Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-02-10
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

Mr. LAWRENCE a merchant OF New Orleans late
" di appesred under mysterious circumstances. He
left his elice late at night, on Saturday the Dist
ut, having several hundred dollars in his pocket.
He was not seen afterwards by his friends; but on
Monday his hat and some other articles were found
on the Levee, with blood upon them. No doubt
now remains that he was made way with in foul
manner.
Tie New Orleans Delta, of the ~ ult., narrates
the following singular circumstances attending this
case f--
ain connection with this unfortunate affair, the
following singular circumstance is related from a
highly responsible source. The veracity of the
gentleman from whom received the story is I'M
questionable and all the persons connected with the
matter are of the highest respectahllty. The wife
of one of Mr. Bawrenees most intimate friends,
who had fer number Of years been on terms of
closest friendship with that unfortunate gentleman
is a meslnerc medium and her brother ism the hab
it of occasionally placing her in mesmeTic state.
Being at the house of acquaintance IN Lafayette,
on last Saturday night, about ten o'clock, (belore
any person had the least animation that any mis-
fortune had befallen Mr.. Lawrence) the company
requested the brother TO mesmerize his sister,
many of them were anxious to see the effects of
mesmerism The lady placed in a mesmeric
sleep and the request of several persons present.
that he would PROFOUND to her few questions, he
asked her, What do you see sister,"
She Immediately replied. Il see three men en-
gagged in a fight the Levee" ado you know
any of them?' Yes one one of them is Mr. Law
renee; the others don't know-one is very tall
mantle other about medium size; and these two
men are striking Mr.. Lawrence. Why don't some
body help him? Why don't he shoot them? There
now, they have knocked Mr.. Lawrence down.
Good heayensl they have killed him. ''What
they doing now?" ''The tall is taking his
watch and the other Is feeling his pockets. He is
taking some bank bills out of Mr. Lawrence's pocl-
ct now heis taking some gold. They are talking
together now; and now they pick Mr., Lawrence up
and are carrying him towards the river. Will no.
body save him? There, they have thrown him in.
Poor Mr. Lawrence is gonel' She stopped talking
for minute or So when she was again asked
"What do You seer She replied Il
steamship lying at the wharf 1t is about to leave.
There is a great number of passengers on board,
and among the passengers see the two men who
killed Mr.. Lawrence and threw HIM in the river.
The tall one has his watch, they are both better
dressed than they were before
Here the company having become satisfied with
the experiment, the brother woke his sister, and
when she was informed of what she had said, she
laughed incredulOusy, remarklng that she recol-
lected nothing of what had taken place. The sis
ter of Mr.. Lawrence was present, and the company
were pretty free IN passing their Jokes about the
matter; and all were vociferous in their denunca-
tons OF IAesrnerisrn hunbug. Little did they
think that the very this young lady had des-
cribed was actually at that moment, perhaps, being
enacted, and that Mr.. Lawrence was then no more.
1t Is also remarkable fact that two steamships
sailed fer California from the wharf on Sunday
morning. Mr.. Lawrence was not seen after leaving
his Office, with five or six hundred dollars in his
pocket at late hour on Saturday night. No anx-
iety was manifested by his friends until Monday
morning, when, beginning to be alarmed, they in
stituted search for HIM. His hat and some other
articles, with blood upon them, were found on the
Levee in the Fourth District. All then remember
ed the story Of the mesmeric subject and mesmer-
ism had more than one convert in that company
Was Dumas romance Of the 'Corsican Brothers"
all fiction?