The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-10-07


correspondent Of an English journal gives the
Iohowing account Of a most singular occurrence
winch took place in Spain few years since
An Epglishman had for some time nrsviou. n
the year 1889 resided in Barcelona. who tanobt
Hngh'h, and gave lessons to my children He
was associated with Frenchman, who also in
strncted several families and these two lived to-
sener seI IN a mouse with Swiss jeweler. They
hdu no servant and none but these three occunied
LIe mansion The jeweler suddenly disanneared
he was no where to be found and no trace re-
maihed q oil MN; and there was no appeal to the
ponce as they very seldom take any trouble in
such 80
On the morning Of the 24,b of Cl,,ohar a..
Engiishman came to my house and begged to see
me. l found he was scarcely able 10 sneak and
what he did say was incohereut that Eancied
ne had either been drinking had lost his senses.
He stated that what he had to impart was 40
dreadful he could not bring himself to relate IL
however, by degrees he became more ineligible,
anu, alter great many small details, collected
mat In the room which he occupied with the
rfehchnan there was a small closet which had an
ceiling. - As~' 'N0
ne night before, as he was sitting alone. he
lahcieE ne perceived disagreeable smell in that
paft oi tne room. lie tried to open the door of the
closet, out iouHd 1t locked. He then clin,bsd po a
chair, and with candle looked in a. H.. IP',ta
opening and, to his horror, saw a cornss in frsg1
ments on the hOor-pau of leg in ons rJa,a a.
arm IN another, and large sledge hammer Iving
between them. He nearly drupnpd .ith La 80
and at that mOment-It was iust tyveIva o,oInG
he heard the knock of The Frenchman at the door
AS they were alone in the house. he had no resonrc
but to appear as calm and quiet as if he had saen
nothing. When he let him in he remarked that
he was late that night, he had to begin ewing
| his lessons early next morning, which was Monday
| The other answered "Oh, it does not hannen
| otten-never mind; And hey went tp bed Thar
TWO beds We're 20 close thatthey only separatsd
a Ito Fatf fbsak a
the agony in which he passed the night was indea
Cflb4ble, as in addition to The original horror of
finding the dead body, he dreaded thai the Frrnch
man would suspect his being aware of in and
murder him also; and there as no escape from
Inc house, nor means TO call for hello In this
dreadful state he remained I'LL morning when the
Frenchman going out to give his lessons tn. other
rushed straight to my house, to apprse me of what
had happened.
was much puzzled what to do, as the poIice 7
knew, would give very lIttle assistance However.
after taking down his statement shortly In wiring
| applied there. They said they could have moth,
ing to do with 1t, ait as the supposed criminal was
French, must go to the French consul All thew
would DO was 10 give me Iitrie hump back man to
assist me in catching the murderer | went To The
French CONSUL and after cOnierring with him we
pruce"ded together, with our hump backed COM
panlon, TO the house where the Englishman lived
We went up stairs and found the Frenchman at his
dnor. We told him there was little matter to be
settled with the police, on which he answered
" Ah oui! pour la contrebane, n'es-ce pas % The
had gool deal to do with the contrabaudista con-
cerns,l and rushed to table, pulled open drawer
from whence We saw him extract pair of pistols.
which proved to be loaded. He, however, seemed
to lose his head, and be quite bewiId red, saying
" ii s'aglt de ses pistoleJs, n'esIce pas lis sont
FRANCHISE ct de la eontrabande'' He then put his
hand farther into the drawer, and was dragging
out a sword, when my colleague and sptang upen
| and seized him.
| The humlbacked man then said it was not that
| he wanted, bat thar must have him open Ihe
| door OF the closet He turned deadly pa Il. and
| drawing himself up, with peculiar empha lis and
| theatrical air. exclaimed, =" Tres volontier. mon
sieur." He then Instantly rushed to the open win
dow, and from the balcony, dashed himself 70 tho
ground-it was the fourth story, and he died in
rwelv hours after. He would make no confession
but frequently repeated, in a sort of delirun, II
est coup en- p-ris mUrceanx"
The investigation OF the mutilated corpse, which
proved 10 be that of the jsweler, was dreadf1I
Under the coat of The FreHcI man we're uDd. Close
to his side, small hstchet and n enormou, knife
with which he must have hacked ami hewed ths
dead body, 10 carry portions of it from the house
when he went out, as the only way in which he
could dispose of it, 1t was suppo> ell he had killed
the man with the sedge hammer, which was found
in the closet. None of the jewelers. properly was
ever found or heard Of