Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-08-28
SINGULAR AFFAIR.

NFEhl u
The New Orleans papers state that young MIR. Converse
u Clerk in the Store of. w. Bryan left the Store, vi It'll
August. for the country. His friends were much alarmed
10y the horse lac rode coming home with the bridlc cut. nnc
the saddle much injured, and went IN search Of him Find
ing his coat much torn, they concluded he had been mur
dored, and dredged Msrigny's Canal in search OF his body
The sequel we give in the words OF the Crescent City.
StrdRge DeaOuement of young Coaperse's Disappear
Gnee.-At about s o'clock last "Wednesday evening this
young gentleman retusned most Unexpectedly 10 his broth
els house, stripped vi all his apparel, excepthis pan,aloons
which were IN a d~rcadfuly torn state. Ills mind was quite
discorded, and he was evidently suffering from the effects
OF some narcouc potion. In the course Of the night he re.
covered possession Of his intellect, and he furnished his
friends with the following most extraordinary narrative. A
letter, as we stated yesterday, very imperectly spelled and
seemingly written by n foreigner, OF an uneducated person,
purporting to come from u bakers widow living ON the
GENTLY road, was received by Messrs. Bryan. requesting
them to send their young man To her house for orders. Mr.
Converse was thcreupon despatched thither on horseback,
aud M n very retired spot near the Pontcharuan railroad, he
was suddenly bcset by three men, one of whom, seizng his
birdie, babe him dismouni and offer no resistance, Tor II
would be entirely unavaiing. Judging their purpose To be
robbery aud possibly murder, he Immediately drew
a large knife from his pocket, determined not 10 be capur-
ed without n struggle, and struck his interlucutor a blow in
the face whichlnid his cheek open. The whole then quit.
ing their rather quiet bearing, sprung on him and drag
ged him violently, from his horse while he struck night
and left at his sssaIants. One he must certainly have
wounded or injured, since the knife he welded was
broken IN his desperate attempts IN wrest himself from
their hands. lie thinks II was by coming in contact
with one OF the ruifians heads that his weapon was broke.
OverpOwcred at last his eyes were bandagcd with his
cravat, for that purpose from his neck, andhe was led y
way TO a considerable distance from the scene OF the attack.
During their progress he recollected passing over planks, per-
haps a bridge. lie was then placed on the trunk OF a tree,
the bandage removed, his hands bound behind him, and the
ligaturc then fastened, as they thought securely, to its roots.
One of them then produced a bottle iul Of some kind Of
spirtuous liquor, and Offering il To him, with one hand,
while he held a pistol To his head with the other, babe him
fnL hz rhna.a tnatapf In.th katth n. 1affnr 49, o., ii.
the contents of the former, Judging from their manner that
they would not hesitate To shoot him il he resisted, he drank
the liquor. The rutians then withdrew, after informing
him, with malicious eSultation, that an ancient grudge OF
IL years duration with the Messrs. Bryan, was now com
pletely ted,-their injury was fully eApiaied, and they should
dissatisfied for the balance OF their days. They iheumovcd
of, carrying with them his cravat and about 500. The booty
seemed TO surprise - their victim naked,
bound and exposed To all the burning influence of a merdi-
an sun. They had not, however, retired more than n few
yards, when one vi them said "why not cut his throaif'-
The other, Us Mr.. Converse states, from which we should
presume, thers were then only two III Company, replied "Oh!
never mind, IT the stuff doesn't kill him. the sun willr'-
They then disappeared. la a very short time atterw ards
he became insensible, and knew nothing of what had subse.
quently occurred, until he recovered his reason at his broth
efs house.
Thus does this strange, mysterious affair conclude, and
we are at a loss 10 what To ascribe the unparalleled Outrage
on an individual against whom the assailants even could
have had no cause OF complaint. Ii would be n curious
thing indeed IN human passion to visit one man with the
punishment due TO the sins of another. Vicsrious cNpia-
ton of injury is 4 new principle in our nature, if the cause
OF the attack was, as the Tiscreants declared, the injury
they, or one Of them, had received from the Messrs. Bryan.
The affair is envcOped in considerable mystery, which
we trust a few days will diSsipate. II one of the men is
wounded in the face, il Is hardly probable he can escape
detection, provided our police be on the alert. We hope
and trust, for the sake OF justice, that the cowardly assailants
may not long remain concealed, when the character of our
city may be redeemed by their condign punishment.
We await with interest the development Of this most
extraordinary affair.