The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-11-09
4 Clock WOBdeT.

During the summer of lS-theT5
might have been observed lettering
about the Tuileries a spare, shabbily
dressed man, past the prime of life
! restless and disconnected in his move.
ments, but wearing, in spite of his
hum bic garb, an air Of faded respect.
ability and character. He was a de.
/ cayed Spanish nObleman, Don Mon
sen Chayarri by name, and one thing
noticeable about him was his per-
sistency in endeayOring to obtain an
audience OF the Emperor. FOiled in
/ every attempt, either through accident
or the suspicious of the attendants, he
/ invariably received the rebuffs in
| silence and withdrew-meTely to re-
new his opportunities. Repulsed to-
day, tomorrow found him at his post.
He haunted the palace like a spectre.
] Even the gamins soon grew familiar
/ with the story of his homeless guest
and he began in time to be treated
with that sort of pitiful consideration
which is usually accorded to those in
unsound mind.
At length, however, there came a
day when, in theSSRue de Rivoli, as the
Emperor was returning from 4 re-
view, a pistol-shOt rang out from the
/ corner Of the court, and the bullet,
whistling through the line OfOutriders,
buried itself in the imperial carriage.
The police at once charged the crowd,
and among the number arrested was
our friend the Spaniard.
At the trial, there being no evidence
against him, he was acquitted, but
warned TO instantly leave Paris.
Acting upon the warning he disap-
peared, and for the time all traces of
him were lost.
It was some two years after this
occurrence that there began to circu-
late among the qtidllfHc3 Of the capital
reports of a marvellous clock to be
seen in that city, which illustrated,
by means Of automatic figures, an
episode in the life of the Emperor, and
was designed fer presentation to that
parsonage.
1t was said to be work of a famous
artisan, who had lately arrived, in
cognito, from foreign parts, accom-
panied by young lady, his daughter
who in a supposed fit of eccentricity
had taken lodgings in en- humble and
obscure quarter of the FaubOurg st.
Antoine. The reports of the wonder
ful, almost supernatural performances
of this piece of mechanism, and the
mystery surrounding its owner and
inventor, gave rise for a short time
and in certain circles To no small
amount Of gossip.
This gradually died away, and the
artisan and his clock were alike for
gotten, when an event occurred which
restored them to more than their for
mer prominence, and entitled them a
place in history.
FOuche, one morning in his Office,
received a letter from his secret agent
in Spain, containing information of a
most startling and important charac-
ter. Its perusal threw him into a
state Of unusual excitement, and its
result was an immediate descent of
the police on the mysterious shop IN
the Faubcurg st. Antoine, with orders
to arrest the artisan and his daughter,
secure the premises, and carefully
guard all the stock, tools, implements
and other contents from being touched
or displaced till further opportunity
offered fOS thorough investigation.
The party detailed for the duty hav-
ing departed, FOUche reseated him
self and waited, with i'll concealed
anxiety, the arrival of the prisoners.
After a considerable lapse OF time
the officer charged with the arrest ap-
peared empty-handed. His report
was soon made.
The lady in the case, the daughter,
had that morning at an early hour
left her house in the Faubourg,
accompanied by q young lady who
bore a heavy black pOrtmanteau. The
two had been traced to the gates of
Montmatre, beyond which point no
clue to their movements could be
obtained.
The old workman himself had left
the shoD an hour before the visit Of
the police, locking doors and barring
| windows behind him. He bore in his
arms what was apparently, according
to the apple-wOman opposite, great
square box, covered with oilskln- Ii
seemed heavy. He sat dOwn on his
doorstep, when a caleche came by, IN
70 which he put himself and the box
with the assistance Of the driver, and
4 was driven OF at a rapid pace. The
! calech was brown. The driver was
in green lively. A gendarme was
/ following him, and another was
lguarding the shop in the Faubourgh,
where, however, nothing remained
but a piece Of furniture and a great
many scraps Of brass and iron.
FOuOhO reflected a monsHt, when