The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-01-15
SsNlsDD DDuueoOAIo
Tie Force of Fear.

At the close of the winter of 1925
pc, about dust in the forenoon, just
as the wealthy dealers in the Palais-
ROYAL at Paris were lightning their
lamps and putting up their shutters,
(the practice of the major part Of
them at nightfall,) a we'll known mo-
ney changer sat behind his counter
alone, surrounded by massive heaps
2of silver and gold, the gittcring and
sterling currency of all the kingdoms
of Europe. lie had well.nigh closed
mis- operations for the day, and was
enjoying in anticipation the prospect
of q good dinner. Between the ea-
sY chair upon which he reclined in
perfect sat;slaction,s and tho door
which opened into the noe,h side of
The i,a.nenss quadrangle offwl.!eh tho
s spIendia etEifice above mentioned IS
composed, arose n stout wire partition,
reaching nearly to the ceiling, and
resting upon the counter, which ira.
versod the whole length Of the
: room. Thus he was efftctually cut
eff from all possibility of unfriend-
ly contact from any of his occa-
sional visitors; while small sliding
board that ran in and out under the
wire partition served as the medium
Of his peculiar commerce. Upon
this he received every coin, note, or
draft presented for change; and hav-
ing first carefully examined it, re-
turned its value, by the same con
vcyancc, in the coin Of France. or
indeed Of any country required. Be.
hind was door communicating with
his domestic chambers, and i'll the
middle Of tho counter was another,
the upper part Of which formed a
portion Of the wire partition above
described
The denizcn Of this little chamber
had already closed his outer shutters,
and was just on the point Of locking
up his doors and retiring to his rcpast,
when two young men entered. They
were evidently Italians. from their
costume and peculiar dialect. Had
it been earlier i'll the day, when there
would been sufficient light to have
disccrned their features and express
sion, it isprobablc that our merchant
would have defeated their plans, for
he was well skilled in detecting the
tokens of fraud or design in the hu.
man countenance. But they had
chosen their time too appropriately.
One Of them, advancing to the coun-
ter, demanded change in the French
coin for an English sovereign, which
he laid upon the sliding board and
passed through the wire partition.
The money changer rose Immediately,
and having asccrtained that the coin
was genuine, returned its proper cqui-
valent by the customary mode Of
transfer. The Italians turned as if
to leave the apartment, when he who
had received tho money suddenly
dropped the silver, as though acci.
now nearly dark, twas scarcely to be
dentally, upon the floor. AS it was
expected that they could find the
whole of the pieces without the as.
sistance Of a light. This the uncon-
scions merchant hastcned to supply;
and, unlocking without suspicion, the
door of the partition between them,
stopped with q candle over the floor
in search Of the last coin. In this
position the unfortunate man was i'm
mcaiately assailcd with repeated stabs
from poinard, and at length fell, af.
ter n feeble and Intellectual struggle,
scnsc!css, and apparently lifelcss, at
the feet OF his assassins.
A considerable time elapsed ere,
by the foy!YltoIs cptranee OF a strang.