Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-06-27
VOL. XVII.

Magdalene Paret deposed that Mirabel
had called on her one day, looking pale
and agitated, and declared that he had
been holding converse with an apparition,
which had revealed to him the situation
of some buried treasure. She was present
when the parcel, apparently containing
money, was found and she remembered
Mirabel stating, subsequently, that he
had placed it for safety in the hands OF
Auguier.
Gaspard Deleuil repeated the narrative
told by Mirabel of the ghost and the gold,
adding that he had met him on the 9Th OF
September, near the Porte des Faineants
Udler's Gatel, carrying two bags that he
saw him hand them over to the man who
appeared to be waiting for him, and saw
him receive in return a piece of paper
and that, on rejoining. him Mirabel stated
that he had intrusted to Auguier some
newly ly-found treasure, taking his acknowl-
edgment for the same.
Francois Fourniere, the third witness,
confirmed the story of the specter and the
money, as related by Mirabel, who ap-
peared deeply stricken by the extraordi-
nary favor shown him in this supernatu-
raj visitation On his pressing for sight
of the treasure, Mirabel took the witness
to his chamber, and, removing some
bricks from the chimney, displayed a
large bag filled with gold coin. Having
afterward heard of Auguier's alleged dis
honesty, the witness reproached him with
it, when he became deadly pale, and en-
treated that the subject might be drop
ped.
Other witnesses deposed to the sudden
intimacy, more noticeable on account of
their difference of station, that had
sprung up between Mirabel and Auguier,
dating from the period of the discovery of
the gold. Sundry experts bore testimony
to the resemblance of the writing of the
receipt, signed Louis Auguier," to the
autograph of the latter.
The ghost and Mirabel carried the day.
In fact, it was mere walk over the
course. The lieutenant-criminal, entirely
with them, decreed that Auguier should
be arrested, and submitted to the "ques-
ton"
Appeal, however, was made to the
Parliament of AK, and the matter began
to excite considerable notice. Persons
were found to censure the ready credence
given by the lieutenant- criminal to the
story of the ghost, and the case coming
to hearing, an able advocate of the day
buckled on his armorto do battle with the
shade.
Is it credible Che asked) that a spirit
should quit the repose of another world
expressly to inform Monsieur de Mirabel,
a gentleman with whose existence it
seems to have had no previous acquaint-
ance, of the hiding place of this treasure?
How oficious must be the nature of that
ghost which should select, in caprice, a
man it did not personally know, to enrich
him with treasure, for the due enjoy
of r1 oh 40
him so unfit. How slight must be the
prescience of spirit that could not fore
see that Mirabel would be deprived of his
treasure by the first knave he had the mis-
fortune to trust! There could be no such
spirit, be assured.
If there were no specter, there was, ac-
cording to all human probability, no
gold; and if no gold, no ground for the
accusation of Auguier.
Descending to earthly reasoning, was
it likely that M;rabel should intrust to
Auguier treasure of whose actual value
he knew nothing, or that he should take
in return a receipt he had not seen the
giver write? How was it, pray, that the
woman Paret and Gaspard Deleuil de-
manded no share in the treasure so dis
covered? Were these excellent persons
superior to the common weaknesses of
humanity-curiosity and the lust of gain
The witness Paret certainly saw the dis
covery of parcel; but the rest of her ev-
idence was hearsay. The witness Deleuil
saw the exchange of bags and paper; but
all the rest-specter included-was hear
say. And when the witness Fourniere de-
clared that Auguier, being taxed with rob-
berry, turned deadly pale, Auguier frankly
nay prOadly-confessed it, stricken as
that honorable burgher was with terror at
charge SO foul and unexpected! The
climax of injustice was surely reached
when this respected, estimable, substan-
tial merchant of Frances proudest sea-
mart was, on the uncorroborated word of
ghost for to this it must be traced),
submitted to the torture. In criminal,
even more than in civil cases, that which
seems repugnant to possibility is reputed
false. Let hundred witnesses testify to
that which is contrary to nature and the
light of reason, their evidence is worth
less and vain. Take an example, the
famous traditions which gives an addi-
tional interest to the noble house of Lu-
signan, and say that certain persons swore
that the fairy Melusina, who had the tail
of a serpent, and bathed every Saturday
in a marble cellar, had revealed treasure
to some weak idiot, who was Immediately
robbed of it by another. What would
be thought of a judge who should, on
such testimony, condemn the accused
Is it on such fairy fable that Auguier,
the just, the respected family father, the
loyal patriot, must be adjudged guilty ?
Never! Such justice might be found at
Cathay, might prevail in the yet undis-
covered islands of the Eastern Archi-
pelago, but in France-no There re-
mained, in short, but one manifest duty
to the court, namely, to acquit, with all
honor, this much-abused man, and to rem
der him such noble compensation as the
injuries he had suffered deserved.
1t was now, however, the phantom's
innings. Turning On the court the night
side Of Nature, the specter's advocate
pointed out that the gist Of Auguier's de-
fense consisted of a narrow and senseless
satire upon supernatural visitations, in.
volving most unauthorized assumption
that such things did never occur. Was
it intended to contradict holy writ? TIC
deny truth attested by Scripture, by the
fathers of the Church, by very wide expe.
rience and testimony, finally, by the Fac
ulty of Theology of Paris? The speaker
here adduced disappearance of the prophet
Samuel at Endor (of which LIE Brur
remarked that it was, past question, &
work commenced by the power of evil
but taken from his hand and completed
by stronger than he); that of the bodies ot
buried saints after our Lords resurrection
and that of St. Felix, who, according te
st. Augustine, appeared to the besiege
inhabitants of Nola. But, say that any
doubts could nationally exist, were the1
not completely set at rest by recent de
cision of the Faculty of Theology? sDe
siring," says this enlightened decree, ''tt
satisfy pious scruples, we have, after
very careful consideration Of the subject
resolved that the spirits of the departed
may, and do, by supernatural power anc
divine license, reappear unto the living.
And this opinion was in conformity witt
that pronounced at Sorbonne two centu
ries before.
However, it was not dogmatically al
firmed that the spirit which had evince
this interest in Mi1abel was the ghost O
any departed person. 1t might have bee
a spirit, whether good or evil, of anothe
kind. That such a spirit can as
sumo the human form few will deny
when they recall that the apostles hel
that belief, mistaking their Lord, walkin