The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe
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the gold been gone, the fact of_its delivery three days before would_have formed something more than a coincidence . it would_have_been corroborative of_this idea of motive . but, under the real circumstances of_the case, if_we_are to suppose gold the motive of_this outrage, we_must also imagine the perpetrator so vacillating an idiot as to_have abandoned his gold and_his motive together .

"Keeping now steadily in mind the points to_which I_have drawn your attention - that peculiar voice, that unusual agility, and_that startling absence of motive in a murder so singularly atrocious as_this - let_us glance at_the butchery itself . here_is a woman strangled to death by manual strength, and thrust up a chimney, head downward . ordinary assassins employ no such modes of murder as_this . least of all, do they thus dispose of_the murdered . in_the manner of thrusting the corpse up the chimney, you_will admit that there_was something excessively outr - something altogether irreconcilable with_our common notions of human action, even when we suppose the actors the most depraved of men . think, too, how great must_have been that strength which could_have thrust the body up such an aperture so forcibly that_the united vigor of several persons was found barely sufficient to drag it down !

" turn, now, to other indications of_the employment of a vigor most marvellous . on_the hearth were thick tresses - very thick tresses - of grey human hair . these had_been torn out by_the roots . you_are aware of_the great force necessary in tearing thus from_the head even twenty or thirty hairs together . you saw the locks in_question as_well as myself . their roots (a hideous sight ! ) were clotted with fragments of_the flesh of_the scalp - sure token of_the prodigious power which had_been exerted in uprooting perhaps half a million of hairs at_a_time . the throat of_the old lady was not merely cut, but the head absolutely severed from_the body: the instrument was amere razor . i_wish you also to look at_the brutal ferocity of_these deeds . of_the bruises upon_the body of Madame L'Espanaye I_do_not speak .Monsieur Dumas, and_his worthy coadjutor Monsieur Etienne, have pronounced that_they were inflicted by some obtuse instrument; and so_far these gentlemen are very correct . the obtuse instrument was clearly the stone pavement in_the yard, upon_which the victim had fallen from_the window which looked in upon_the bed . this idea, however simple it may now seem, escaped the police for_the same reason that_the breadth of_the shutters escaped them - because, by_the affair of_the nails, their perceptions had_been hermetically sealed against the possibility of_the windows having ever been opened at all .

" if now, in_addition to all these things, you_have properly reflected upon_the odd disorder of_the chamber, we have_gone so_far as_to combine the ideas of an agility astounding, a strength superhuman, a ferocity brutal, a butchery without motive, agrotesquerie in horror absolutely alien from humanity, and a voice foreign in tone to_the ears of men of many nations, and devoid of all distinct or intelligible syllabification . what result, then, has ensued ? what impression have I_made upon your fancy ? "

I_felt acreeping of_the flesh as Dupin asked me the question ."A madman," I_said, " has_done this deed - some raving maniac, escaped from aneighboring Maison de Sant ."

" in some respects," he replied, " your idea is_not irrelevant . but the voices of madmen, even in their wildest paroxysms, are never found to tally with_that peculiar voice heard upon_the stairs .Madmen are of some nation, and their language, however incoherent in its words, has always the coherence of syllabification . besides, the hair of a madman is_not such as I now hold in my hand .I disentangled this little tuft from_the rigidly clutched fingers of Madame L'Espanaye . tell me what you_can_make of it ."

"Dupin ! " I_said, completely unnerved; " this hair is most unusual - this_is no human hair ."

" I_have_not asserted that_it_is," said he; " but, before we decide this point, i_wish you to glance at_the little sketch I_have here traced upon_this paper . it_is afac- simile drawing of what_has_been described in one portion of_the testimony as ' dark bruises, and deep indentations of finger nails,' upon_the throat of Mademoiselle L'Espanaye, and in another, ( by Messrs .Dumas and Etienne,) as a' series of livid spots, evidently the impression of fingers .'

" you_will perceive," continued my friend, spreading out the paper upon_the table before_us, " that_this drawing gives the idea of a firm and fixed hold . there_is no slipping apparent . each finger has retained - possibly until the death of_the victim - the fearful grasp by_which it originally imbedded itself . attempt, now, to_place all your fingers, at_the same time, in_the respective impressions as you_see them ."

