‘It certainly is the Baroness de Vibray, dead –

assassinated, no doubt. How do you explain that?’

‘But,’ retorted Jacques Dollon, who appeared overwhelmed: ‘I do not know! I do not understand!’

The magistrate replied:

‘Yet, did you not invite her to your studio? Had you not asked her to come some evening soon? Had you not certain pieces of painted pottery to show her?’

‘That is so,’ confessed the painter: ‘but I was not aware.... I did not know...’ He seemed about to faint. The doctor made him sit down in the chair where he had been found unconscious. Whilst he was recovering, Monsieur Agram continued his investigations. He opened a little cupboard, in which were several poisonous powders: this was shown by the warnings on the flasks containing them.

He spoke to the doctor, taking care that Jacques Dollon should not overhear him:

‘Did you not say that this woman’s death is due to poison?’‘It certainly looks like it... A post-mortem will...’

The Arrest

Interrupting the doctor, Monsieur Agram went up to Jacques Dollon:‘In the exercise of your profession, monsieur, do you not make use of various poisons, of which you have a reserve supply here?’

‘That is so,’ confirmed Jacques Dollon, in a faint voice. ‘But it is a very long time since I employed any of them.’

‘Very good, monsieur.’

Monsieur Agram now made Madame Béju leave the room. He asked her to pass an order to his policemen: they were to drive back the crowd. Soon a cab brought by a constable entered the Close, and drew up before the door of Number 6.

Jacques Dollon, supported by two people, descended, and entered the cab.

Immediately a rumour spread that he had been arrested.This rumour was correct.

Our Inquiry – Silence at Police Headquarters – Probable Motives of the Crime

Such are the details referring to this strange affair which we have been able to procure from those who were present. But the motives which determined the arrest of Monsieur Dollon are obscure.

There are, however, two suspicious facts. The first is the puncture made in Monsieur Jacques Dollon’s left leg: this puncture is aggravated by a scratch. According to the doctors, narcotics, injected into the human body by the ‘de Pravaz’ syringe, act violently and with swift effect. It is beyond a doubt that Monsieur Jacques Dollon has been rendered unconscious in this manner.

To begin with, the painter’s first version was considered the true one, namely, that he had been surprised by robbers who rendered him unconscious; but, on reflection, this explanation would not hold water.

Murderous house-thieves do not send people to sleep – they kill them. Add to this that nothing has been stolen from Monsieur Dollon: therefore mere robbery was not the motive of the crime.