The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-03-28
The Dead Alive-A Romance of Rea
Life.

The subioined narrative, from Chambers
Journal, is stated to be translated from a
foreign newspaper. 1t is necessary to re-
mind the reader that the Island Of Mauri-
thus, appertainiDg at this day TO the Eng
lish, was originally coloniZed by the French,
and that the population yet consisted, in a
great measure, of persons OF that nation,
TO whom by a formal treaty between the
Powers concerned, their ancient laws and
usages were preserved without any mate
rial alterations.
Some time ago, the Sieur Clodomir
Frenois, a rich merchant of the island, was
found dead and frightfully disigured in his
W habitation. His body was discovered
living on the floor, with his head and face
mutilated by means Of a pistol, and all
doubts as to the cause Of the catastrophe
were dispelled by the discovery OF the
fatal weapon by the side of the corpse, and
also of a paper in the handwriting OF the
deceased. This paper contained the iol-
lowing words:
81 am ruined a william has robbed me
of twenty-five thousand livers sterling
dishonor must be my portion, and cannot
await or survive it. / leave to my wife
the task Of distributing among my creditors
the last which remains to us; and | pray
that God, my friends, and my enemies may
pardon my self destruction. Yet, in an
other minute ! shall be in eternity.
"CLoDoMIR FRENoIs."
Great was the CONSERVATION caused by
this tragic event, which was the more un-
expected as the loss alluded to in the note
has never been made public. The de-
no..nl ha1 haan hall IN 0raat acfanp, oil
over the colony as a man of strict honor
and probity, and was universally lamented.
His attached widow, after ~endeavoring
faithfully to fulfill his last wishes, found
her grief too o~verpowering to permit her
to mingle longer with the world, and took
the resolution of conSecrating her remain
ing days to the services Of religion. Two
months after the sad end of her husband
she entered a convent, leaving to- nephew
of her late merchant, a physician, the
charge of completing the distribution of
the effects of Frenois among his creditors.
A minute examination of the papers of
the defunct led to the discovery of the
period at which the unfortunate merchant
had been robbed and this period was
found to correspond with the date of the
disappearance of o man named John
Moon, long in the employment of Frenois.
OF this man, On whom suspicion naturally
fell, nothing could be learned on inquiry;
but shortly after the division of the late
merchants property Moon reappeared in
the colony. Whentaken up and examined
respecting the cause of his flight, he stated
that he had been sent by his master to
France to recover certain sums due TO the
merchant there, in which mission he had
been unsuccessful; mi he further averred
that If Clodomir Frenois, in his existing
correspondence, had thrown any suspi-
cion upon him Moon, the whole was but
q pretext to account for the deficiencies Of
which the merchant himself was the sole
cause aud author. This declaration, made
by q man who seemed to fear no inquiry,
u whose worldly circumstances remain
go 70 appearances the same as they had
ever Deen, mad the effect Of silencing, if
thcy a,a NOT satisfy, the examiners; and
OF the public recollection.
Tninss remained for a short time IN this
Gonaas.on, when, one morning Mr.. William
c,nSoro, R.lnciPai creditor Of the late
oa.a AZ 80 heard a knocking at his
one OF the servants, who went d. up
opened the door, and immediate,v rstu, ana
~hh the intelligence that a s,tannou
seemed desirons Of keeping h;s VINO
concealed, wished to speak With =, person
nett in private. Mr.. Burnett rosa Dur
on bis dressing-gown, and d~ascanaus ew
the parlor. He saw there a strsn~ar "
tall person, seated In an easy and fax;ii. :
attitude upon Q sofa with Q copy of The
Morning. Post In his hand, The back 81
the visitor was turned to Mr.. Burnett az he
entered, Rather surprised TO see a
stranger conduct himself 20 like an old
friend oe tho house, As. Burnett said