The Red Room by William le Queux

I scanned it through -- then held my breath. It was from Angouleme, in Central France, and signed by somebody named Croxton, evidently a person in the secret employ of our Government. The telegram was a jumble of cipher figures and letters, but above, written in ink, were their equivalents in plain English. The message read:

"Details are as follow: Professor Greer left Paris by the `Rapide' at 9: 29 last night for Bordeaux. He occupied a first-class compartment alone, and at Poitiers was seen by the _chef du train_ asleep. Soon after passing Moussac, towards Angouleme, two men in the adjoining compartment were startled at hearing three pistol shots in rapid succession. They looked out, and saw a man open the carriage door and leap from the train. The train was stopped by pulling the communication-cord, whereon the Professor was found dead on the floor of the carriage. His assailant had evidently entered the carriage at Ruffec, the junction for La Rochelle. The passengers instituted a search back along the line towards Moussac, where they found the murderer lying in a ditch with his neck broken. Both bodies have been brought here to Angouleme, and by papers upon the assassin he has been identified as a German named Henke, lately living at Hillside Cottage, Epping.