I_made the attempt in vain .

" we_are possibly not giving this_matter a fair trial," he_said ." the paper is spread out upon a plane surface; but the human throat is cylindrical . here_is a billet of wood, the circumference of which_is about_that of_the throat . wrap the drawing around it, and try the experiment again ."

I_did so; but the difficulty was even more obvious than before ." this," I_said, " is_the mark of no human hand ."

" read now," replied Dupin, " this passage from Cuvier ."

it_was a minute anatomical and generally descriptive account of_the large fulvous Ourang-Outang of_the east Indian Islands . the gigantic stature, the prodigious strength and activity, the wild ferocity, and_the imitative propensities of_these mammalia are sufficiently well known to all .I understood the full horrors of_the murder at once .

" the description of_the digits," said I, as I_made an end of reading, " is in exact accordance with_this drawing . I_see that no animal but an Ourang-Outang, of_the species here mentioned, could_have impressed the indentations as_you_have traced them . this tuft of tawny hair, too, is identical in character with_that of_the beast of Cuvier . but I_cannot possibly comprehend the particulars of_this frightful mystery . besides, there were two voices heard in contention, and one_of_them was unquestionably the voice of aFrenchman ."

" true; and you_will remember an expression attributed almost unanimously, by_the evidence, to_this voice, - the expression, '_mon Dieu ! ' this, under the circumstances, has_been justly characterized by one_of_the witnesses (Montani, the confectioner,) as an expression of remonstrance or expostulation . upon these two words, therefore, I_have mainly built my hopes of a full solution of_the riddle .aFrenchman was cognizant of_the murder . it_is possible - indeed it_is far more than probable - that he_was innocent of all participation in_the bloody transactions which took place . the Ourang-Outang may_have escaped from_him . he_may_have traced it to_the chamber; but, under the agitating circumstances which ensued, he_could never have re- captured it . it_is still at large . i_will_not pursue these guesses - for I_have no right to_call them more - since_the shades of reflection upon_which they_are based are scarcely of sufficient depth to_be appreciable by my own intellect, and since I_could_not pretend to_make them intelligible to_the understanding of another . we_will call them guesses then, and speak of_them as such . if_the Frenchman in_question is indeed, as I suppose, innocent of_this atrocity, this advertisement which I left last night, upon our return home, at_the office of 'Le Monde,' (a paper devoted to_the shipping interest, and much sought by sailors,) will bring him to our residence ."

he handed me a paper, and I_read thus:

caught - in_the Bois de Boulogne, early in_the morning of_the - inst ., ( the morning of_the murder,) a very large, tawny Ourang-Outang of_the Bornese species . the owner, ( who_is ascertained to_be a sailor, belonging to a Maltese vessel,) may_have the animal again, upon identifying it satisfactorily, and paying a few charges arising from its capture and keeping . call at no .---- , rue ----, Faubourg St .Germain - au troisime .

" how was_it possible," I asked, " that you_should know the man to_be a sailor, and belonging to a Maltese vessel ? "

" I_do_not know it," said Dupin ." I_am not sure of it . here, however, is a small piece of ribbon, which from its form, and from its greasy appearance, has evidently been used in tying the hair in one of_those long queues of_which sailors are so fond . moreover, this knot is one which few besides sailors can tie, and_is peculiar to_the Maltese .I picked the ribbon up at_the foot of_the lightning- rod . it could_not have belonged to either of_the deceased . now if, after all, I_am wrong in my induction from_this ribbon, that_the Frenchman was a sailor belonging to a Maltese vessel, still I_can_have done no harm in saying what I_did in_the advertisement . if I_am in error, he_will merely suppose that I_have_been misled by some circumstance into which he_will_not take_the trouble to inquire . but if I_am right, a great point is gained . cognizant although innocent of_the murder, the Frenchman will naturally hesitate about replying to_the advertisement - about demanding the Ourang-Outang . he_will reason thus: - ' I_am innocent; I_am poor; my Ourang-Outang is of great value - to one in my circumstances a fortune of itself - why should I lose it through idle apprehensions of danger ? here it_is, within my grasp . it_was found in_the Bois de Boulogne - at a vast distance from_the scene of_that butchery . how can it ever be suspected that a brute beast should_have done the deed ? the police are at fault - they_have failed to procure the slightest clew . should they even trace the animal, it would_be impossible to_prove me cognizant of_the murder, or to implicate me in guilt on account of_that cognizance . above all, I_am known . the advertiser designates me as_the possessor of_the beast . I_am not sure to what limit his knowledge may extend . should I avoid claiming a property of so great value, which it_is known that I possess, i_will render the animal at_least, liable to suspicion . it_is_not my policy to attract attention either to myself or to_the beast . i_will answer the advertisement, get the Ourang-Outang, and keep it close until this_matter has blown over .' "

