The Arkansas banner., 1849-12-25
m. Dead llir,--l Thrilling Sk,,th,

reader that the Island Mauritias, appertaining at this day to the English, was originally ccloniEed by the French, and that tho population consists tn . great measure of persons of that nation. 10 whom; by n formal treaty between the two powers eoa. cerned. their ancient laws aud asages were preset we'd without any material alteration.
 About three or foar months age. the SIear ClO- deuIir Eteaois, rich merchaRt of the Island, was found dead, and frightfaiy dishgurud. in his own habltaiio2s. Hs body discovered laying om tho floor with his face muiitated hy pistol, and at doubt as 10 the cause of the catastrophe was 6is- pelled by the discovery of tae fatal weapon by the side of the corpse, also Of paper in the hand writing of the deceased. This paper contained the following words:
 "I am ruined La villain has robbed mo of twenty thousand ivrss steriing disiaonor must be my pot- ton, and l cannot survive 1t leave my wife the task Of distributing among my creditors the means which remains us, and 1 pray that God, my frieBds, and my enemies, may pardon my sell-des- truction. Yet another minute and l shall be la eternity.
 isigued.l ctopomsa FKrSoss.o Great tire rnasGos caased by the tragic event, which was the unexpected as the loss alluded 10 iI lhe note had nsver been made public The deceased had been held in great esteem over the colony. as a man of s'ric; honor, and uni- verSaiiy ismented. His attached widow. after en- deaporng faithfully to fulfill bs last wishes, fou nd her griet too powerful to ming!e longer with the world, ard took the resolution to consecrats her remaining days 10 the services of religion. Two months after the sad end of her husband, she en- tered q convent, leaving 10 a nephew Of the mer- chant, physician, the charge of completing the distribution of tue effects of Erenos among his creditors.
 A minute examination of the papers of the de- ceased led 10 the discovery of the period al which the unfortunate merchant had been robbed; and the period was found correspond with ile date of the Iaka la. the employment of FrenOis. Of this U'au, who's, sospieion not unna.urally fell, nothing could be learned on inquiry but. shortly after the division Of the merchants property. Moon reaPPeared in the colony. When taken up and examined respecting the cause of his flight, he stated that he had bee1 sent by his master to France, to recover certain sums due to the merchant there, in which mission he had been unsuccessful, and he furster averrcd, that if Codomir Erenos, in his existing eorresPoa dence had throw ony injurious suspicious on hun (Moonl Ihe whole was but pEetext 10 account for deficiencies Of which the merchant himself was the sole cause and aui thor. This declaration, made by a man wio seemed 10 fear 10 injury, and whose worldly circumstances remained 10 appearance the same as they had ever been, had the effect of silenc ing if it did not satisfy the examiners and the affair soon fell in great measure, out of the public re- collection
 Things remained for a short time n this eondi- ton, when one morning, NJ William Burnett, prin-
 
 knocking a: his gate at a very early hour. lie csl- led up one of his servants, who went down and opened the door, and immediately returned with the intelligence that stranger who seemed desirous of keeping his person concealed wished t0 speak with Mir. barnettain private. Mr. Burnett arose, threw his dressing gown, and descended to the parlor. He saw there stranger of tall person, seated in an easy and familiar attitude upon a sofa with a number of the Morning Pos, in his hand The back Ot the visitor turned 10 MT. Beanett as he entered Rather surprised ie see N stranger conduct himself so like old friend of the house, Mr. Burnett sand aloud, sir. may l beg to know yVur business with mel'
 The stranger turned round and advanced to salute bis host warmly and courIeously. Mir. Burnett started back, aud uttered loud exclamation of prise and alarm. We'll he night for before hts eyes stood his friend and debtor, Clodomr Frenois. whom he had beheld nearly year before, multi lated corpse whom himself had followed to the grave!
 What passed to that interview. between Mir Bur nett and his strange visitor, remained secret Mir. Burnett observed To issue several tInIes pale tnd agjtated, from his dwelling. and to visit the magistrate charged with the conduct of the criminal processes of the colony. In the of the day. whs John Moon regang himself with tea unGer the palm trees iu his garden. with Circas- sian female whom he had bought some time previ- o0sly. he arrested aud taken to the prison by the officers of justice. On the following day he brought before criminal a court accused ot robbiuK the late Ciodomr Ere nois. the crime being conoin- cd with breach of trust and violence. Moon smiled al the charge with all the confidence of man who had nothing 10 fear. Tine judge having demanded of him If he confessed the crBie. the accused re- piled that the charge was altogether absurd: that clear testimony necessary 10 fix such a charge upon him, aud that, far from there being any such evidence produceabe, neither the widow Of the deceased, any person in his service, had ever, heard the pretended robbery once mentioned by Frenois during his life. "So you then affirm your innocencef repeated the judge grAvey. after hearing all that the Othes had 10 say.
 "I will vouch my innocence" replied Moon, "eyen before the body of my late master. if that be necessary" (Such thing often took place under the old Colonial law.
 "John Moon.' said the judge, in voice broken by some peculiar emotion. '.it is beore your Iate master that you i'll have to assert innocence, and may the God of justice make the truth appear. signal from the judge accompanied the ords. l aud immediately door opened the CodOtnir Fre- nois, tfs supposed suicide, entered the court. lie ad yaneed 10 the bar with slow aud delibe step, having his eyes calmly, but firmly, fixed on the prisoner, his servant. A great sensation csus- ed in the court by the appearance. Uuering shrieks of horror and alarm. the females fled from The spot The accused fell his knees in abect terror, and shudderiug, confessed his guilt. For a little time
 
 apparent that living stood before the court. the advocate for the prisoner gaiDed courage 10 speak. He demanded that the identity of the mer- chant be established and the existence be explained He said that the court should not be bassed oy might prove to be a mere accidental likeness be. tween person living and one deceased. and thai sueh avOwai that of the prisoner, extracted in
 moment of extraordinary terror was not to bs held | of much weight.
 '.6eloro being admitted here as an accuser o, witness," continued the advocate, addressing the i resuscitated merchant, 'prOye who and wh4i you are, aud by what means the tomb which so lately received your body mangied with bullets, has give aP it's enant, and restored you to the world in life 1 and health''
 This firm arSsa! of the advocate, who continued l s;eadiast to hls duty ander circumstances that
 woald have closed The lips ot most men, called forth 1 the ioowIng narrative froDs COioGomir Frenois:
 My story may be told, aud will suffice to 1 establish my ieeHtity When 1 discovered ths rob 1 bery committed by line accused, he had then fled
 from tue Island. and speedily all attempts tO rstake him would prove fraitIess. 1 saw rain ana disgrace before me, aud came 10 the resolution o