The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-20

Northumberland Oaes.ot
the chief incidents of Mr.. WiIkie Col
Inns well.known novel, Tie Woman IN
White, Is tho assassination in London oi
40 Italian r1fugee. Count Fosco. by
dSder ola secret society Of which he
1ks O. member. To most readers the
episode must: have seemed improbable,
iGnot ABSOLUTELY Incredible. Yet, with.
in a few weeks, if we are to accept with
unquestioning faith queer story pub.
lished in the London papers, Mr.. Col.
Inns. bold invention has been literally
reslized. A man we'll known in com
mercial orioles has suddenly disappeared,
leaving behind him letter I1urpofting
to-hase BEEN written on the everof,r his
execution by . secret society to " hioh c4e
had belouged,, and whose orders he had
in some way disobeyed. Accompanying
this was missiye, supposed TO come
from his judges, announcing tho fulfill
ment OF the sentence. Certainly there is
here most promising sensation. and
ono that ought to stir in tho average
British public. already profoundly agf-
tated by Alabama claims and rumors of
Fenian uprising, q very lively emotion.
More in detail, the circumstances OF
this curious story are these: Messrs. w.
Blews & Son. manufacturers of gas
chandeliers ut London aud Birmingham,
state on the 18th of January last, they
received letter, dated the 18th. from
their agent at Moscow, Mr.. l.. T.
Bauer, announcing his Immediate de-
parture for England to consult his em-
ployers on business. He wrote again
fr,,n I(;,,, A., e ft o.,
from Berlin twice on tho 10th, md from
Hamburg on the 22d. On the 25th he
reached London, and telegraphed to tho
Birmingham OIL the 10 90 train. Subse-
quently they received o telegram stating
that Mr.. Bauer had missed this train,
but would leave at 3 in the afternoon.
This is the lust that has been seen or
hoard OF him except the letter mentioned
above, which is dated Janunry eth.
aud announced his impending death. 1t
is addressed to his employer, and is per-
mitted to be written, it says, "by special
grace" 1t hints darkly ut somo crimi-
nal act Which the writer was bound to
perform by his obligations to the secret
order which he had joined Gin sud
error" OF youth and ine1perience. Dis
obedience subjected him to death. and
this bitter alternative he hnd chosen
rather than edo things against which his
soul revoltud." His luggage, he had
added. had been destroyed, and the in
closure referred to from his executioners
stated that for their own safety, certain
papers OF the firm in Bauer's keeping
had been also burnt. This awe.inspir-
ing doonme ent was signed, ga Sufficient
Number"
Accepting implicitly what is here re-
lated for fact, We have certainly all that
the most ardent lover of mystery could
desire. This brief correspondence con-
tRins all the elements of q tirst-class sen
sation, out of which brisk Imagination
may weave most thrilling and compli-
Gated romance, bristling with daggera
and evil.minded masks. with secret mid
night tribunals. with shadowy conspira-
tors and delightfully."- unintelligible warn
ings, with love. and revolution, and mur
der, in their most attractive phases.
Unhappily, however, there is one weak
point in the plot, which, for the sake OF
our romantic readers. we almost hesitate
to divulgel Mr.. Bauer's mental poise
has mover been of the soundest. He had
been once completely deranged; aud it is
quite aa likely that this extraordinary
correspondence is the result Of second
alteration as that the rule of the Car
bonari hourishes in England. Again,
there may have been u method in Mr..
Bauers madness which made sudden
disappearance expedient. Yet, under.
meath all it's apparent wildness and
extravaganza, there still remains in
the storya grniu--a mustard seed call il
of possibility, and we hopo to seeit re-
ceivo the thorough investigation fol
which portion of tho London press i'm.
perativolv calls.-Ne'o York Times.
Mexico. The New York journal oj
Commerce says: ''It will DO high time
for the Government to undertake to pro
tect Mexico-prcparntory to anuexine