Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

Page 7 text:

Ohe Porcupine VOL. XIV. SANTA ROSA, CAL. JANUARY, | 1908 i NO. 5 Prudent People Purchase Prickly Poieaipines The Exploits of Henri Renard. (By His Secretary) The Dexfen Case Six months ago, when I finished my course ‘in Stanford University, I was rather successful in obtaining a position as secretary to Mr. or, better, Monsieur Henri Renard, who had lately established himself in San Francisco ftom Paris, where he had been connected with the secret ‘service, but left on account of political troubles. ; M. Renard has an elegantly furnished apartment of four rooms—two for his ‘office and two ‘for his private use. On his office door, in neat’ black and gold lettering, reads: HENRI RENARD, Counselor and Attorney At Uncommon Law Tracer of Evidence Like most of his nationality, M. Renard is somewhat of an epicure, and often, when I have been working late, I have accompanied him to dinner at “The Poodle Dog,” or some other of the famous old French restaurants. Here he is always in his most entertaining mood—interesting , and full of reminescences. When it comes time for the claret, he is usually in the midst of some ‘Stirring adventure of his French police days. It wasat one of these times that he related to me, but with less mention of his own part, the case that I will repeat. It is an admirable example of ttpon how trivial a thing a man’s life may sometimes hang. oe +c 4c 4c sk

Page 6 text:

To The Freshmen This issue of The Porcupine is cheerfully dedicated by those who think they have passed the green stage.

Page 8 text:

THE PORCUPINE In the fall of 1897 the police department of Paris was startled by the murder of Jacob Dexfen, an old and promi- nent English resident of Paris. It was clearly a case of murder, but no motive could be found for the crime, as the house had not been robbed, nor was there knowledge of an enemy who sought the old man’s life. Consequently the guilt fell upon either John Dexfen, who also resided in Paris, a nephew and heir of the murdered man; or upon Jacob Barret, another nephew and second heir, who had come to Paris two weeks previously. The latter proved an alibi. John Dexfen was a middle-aged man of eccentric habits, as he admitted himself. He lived with only two servants, in a rather large house surrounded by spacious grounds. Recently these servants had left him, and he had gotten no others to fill their places, so that now he lived alone in the house. A charwoman came once a week to do the cleaning for him. On account of this fact John Dexfen was unable to prove an alibi, but testified at the inquest that he was at his home at the time of the murder. The next two witnesses gave startling testimony against Dexfen. The first declared that he had passed the house of the murdered man at about the hour of the crime, and had seen a coach dog, with two large black spots upon the back of his neck, standing before the house. The summary of the testimony was that the murderer was accompanied by a coach dog. The next, a police officer, testified to the fact that such a dog as the one described, had been found in the stable at John Dexfen’s place. Then one of Dexfen’s former servants took the stand.. “Did Mr. Dexfen have such a dog as has been spoken of, while you were at his house?” the coroner asked the witness. “Yes,” was the reply. “Describe the dog that Mr. Dexfen had.”