The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-10
THE DEAD ALtNE.

tR*N pA<1N AAkHE<
The subjoined narrative, from
Chambers Journal, is stated to be
translated from a foreign newspaper.
1t is necessary to remind the reader
that the Island of Mauritius, apper-
tanning at this day to tho English,
was originally colonized by the
French, and that the population vet
consisted, in great measure, of per
sons of that nation, to whom, by a
formal treaty between the powers con
cerncd, their ancient laws and usages
were preserved without any material
alterations.
Some time ago, the Sieur Clodomir
F'renois, rich merchant of the
island, was found dead and frightfully
dlstigured in his own habitation. His
body was discovered lying on the
floor. with his head and face mutt
lated by means of o pistol, and all
doubts as to the cause of the catas-
trophe. were dispelled by the disco
very of the fatal weapon by the side
of the corpse, and also of n paper in
the handwriting of the deceased.
This paper contained the following
words:.
81 am ruined! n villain has robbed
mo of twenty-five thousand livres
sterling; dishonor must be my por-
tlon, and L cannot await to survive
It, leave to my wife the task of
distributing among my creditors the
last which remains to us; and I pray
that God, my friends, and my enc
mics, maypardon my self-destruction
Yet, In another minute, I shall be in
eternity.
"CLODOMIR FRENOIS."
Great was the CONSERVATION caused
by this tragic event, which was the
moro unexpected as the loss alluded
to in the note had never been made
public. Tho deceased had been held
in great esteem all over the colony, as
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 overpowering to
permit her to mingle longer with the
world, and took tho resolution of
consccrating her remaining days to
the service of religion. Two months
after the sad end of her husband, she
entered aconvent, leaving to n nephew
of her late merchant, physician,
the charge of completing the distri-
button of the effects of Frenois among
his creditors.
A minute examination of the papers
of the defunct led to the discovery of
the period Mt which the unfortunate
merchant had been robbed; and this
period WAS found to correspond with
tho date of the disappearance of q
man named Moon, long in the en-
ploy 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 reap
peared in the colony. When taken
up aud 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 MGR
chant there, in which mission he had
been unsuccessful; and he further
averred that, if Clodomir Frenois, in
his existing correspondence, had
thrown any suspicion upon him,
\AHOChjJ ohC WllOlC WIS DllU II DroLoXG
to account for the deficiencies of
which the merchant himself was the
sole cause and author. This doclara-
tion, made by q man who seemed to
fear no injury, and whose worldly
circumstances remained, to appear
anccs, tho same as they had ever been,
had tho effect of silencing, if they
did not satisfy, the examiners; and
the affair soon fell, in great mea-
sure, out of the public recollection.
Things remained for short time
IN this condition, when, one morn
ing, MIR. William Burnett, principal
creditor of the late Clodomir Frenois,
heard knocking at his gate of q very
early hour. He called up one of the
servants, who went down and opened
the door, and Immediately returned
with the intelligence that stranger.
who seemed desirous of keeping his
person concealed. wished to speak
with Mr.. Burnett in private. Mr..
Burnett rose, threw on his dressing
gown, and descended to the parlor.
He saw there n strnnOer n foil 1oroor