Maryland free press., 1867-04-25
The Dead Alive.
A ROMANCE OF REAL LIFE.

The subioined narrative, from Clamb,r's
Journal is said TO be Transmitted from foreign
newspaper. ait is necessary to remind the read
! er that the island or Mauritions, appertaning
at this day to1 the esEnglish, was originally col
onzed by the French and that the population
yet consists in great measure of persons of
that nation, to whom by,h.formal treaty between
| the, powers concerned, their ancient laws and
usages were preserved without any material
| alterations.
| Some time ago, the Sieur Clodomir- Frenios n
| rich merchant of the island, was found dead
and faightfully disfgurei is his own hahitation.
His body was discovered lying on the floor
with his head and face muiilated by means of a
pistol and all doubt as to the cause Of the cataS-
trophe was dispelled by the discovery Of the fa-
tai weapon by the side of the corpse and also OF
a'paper in the hand writing of the deceased.
The paper containing the following words:
az am ruined A.villan has robbed me of
twenty-five thousand livres sterling dishonor
must be my portion, and cannot await or sur
vive it. leave to my wife the task of distribu
| ton among nv creditors the means which re-
main to us and pray that God, my friends,
my enemies, may pardon my scIt-destruction.-
Yet in another minute shall be in eternity
CLoDoMIR FREYsIs.
Great was the CONSERVATION caused by this
| tragic event, which was the more unexpected, as
the loss alluded TO in the note had never heen
great esteem over the colony as "a man OF strict
h )nor and probitv, and was universally lament
ell. His attached widow, after endeavoring
fIithfuly to fulfil his last wishes found her
grief Too ovcrpcwering to permit her to mingie
longer with 'hc9world, and took the resolution
of coasecrating her remaining days to the service
Of religion Two months after the sad end of
her husband. she entered convent, leaving to
n nephew of her late merchlnt, physician, the
charge of compcting the effects OF Frenois a.
mong his creditors.
9" 4 minute examination Of the popers OF the
defunct, led to the discovery OF the period at
which unfortunate merchant had been robbed !;
and this period has been found 10 correspond
with the datasTof the disappearance Of man
named John Moon, long in the employment of
Frcnois. OF this man, on whom suspicion nat
uraliy fell, nothing could bc learned on inquiry;
but shortly after the sdivison sof tue late .mer-
chants property, Moon reappeared in the colony
When taken up and examined respecting the
cause of his flight he stated that he had peen
sent by his master to France to recover certap
sums due TO the merchant there, in which mis-
sio n he had been unsuccessful.
He further ayerred that if Clodomir Frenious.
in his existing correspondence, had thrown any
injurious suspicion on him (AToon) the whole
was but pretext to account for deficiencies OF
which..the merchant himself was the sole cause
and author This declaration made by man
circumstances remained to s.appearence the same
as they ii ever beeu had the effect of silencing
If they dill not satisfy, the examiners; and the
antir soon fell, in great measure, out OF the re-
collection.
Things remained for short time in this con-
dition, when. one morning, Mr.. VIM. Bnrnott,
principal creditor ofthe late CulOmir Frenois,
heard a knocinga at his gate at.t very teariy
hour. He called up one of his servants, who
went down and opened the door and Immediate
~ returned With the Intelligence That n stranger,
who seemed 6esrious keeping his person con-
ccalcd, private. Mr. Burnett rose threw on
his dressing gown, AMI decendrd to the parior:
hG saw there a stranger tall in pcrsor, selted
in an easy aui familiar attitude on the sofl,
With copy of the "iNrang., Post in his hand.
The back Of the visitor was turnrd TO Mr. Bur.
nett rs he entered. Rather surprised to see a
stranger conduct himself so like an old friend
of the house, Mr.. Burnett said aloud, "Sr,
beg 10 know your business with me-.
The stranger,,turn around and advanced to
salute his host warmly and courteously. Mr..
Burnett started back and uttered n loud exclama-
ton of surprise and ararm. Well he might,
for before him stood his old friend and debtor,
Ciodomir, who he himself had !ollowed to the
grave.
What passed Cat that interview between Mr..
Burnett and his strange visitor, remains for the
time secret Mr.. Burnett, was observcd't TO Issue
several times, pale and agitatcd, from his dwell
ing, and to visit the magistrate charged with the
criminal processes of the colony
In the progress of that day, while John Moon
was rcca!ing himself with tea under the palm tree
in his garden, in company with Circassian te-
male whom he had bought some time previously,
he was arrested and taken to prison by the Off
GERS of Justice. On the following day he was
brought before the criminal court, accused OF
robbing the late CIoiomir Frenois the crime be-
lug conioined with breach Of trust and violence.
Moon smiled at the charge with all the confidence
of n man who had nothing 20 fear. The Judge
| having demanded ofhn if he confessed the crime,
the accused replied that the charge was altogeth
| er absurd that clear testimony was necessary to
fix such crime upon him: and that so far ssfron
there being any such evidence producible, neith
CT the widow of the deceased, nor any person in
his service, had ever heard the pretended robbery
| ever once mentioned by Frenois during his life
g4"Do you thcnhflirm your innocenct?" replied
the Judge, gravcly after hearing all that the 9TH
or had 10 say. ....-..,-- r..
81 will ayouch my innocence" replied Moon,
s'even before the body of my late master if that
he necessary" Such thing often took. place
under the old colonial law. 81 ...' ..'
sa"John Monn," said the Judge, in voice broken
Ty some r"culiur emotion; 'it is before your late
,l1eier that You will have TO assert your inno-
cence; and may God make the truth appear.
| A signal from the Judge accompanied these
| words, ana Immediately door opened, ana ClO-
domir Frcuois, the supposed suicide, entered the
court. lie advanced to the bar with slow and
deliberate step, having his eye calmly but stern
ly fixed on the prisorcr his servant. A great
sensation was caused in the court by his appear
nncc, Uttering shrirks Of alarmand horror, the
aomalcs fed from the spot. The accused fell on
his hnops in abjcct terror, and shudderingy con.
fcsscd his guilt. For time no voice was heard
but his However, as it became apparent that a
! livi..g man stood before the court the advocate
So,,amH L M prisoner gained courage 10 speak. lie
established, anihee identity of the merchant be
explained. lie said qHH:stery OF his existence be
be biased by what might prove tGurt y! Should NOT
dental likeness between man living bi'e'e "cCi :
deceased: and that such an avowal as that ofiie2
prisoner extracted in moment of extraordinary
terror, was not to be held Of much weight. "Be.
fore being admitted here as an acsuser or wit.
ness" continued the advocate, addressing the
rcsuscitated merchant, ''provc who and what you
are, and disclose by what chance Tie tomb which
so lately received your body, maugled by bull
let's has given up its tenant, and restored you to
full life and health"
The firm appeal of the advocate, who contin-
ued stcadast TO his duty under circumstances
that would have closed the lips of uost men.
called forth the f)lowing narrative from Clodi-
.&,.r 3Asn. Me- rt, L..