　there　a　dish　of　water　and　a　few　crusts　of
bread。　　I　tried　on　one　occasion　to　speak　with　him；　but　he　only
laughed　in　my　face　and　turned　away。　　Finally　I　hit　upon　a　plan　which
seemed　to　offer　the　only　possible　means　of　escape。　　In　my　college
days　I　was　well　acquainted　with　M。　Charcot；　and　even　assisted　in
some　of　his　earlier　hypnotic　experiments。　　The　subject　interested
me；　and　I　followed　it　closely　till　I　became　something　of　an　adept
myself。　　There　were　in　those　days　but　few　people　I　could　not
mesmerise；　provided　sufficient　opportunity　wer