Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-10-23
MISC l. l. A N Y
THE FORCE OF FEAR.


AT the close of the winter OF 1886 about dusk in the
afternoon just as the wealthy dealers in the Palas Royal
in Paris were about lighting their lamps and putting up
their shutters he practice of the major part of them at
nightfa well known money changer behind his
ter alone surrounded by massive heaps Of silver and god
the guerug and sterling currency Of all the kingdoms of
Europe. He had wellngh cosed his operations for the
day. and enjoying in anticipation the prospects OF
good dinner Between the sychalr upon which ne re-
ened in peec, satisfaction and the door which opened in
the northsde VI the immense quadrangle Of which the
splendid edfce above mentioned is composed, stout
wire PARTITION reaching nearly to the ce"g and resting
upon the counter which aversed the whole length Of the
room, Thus he erectualy cut off from all possibility
Of unfrendly contact from any Of his occasional VISITORS
while small sliding board that in andou under the wire
partition served the medium Of his peculiar
Upon this he receives every con note draft presented
for change and having first carefully exan ned it, returns
its value by the conveyance, the coin Of France
or indeed Of any coanry required Behind him door
communicating with his domestic chambers, and in The
middle Of the another the upper part Of which
formed portion Of the wire partition above described.
The denizen Of this little chamber had already closed his
outer shutters and just the point Of locking up his
doors and retiring to his repast when two young
tered They were evidently Italians from their costume
and peculiar dialect Had been earlier in the day, when
there would havebeen sufficient light have dscerned
thei: features aud expression, it is probable that
chant would have defeated their paus for he we'll
skilled in detecting the tokens Of fraud design in the hu
man counteuance But they had chosen their time ap-
poprialey One Of them, advancing towards the counter,
demanded change in French coin for English sovereign,
which he laid upon the sliding board and passed through
the wire partition. The money changer Immediately
and having ascerlaned that the coin genuine returned
its proper equivalent by the customary mode of transfer
The Italians turned if to leave the apartment, when he
who had the money suddenly dropped the silver though
accidentally, upon the fOOr As it was now nearly dark
il was scarcely to be expected that they could find the whole
of the pieces without the assistance of light. This the
unconscious merchant hasened supply and unlocking
without SUSPICION the door OF the partition between them,
stopped with candle the floor in search of the lost
coin In this position the unfortunate man was immediate
y assailed with repeated stabs from pOgnard and he at
length fell after few feeble and Intellectual struggles,
senseess aud apparently eess at the feet Of his assail
ants.
A considerable time elapsed ere, by the ortuous
trance of stranger, he discovered in this dreadful sit
uaton when it found that the assassns having first
helped themselves almost incredible amount of money
had fled, without anything being left by which clue might
have been obtained to their retreat.
The unfortunate victim Of their rapacity and cruelty was
however, not dead Strange as it may appear, although
he had received upwards of twenty wounds several of
which plainly showed that the dagger had been driven to
the very hit he survived and in few months after the
event. again to be in his place
the changers board In vain had the most dgen search
been made by the military police of Paris for the perpetra
: Geeslable deed. The villains had euded all
.;. ,a ..,';Gations, and would in all probability
have asc,,aa undiscovered 18th their booty but for mulu
alyehesished dsus Of each other. Upon the INST and
complete Of their pan the question arose. now 10
dispose OK their eaOsmOus punder amounting to more hah
one hundred thousand pounds Fearful of the researches OF
the police they dared not retain at their lodgings. TO
trust third party with their was not to be thought
Of AT length after long aud anxious deberation they
agreed cnucea the money outside the barriers of Paris
until they should have concocted safe plan for trans
porting 10 their country This they accordingly did,
buryng the under tree about mile from the
Bsrriere d'Ener. But ,hey still as far from
a mutual understanding When they separated, any
peence each urned to tho spot which contained the sto
len treasure where o he was sure to had the oher
Suspicion thus formed and fed crew into a'SiAe aio
hstIst until at length each oahing the sight pl 'ne o'e
they agreed Gnaly divide the booty, and then eerna
70 separate, each to tie pursuit Of his own gratlcaoo
il thea became necessary TO carry the whole of The money
home to their lodgings in Paris in order that i! might
according to their notions, be equally divided.
The reader here be reminded that there exists r
Paris law relative to wines and spruOus liquors which