The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-03-29
The Dead Alive.
a ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

The suLjoincd narrative, from
Chambers journal, is stated to be
translated from foreign newspaper.
1t is necessary to remind the reader,
that the Island Of Mauritius, APP
pertaining at this day to the English,
was originally colonized hy the
French, and that the population yet
consists in a great measure OF per.
sons of that nation, to whom By q
formal treaty between the powers
concerned, their ancient laws and
usuages were preserved without any
material alterations.
Some time ago the Sicur Clodomir
Frenois, rich merchant of the island
was found dead and lrighttully dis
figured in his own habitation. His
body was discovered lying on the
floor, with his head and face mutilat-
ed 10y means oil Il pistol, and all
doubts as TO the cause of the catas-
trophe was disrelled by the discov-
cry of the fatal weapon by the side
of the corpse, and also of q paper in
the handwriting of tue deceased
This paper contained the following
words:
/ am ruined! A william has rob.
bed me of twenty five thousand livres
sterling; dishonor must be my pur.
ton, 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 enc
mics, may pardon my selfdestruc-
tion! Yet in another minute shall
he in eternity!
CLoDoMR FRENoIs.
Great was the CONSERVATION caused
by this tragic event, which was the
more unexpected as the loss alluded
to in the note had never been made
public. The deceased had been held
in great esteem over the colony as a
man OF strict honor and probity, and
was universally lamented. His at
tached 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 the resolution OF
consecrating her remaining days TO
the services of religion. Two months
after the sad end OF her husband she
entered q convent, leaving to neph
ew of her late merchant, aphysician,
the charge of completing the distrib-
ution of the effects oil Frenois among
his creditors. .f.r
A minute examination Of the papers
of the defunct led to the discovery oil
the period at which the unfortunate
merchant had been robbed; and this
period was found to correspond with
the date OF the disappearance of q
man named John Moon, long in the
employment of FreLois. Of this nan,
on whom suspicion naturally fell,
nothing could be learned on inquiry
but shortly after the division OF the
late merchants property, Noon re-
appeared in the colony. When Ia
ken up and examined respecting the
cause of his flight, he stated that h6
had been sent by his master tC
France to recover certain sums due
to the merchant there, in which mis-
sion he had been unsuccessful and
he further averred, that if CodomiI
Frenois, in his existing correspon'
dence had thrown any injurious sus'
picions upon him, { Noon, the whole
was but pretext 10 account for the
deficiencies of which the merchant
himself was the sole cause and author
Tliis declaration, made by man who
seemed to fear no inquiry, and whose
worldly circumstances remained t.
appearances the. same as they had
ever been, had the effect of silencing
if they did not satisfy the examiners
and the affair soon fell, In great
measure, out of the public recollec
ton.
Things remained for a short time
in this condition, when, one morn
ling, Mr.. VIM. Burnett, principal cred
Iitor Of the late Clodlnir Frenois
heard q knocking at his gate at 9