Bela Kiss | Page 5

of the files of those papers the advertisements in question were easily identified.
One, which was repeated in ten different issues of the paper, read:
Bachelor: aged 40: lonely; good income from commercial enterprises averaging ￡3000 per annum, is desirous of corresponding with educated lady with a view to matrimony. Address: De Koller, Poste Restante, Granatos, Budapest.
A number of other similar advertisements were traced by the receipts, all of which were either alluding to matrimony or trying to induce girls to learn their future. Indeed, when the police came to inquire at the Post Office in Budapest they found no fewer than fifty-three letters awaiting the mysterious De Koller undelivered!
In a Vienna daily newspaper the following advertisement was found: "Know Yourself! -- Those who wish to know their future and thus frame their lives should consult Professor Hofmann of Budapest. Write: Poste Restante, Vienna." To this one advertisement there were twenty-three replies awaiting him, all from women eager to have their fortunes told. It then became plain that the fellow's habit was to lure women possessing even paltry sums of money or modest jewellery, either to his flat in Budapest, or to take them out by night to his house at Czinkota, and there strangle them. The tin drums of spirit he evidently used in order to preserve the bodies of his victims until he could bury them in secret or otherwise dispose of them.
A number of prisoners of war were at once set to work digging in Kiss's garden and in the acacia woods, the result being that no fewer than twenty-six other bodies of women and girls were found at various spots. Over one hundred and sixty pawn-tickets relating to women's clothing were found concealed under the carpet of the dining-room, and by the recovery of the clothing and some jewellery, fourteen of his victims were eventually identified. They were mostly of women of the better class, and in every case had worn jewellery, and had money in their possession when they had gone to consult him.
The method he adopted never varied. His first crime was committed by means of a cord slipped over the head and drawn tight ere his victims could utter a cry -- thus adopting the method of the notorious Frenchwoman Gabrielle Bompard -- and so successful was he that he always pursued the same course. Among the bodies recovered in the garden was one which was identified as the young wife who was supposed to have fled with the artist, Paul Bihari. The latter was found in Agram, and when questioned by the police stated that one day, while at the house in Czinkota, Kiss came home unexpectedly, and after a fracas he left and had not seen the lady or heard of her since.
The monster Bela Kiss had, however, died of wounds received while fighting in Serbia, therefore the police hushed up the terrible affair, and soon the gruesome discovery was forgotten by all except the villagers of Czinkota.
About a year later, however, Inspector Resch, of the detective force of Budapest, learned that a man closely resembling Franz Hofmann had been seen a week before by the girl Luisa Ruszt -- who had had such a narrow escape while gazing into the crystal globe. At first he was not inclined to believe her, but so positive was she that she had actually seen him in the flesh, that the police officer decided to go to hospital at Belgrade and learn details at first hand of the assassin's death.
On arrival he found that Bela Kiss had died from wounds, and he was given the dead man's papers, which proved his identity beyond question. By mere chance the nurse who had tended him in his dying moments was still there, and naturally the inspector questioned her as to the end of such a callous and elusive criminal.
"But surely," she remarked, "such a very frank and pious-minded boy could not have committed such awful crimes!"
"Boy!" echoed the inspector. "What do you mean? Bela Kiss was over forty years old."
"Well, the Bela Kiss who died here was about twenty!" was her reply.
Again the surprised detective examined the identification papers, and saw that without doubt they were the genuine ones belonging to Bela Kiss of Czinkota. Hence the assassin had, no doubt, exchanged papers with the poor young fellow who had died and been buried under his name.
With this astounding knowledge Inspector Resch sped back to Budapest, and a thorough search was at once made for the assassin. The police of Europe were warned, and as it was believed that the assassin had fled to London, Scotland Yard became active, as well as the Paris S?ret?. But the fellow managed to slip through their fingers. 2 RTEXTR*ch

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