The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-06 00:00:00

A SWISS TRAGEDY.

A good deal of excitement has been caused in Switzer-
land by a very strange affair. The only passage of com-
munication between the Haut-Valais and the upper part
of the valley of Hassle, in the canton of Berne, is called
Le Grimsel, and is a sort of caravansary, the keeper of
which is bound to afford accommodation to poor tra-
vellers in return for certain advantages. The keeper of
this place has for some time past, been a person named
Zybach, the father of a large family, noted for his
obliging and cordial character, and greatly liked by all
who knew or had communications with him. In the
evening of the 6th alt., this M. Zybach, went to the
town of Mayringen, and he created some surprise by
stating, in a public-house, fears that his hotel was on
fire, as he perceived the reflection of flames at a distance
in the sky. The next morning news arrived that the
hotel had Veen burned down in the course of the night.
Zybach, accompanied by the sub-prefect, Mayrin-
gen, his personal friend, immediately set out for
Le Grimsel, On their arrival they found the hotel in
ruins, and the inhabitants of the adjacent village
of Guttanen busily engaged in searching for the
body of a peasant supposed to have perished. On his
way to the Grimsel, Zybach had loudly lamented the
misfortune which had befallen him, and when he saw
the ruins he seemed overwhelmed with despair. But it
turned out that the villagers of Guttanen, in trying to
extinguish the flames, had found in a heap of dung seve-
ral boxes containing wines and liquors, in a barn
some distance, seventy mattresses carefully wrapped up,
and secreted in different places, a number of boxes and
trunks containing all his property of value. This dis-
covery was a clear proof that the fire had been wilfully
caused ; and when the sub-prefect was told of it, and
shown the different articles, he turned to Zybach and
said, " You are a wretch ! You are ruined !" Zybach
seemed distracted—he hurried to a lake at some dis-
tance and leaped in. But he was rescued, and sent,
safely bound to the gaol at Mayringen. His son,
and three of his servants were also arrested. It
was then discovered
.that he had insured all his
effects for much beyond their value ; and it ap-
peared that his reason
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to grave accusations against him. He, his son, and ser-
vants, are supposed to have formed a band of murderers
and robbers, and to have made people who have stopped
at their hotel their victims. Two years ago three
Frenchmen, travelling in the Bernese Oberland, mys-
teriously disappeared, and not the slightest trace has
since been found of them. The last place at which they
stopped was at Zybach's hotel, and he declared that
after sleeping there during the night they had gone in
the morning towards La Furca. Some years back
three travellers from Frankfort disappeared in the same
strange way after being last seen near the Grimsel. It
has been called to mind that Prince of Denmark, a
long time ago, lost a very valuable diamond pin in the
hotel ; that Zybach denied having found it ; but that
some time after one of his daughters had been seen wear-
*. it ; and that, in consequence of the remarks made
on this by his neighbours, he had been obliged to send it
to its royal owner. Ia short, the kind, excellent, and
universally respected M. Zybach is strongly believed to
have been a criminal of the blackest dye ; and it is said
that abundant proofs of his guilt will be forthcoming in
due time. It is added that some revelations have al-
ready been made which tend to convict him of the mur.
der of the three German travellers. Since he has been
in custody, he has several times attempted to commit
suicide. He is possessed of considerable property.

ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.—During the week (says
a correspondent) much excitement has prevailed hi De-
vonshire in consequence of an elopement, which is of a
somewhat romantic nature, It appears that Miss
Carew, daughter of Mr, Carew, of Ayshford, Sidmouth,
on the south coast of Devon, was spending the day with
the lady of Captain Elphinstone, at Livonia, tinaecom-
panied by any 'a her family—when in the evening the
gentlemen of the house being, yet in the dining-room,
Mr. Robert Peet Floyd rushed in at the window of the
room where the ladies were, with a pistol, ordered Miss
Carew to follow him, and threatened to shoot the first
person who opposed him. Miss Carew) asking for time
in vain, under the terror of the instant, Unfartunately
complied, and left with Mr. Floyd in a fly, which he had
in waiting. It wits not until near eight o'clock that
these particulars were communicated by Mrs. Elphin,
stone in a note. Mr. Carew was then obliged to trace
from other sources the • road the fly had taken. He
then followed it to Exeter, in the hope of protecting and
inducing his daughter to return to her home ; but
having, with the aid of the police, traced her to the
station, he found that she had been taken on to London
by the nine o'clock train. The young lady being of
age, all further pursuit or inquiry was at once was given
up as useless. It• seems that Miss Carew will be en-
titled, at the death of her parents, to considerable pro-
perty. She has ever been treated by her family with
unbounded kindness and indulgence which makes the
circumstance more to be deplored. The gentleman is a
son of Sir H. Floyd, and is understood to be wholly
. • •
without fortune. The fugitive couple were married,the
next day, it is JtepOrted. j; I