Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-10-23

allows them be retaed at much lower price without
the barriers than that which they sold within the
walls OF the city, This law has given rise, among the low
er orders OF people, 10 frequent attempts at smuggling IL
quors in badders concealed about their person. often in their
hats. The penalty for the offence high, that il
very rarely enforced and practically it very seldom,
indeed that the actual loss incurred by the offending party
anything than the paltry venture, which he
generally permitted to abandon making the best of
his heels to escape any further punishment. The gems
darmss planted at The different barriers, generally made
prey OF the poabes which they captured and were
quenty interested in keeping good lookout for offenders.
II this vigilance that led to the discovery of the rob
bers for being able devise any better plan for the
removal of the money than that of secretng il about their
perscns they attempted thus TO carry out their object But
of them heavily encountered with the golden SPOIL
passing through the Barriee dEner, of the SOL
dier-poce who duty sentinel suspecng, from
his appearance and hesitang gait, he carried smngged IL
quos his hat suddenly stepped behind him and struck
from his head with his halberd What was his astouish.
men to behold instead of the expected bladder of wine
spirits, several small bags Of gold and rolls of English bank
notesl The confusion and prevaricaons OF the wretch,
who made vain and frantic attempts the property,
betrayed his guilt and he Immediately taken into
tody, together with his companion, who following very
short distance, was unhesatingy pointed out by his
and bewdered confederate the of The money
No time was lost in conveying intelligence of their capture
to their unfortunate victim, who Immediately identified The
notes his property and the first view of the
sassns distinctly to the persons of boihto the elder
as having repeatedly stabbed him and to the younger, as
his companion and cOadjutor.
criminals d,o oorrea or roo ,r;oJ E,II,,
convicted and, 6e expected sentenced to death
by the guilOline out, owing to technical nformaty
in the proceedings, the doom of The law could not be car
ed into execution until the of the court had been
confirmed upon appeal This delay afforded time and op-
porunity for meddllng interested individua-ei-
her moved by the desire of making cruel experiment.
else by the hupe Of obtaining reversal Of the capital SEN
ence against the prsUners-tO work upon the feelings
the unfortunate msney changer few days after the
ence Of death had been pronounced the unhappy victim
had received letter from unknown hand mysteriousy
woded, and setting FORTH expressions that seemed TO him
eauly prophetic that the thread of his own destiny was
ndsouby united with that of his condemned assassius-
1t evidently out Of their power 10 take away his life
and was equally out Of his power survive them die by
the sentence Of the law how when they might be.
came cear-so argued this ntermeddler-hat the same
which the termination of their lives would in
evilaby he The last of his To orly his arguments,
the leerwer referred to certain mystic symbols in the
heavens. Now, though the poor could understand
thing of the trumpery diagrams which forth il
usatng the truth IF the fatal warning thus conveyed
him, and though his friends universally laughed the trick
bare faced attempt Of some Anonymous mposor to rob
justice Of her due, it nevertheless made deep impression
upon his mind Ignorant of every thing but what related
Immediately to his money getting profession, he had
blind and underlined of what he termed the super
natural Sciences and he nwardy thanked the kind mon
ilor who had given him least chance Of redeeming his
days.
He Immediately set about making application to the
judges in order get the decree of death changed into
sentence to the galeys for life. He was equally surprised
and distressed to find that they treated his petition with
Contempt and rdiculed his fears So from granting his
request after repeated solicitations, they commanded him
IN peremptory manner to appear before them
Driven almost 10 despair he resolved upon pettonng the
king and after much expense and toll, he at length sue
ceeded in obtaining audience of Charles X All was in
vain. crime enormous, committed with such cool de-
liberation, left opening for the plea Of mercy every eff
fort he made only served TO strengthen the resolution
the authorities to execute Judgment Finding all his eff
forts in vain he appeared to resign himself despairingly
to his ate.-Deprved fall relish for gain, he took
to his bed and angushed in hopeless misery, and the
time for the execution of the criminals approached psec
more and more into terror and dismay.
1t a sultry afternoon in the beginning ofJune 1926
that the writer Of this brief narratve-lhen not TOT
thoughtful lad, in search of employment, in Paris-hurriet
together with party of sigh, seeing English wokmen
In nf no
assassus Of the money changer Under the rays of an al
most nSupp0labe sum- Immense crowd had congrega-
ted around the guo,ne and it was not without consider
able exerton and bribe of some small amount that stand
ing places at length obtained within few PAGES
the dreadful instrument, upon the flat Top of the low wal
which divides the simple Of the Place de Greve from
the river Seine.
Precisely at four o'clock the sombe cavalcade approach
ed. Seated upon bench in long cart, between tw
priests the wreched victims Of rerbutve Justice
The crucifx necessarily exhibited 10 their view, ant
presented their lips be kissed BY their ghosty attend
ants. After few minutes of silent and horrible prepara
ton the elder advanced upon The platform Of the guioine
With livd aspect and quverng lips, he gazed around il
unuterabe agony upon the Of human faces then lift
ing his haggad eyes to heaven he demanded pardon
Goe and The people for the violation of the great preoga
tive of the former and the social rights of the latter and be
sought most earnestly the mercy of The Judge into whose
presence he about to enter Ia less than minutes
OOn lie and his companion headess corpses and in
quarter OF an hour ge, few remains ofsaw
uuS was left of the terrible drama that had been enacted
Doom however confused pervaded The crowd;
report mat the victim of cruelty and avace had realized
the oead OF his own mind and justified the prediction con
tanned IN the anonymous letter he had received Onnqui
ry, this was found to be true. As The signal rung out 70
execution, the unhappy man, whom twenty-five sabs
the dagger had failed 70 kill, expired in paroxysm of ter
ror-adding to the many examples already upo
record Of the fatal force of fear upon an excited maoi
nalion- Chambers Journal.