The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-05-19
The Force OF Fear.


about dusk in the afternoon, just as the
wealthy dealers in the Balais- Royal at
Paris were about lighting their lamps
and putting up their shutters, (the prac-
tice of the major part Of them at night
fall, well known money changer sat be-
hind his counter alone, surrounded by
massive heaps of silver and gold, the gilt
tering and sterling currency of all the
the Kingdoms of Europe. He had we'll
nigh closed his operations for the day, and
was enjoying in anticipation the prospects
of a good dinner Between the easy-chair
upon which he reclined in perfect salts
faction, and the door which opened into
the north side Of the immense quadran-
gle Of which the splendid edifce above
mentioned Is composed, arose stout wire
partition, reaching nearly to the ceiling,
and resting upon the counter, which trav-
ersed the whole length of the room. Thus
he was efectually cut off from all posi-
bility of unfriendly contact from any of
/ his occasional visitors; while a small Sill
ding board that ran in and out under the
wire partition served as the medium of
his peculiar commerce. Upon this he re-
ceived every coin, note or draft presented
for change, and having first carefully
examined it, returned It's value, by the
same conveyance, in the coin of France,
or, indeed, of any other country required
Behind him was a door communicating
with his domestic chambers, and in the
middle Of the counter was another, the
upper part of which formed a portion Of
the wire partition above described.
| The denizen 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 repast, when two young
men entered. They were evidently Ital-
ians, from their costume and peculiar di-
alect Had it been earlier in the day when
there would have been sufficient light to
have discerned their features and express
sion, It's probable that our merchant would
have defeated their plans, for he was well
skilled in detecting the tokens of fraud or
design in the human countenance. But
they had chosen their time too appropri-
ately. One of them, advancing towards
the counter, demanded change in 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 as
certained that the coin was genuine, re-
turned its proper equivalent by the GUS
tomary mode of transfer. The Italians
turned as if to leave the apartment; when
he who had received the money suddenly
dropped the silver as though accidental
ly, upon the floor. AS it was now nearly
dark, it was scarcely to be expected that
they could find the whole of the pieces
without the assistance of light
This the unconscious merchant has
tened to supply; and unlocking, with
out suspicion, the door of the partition
between them, stopped with candle O.
yer the floor in search of the lost COIN
In this position the unfortunate man was
Immediately assailed with repeated stabs
from a poniard, and he at length fell af-
ter a few feeble and Intellectual struggles,
senseless and apparently ifeless, at the
feet of his assassins.
A considerable time elapsed ere, by
the fortuitous entrance of a stranger, he
was discovered in this dreadful situation;
when it was found that the assassins, ,hav-
ing first helped themselves to an almost
incredible amount of money, had fed,
without anything being left by which
clue might have been obtained to their
retreat.
The unfortunate victym of their rapa-
city 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 hilt,
he survived; and in few months after
the event, was again to be seen in his
long accustomed place at the changers
board. In vain had the most diligent
search been made by the military police
of Paris for the perpetrators of this de-
testable deed. The Williams had eluded
all inquiry and investigation, and would
in all probability have escaped undiscov-
cred with their booty but for mutually
cherished distrust of each ether. Upon
the first and complete success of their
plan, the question arose how to dispose
Of their enormous plunder, amounting to
more than hundred thousand pounds
Fearful of the researches of the police,
they dared not retain it at their lodgings.
To trust a third party with their secret
was not to be thought Of At length, af-
ter long and anxious deliberation, they
agreed to conceal the money outside the
barriers of Paris until they should have
concocted some safe plan for transporting
it to their own country, This they ac-
cordingly did, burying the treasure I'M
der tree about mile from the Barriere
d'Enfer But they were still as far as
ever from a mutual understanding
When they separated, on any pretence,
each returned to the spot which contained
the stolen treasure, where, of course, he
was sure, to find the other. Suspicion
thus formed and fed soon grew into dis