at_this moment we heard a step upon_the stairs .

" be ready," said Dupin, " with your pistols, but neither use them nor show them until at a signal from myself ."

the front door of_the house had_been left open, and_the visiter had entered, without ringing, and advanced several steps upon_the staircase . now, however, he_seemed to hesitate . presently we heard him descending .Dupin was moving quickly to_the door, when we again heard him coming up . he_did_not turn back a second time, but stepped up with decision, and rapped at_the door of_our chamber .

" come in," said Dupin, in a cheerful and hearty tone .

a man entered . he_was a sailor, evidently, - a tall, stout, and muscular- looking person, with a certain dare- devil expression of countenance, not altogether unprepossessing . his face, greatly sunburnt, was more than half hidden by whisker and mustachio . he had with_him a huge oaken cudgel, but appeared to_be otherwise unarmed . he bowed awkwardly, and bade us " good evening," in French accents, which, although somewhat Neufchatelish, were still sufficiently indicative of aParisian origin .

" sit down, my freind," said Dupin ."I suppose you_have called about_the Ourang-Outang . upon my word, I almost envy you the possession of him; aremarkably fine, and no_doubt a very valuable animal . how old do_you suppose him to_be ? "

the sailor drew a long breath, with_the air of a man relieved of some intolerable burden, and then replied, in an assured tone:

" I_have no way of telling - but he_can't be more than four or five years old . have_you got him here ? "

"Oh no, we had no conveniences for keeping him here . he_is at a livery stable in_the rue Dubourg, just by . you_can_get him in_the morning . of_course you_are prepared to identify the property ? "

" to_be_sure I_am, sir ."

" I_shall_be sorry to part with_him," said Dupin .

"I don't mean that you_should_be at all this trouble for nothing, sir," said the man ."Couldn't expect it .Am very willing to_pay a reward for_the finding of_the animal - that_is_to_say, any thing in reason ."

" well," replied my friend, " that_is all very fair, to_be_sure . let me think ! - what should I_have ? Oh ! i_will tell you . my reward shall be this . you shall give_me all the information in your power about these murders in_the rue morgue ."

Dupin said the last words in a very low tone, and very quietly . just as quietly, too, he walked toward the door, locked it and put the key in_his pocket . he then drew a pistol from_his bosom and placed it, without the least flurry, upon_the table .

the sailor's face flushed up as_if he were struggling with suffocation . he started to_his feet and grasped his cudgel, but the next moment he fell back into his seat, trembling violently, and with_the countenance of death itself . he spoke not a word .I pitied him from_the bottom of_my heart .

" my friend," said Dupin, in a kind tone, " you_are alarming yourself unnecessarily - you_are indeed . we mean you no harm whatever .I pledge you the honor of a gentleman, and of aFrenchman, that we intend you no injury .I perfectly well know that you_are innocent of_the atrocities in_the rue morgue . it_will_not do, however, to deny that you_are in some measure implicated in_them . from what I_have already said, you_must know that I_have_had means of information about this_matter - means of_which you_could never have dreamed . now the thing stands thus . you have_done nothing which you_could_have avoided - nothing, certainly, which renders you culpable . you were_not even guilty of robbery, when_you might_have robbed with impunity .

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