s this message would not
give us his name.

"To-day, the 15th of January, is the day of the trial. Joseph
Rouletabille has not returned. It may be we shall never see him again.
The press also counts its heroes, its martyrs to duty. It may be he is
no longer living. We shall know how to avenge him. Our manager will,
this afternoon, be at the Court of Assize at Versailles, with the
letter--the letter containing the name of the murderer!"

Those Parisians who flocked to the Assize Court at Versailles, to be
present at the trial of what was known as the "Mystery of The Yellow
Room," will certainly remember the terrible crush at the Saint-Lazare
station. The ordinary trains were so full that special trains had to be
made up. The article in the "Epoque" had so excited the populace that
discussion was rife everywhere even to the verge of blows. Partisans of
Rouletabille fought with the supporters of Frederic Larsan. Curiously
enough the excitement was due less to the fact that an innocent man was
in danger of a wrongful conviction than to the interest taken in their
own ideas as to the Mystery of The Yellow Room. Each had his explanation
to which each held fast. Those who explained the crime on Frederic
Larsan's theory would not admit that there could be any doubt as to
the perspicacity of the popular detective. Others who had arrived at
a different solution, naturally insisted that this was Rouletabille's
explanation, though they did not as yet know what that was.

With the day's "Epoque" in their hands, the "Larsans" and the
"Rouletabilles" fought and shoved each other on the steps of the Palais
de Justice, right into the court itself. Those who could not get
in remained in the neighbourhood until evening and were, with great
difficulty, kept back by the soldiery and the police. They became hungry
for news, welcoming the most absurd rumours. At one time the rumour
spread that Monsieur Stangerson himself had been arrested in the court
and had confessed to being the murderer. This goes to show to what a
pitch of madness nervous excitement may carry people. Rouletabille was
still expected. Some pretended to know him; and when a young man with a
"pass" crossed the open space which separated the crowd from the
Court House, a scuffle took place. Cries were raised of
"Rouletabille!--there's Rouletabille!" The arrival of the manager of the
paper was the signal for a great demonstration. Some applauded, others
hissed.

The trial