Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-11-13
A Federal Spy In Richmond.

About the close of the year 1864 stranger
appeared in Richmond, of elegant address and
manners, speaking English and Italian, and
whose dark and peculiar features supported the
statement that he was O native of Italy. He
made himself exceedingly agreeable to the com.
pany at the Exchange hotel, although practicing
something of the reserve of the nobeman and
he was observed with not little curiosity, until
gossip settled on the discovery that he had been
seen to visit the State department, and that.
therefore, considering, too, his distingue appear
ance, he must be charged with a mission of i'm
portance. Dining one day at the hotel he took
advantage oe casual remark to draw into con-
versation Mr.. Boteler, a member of Congress
from Virginia. gentleman who was supposed to
have great taste for learning The latter had
noticed the sound escaping from gas jet over
the table. The conversation turned upon the
possibility of producing musical notes from such
source. Chemistry, acoustics and other
branches of science were discussed, greatly to
Mr. Boteler S relish and at last the Italian grace
fully insisted that the Congressman should ac-
company him to his room, to witness some
scientific experiments in which he was then
engaged The experiments were shown. Mr.
Boteler saw at once THAT their adjustments were
those of a scientific man, and for an hour he
roamed with his strange acquaintance over the
fields of science, literature and art wondering at
his varied accomplishments and fascinated by
the charm of his manner.
AS Mr.. Boteler rose to depart the stranger
said, with the air of communicating an i'm
pOrtant' confidence. I" | have something to say
TO you. The pleasure l have experienced in
your company, and the position know you to
occupy in your government, encouraged me to
make communication that will interest you
have mission to Richmond and l have already
partially discharged it, and am now only waiting
on your government for a sum of money that is
haIn 81, 80 N,.l
1t sympathizes with the Southern Confederacy ;
and it is the only power in Europe that can con-
troll its recognition, for Napoleon III. is secretly
member of the society, and dares not disobey
its mandates. More than this" and his brow
darkened-"I hold in my hand the life of
Abraham Lincoln the victim whom the Car
bonari designates cannot elude them" What
impression this important and terrible disclosure
made upon Mr.. Boteler is not known, but be has
never denied that he believed what the man told
him. He even went to the extent of appointing
a day to accompany the stranger diplomat to the
State department, and actually engaged to add
in influence to the impression which the latter
already reported be had made upon Secretary
Benjamin, but to what extent Of aiding the mis-
sion he did not mention.
The day came. Mr. Boteler attended at the
hotel. The Italian was not 10 be found /; he had
left the hotel hurriedly that morning. Suspi-
Pursuit wers ordered on all the roads leading
out of Richmond, and fortunately the man, dis
guised as peddler, was overtaken and arrested
a few miles from the city. He resisted the Off
GERS stouty, and with great insolence for some
time the search to which he was subjected re-
vealed nothing contraband or suspicious he was
about to be dismissed with apologies, when one
of the officers, examining his boots, discovered
that the heels might be screwed off, ana found
snugly ensconced therein several sheets of tissue
paper inscribed with plans of all the fortifca-
tions of Richmond, and with a correspondence
giving all the details of its defences. The man
was carried back to Richmond as a spy. But he
never was tried, never punished, and we do not
know what became of hm-the government be-
ing unwilling to give publicity to the incident
and anxious to hush up an affair in which its
credulity had been so ridiculously practiced
upon by an adventurer, who, at best, was
nothing more than a>charlatan.-Poliards Life
ofT