Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-06-27
! Miscellany.
A GHOST In COURT.

-MlSCellany.
A GHOST In COURT.
EARLY in the last century, Honore Mi
rabel, poor laborer ON the estate of a
family named Gay, near Marseifles,
France, invoked the protection of the law
under the following extraordinary cir
cumstances:
sHe declared that, while lying under an
alplold tree, late one night, striving to
sleep, he suddenly noticed man of re-
markable appearance standing, in the full
moonlight, at the window of a neighbor-
ing house. Knowing the house to be un-
occupied, he rose to question the in
truder, when the latter disappeared. A
ladder being at hand, Mirabel mounted to
the window. and, on entering, found no
one. Struck with feeling of terror, he
descended the ladder with all speed, and
had barely touched the ground, when a
voice at his back accosted him:
'Pertuisan" Che was of Pertuis), ''there
is q large treasure buried close at hand.
Dig, and it is yours"
A small stone was dropped on the ter
race, as if to mark the spot alluded to.
For reasons not explained, the favored
Mirabel shrank from pursuing the adven-
ture alone, but communicated with a
friend, one Bernard, a laborer in the en-
ploy of the. farmeress Paret. This lady
being admitted to their confidence, the
three assembled next night at the place
indicated by the specter, and, after dig
ging to a considerable depth, came upon
a large parcel wrapped in many folds of
linen Struck with the pick-ax, it return
cd unmistakably the melodious sound of
r1x,,k- n, Do. ROT
gested, plague-stricAe appearance of the
covering, checked their eager curiosity,
until, having been conveyed home and
well soaked in wine, the parcel was open
ed, and revealed to their delighted gaze
more than thousand large gold-pieces,
subsequently ascertained to be Portu-
guese.
1t was remarkable. yet SO it was, that
Mirabel was allowed to retain the whole
of the treasure Perhaps his friends felt
some scruple in interfering with the man
ifest intentions of the ghost. But Mira
bel was not much the happier for it. He
feared for the safety of his wealth-he
feared for his own life. Moreover, the
prevailing laws respecting treasure
trove" were peculiarly explicit and it was
questionable how far the decision of the
ghost might be held to override them.
In France, OF treasure found in the
highway half belonged to the king, half
to the finder. If in any other public
place, half to the high justiciary, half to
the finder If discovered by magical
arts, the whole to the king, with penalty
upon the finder If when discovered the
treasure was concealed from the proprie-
tor of the ground, the finder forfeited his
share. To these existing claims the phan-
tom had made no allusion. In his per-
plexity, honest Mirabel bethought him of
another friend, one Auguier, substan-
tial tradesman of Marseiiles.
The advice of this gentleman was that
the secret should be vigorously confined
to those who already knew it, while he
himself (Auguier) was prepared to devote
himself, heart and soul, to his friend 8
best interests, lend him any cash he
needed $50 as to obviate the necessity of
changing the foreign money, attend him
whithersover he went, and, in fine, be-
come his perpetual solace, monitor and
guard.
To prevent the possibility of his mo-
tives being misinterpreted, the worthy
Auguier took occasion to exhibit to his
friend a casket, in which was visible
much gold and silver coin, besides a
jewel or two of some value.
The friendship thus happily inaugu-
rated grew and strengthened, and Mirabel
came to the prudent resolution of intrust-
ing the whole treasure to the custody OF
for that purpose.
a On the way to the rendezvous, Mirabel
met with-an acquaintance, Gaspard De
leuil, whOm--Auguier being already in
sight-Mirabel requested to wait for hin
at the side of a thicket; then, going for
ward, he handed to the trusty Auguiel
two sealed bags, one of them secured
with red ribbon, the other with blue
and received in return an instrument con
ceived in the following satisfactory terms
81 acknowledge myself indebted to Honore Mi
rabel twenty thousand 1iyres, which l promise tt
pay on demand, acquitting him, moreover, of forty
1ivres which he owes me. Done at Marseilles, thii
seventh of September
(Signed) LOUIS AUGUIER''
The little matter settled, Mirabel re-
joined Deleuil, and next day departed fol
his native village. After starring it there
for few weeks, the man of wealth re
visited Marseilles, and, having passed q
jovial evening with his friend and banker
at dark part of the road, he was Sc
upon by powerful ruffian. who deal
him several blows with some sharI
weapon, flung him to the ground and es
capped. Fortunately the wounds proves
superficial.
This incident begat a certain suspicion
in the mind of Mirabel As soon as h
was able, he repaired to Marseilles, ant
demanded of Auguier the return of hi
money or liquidation of the bond Hi
friend expressed his extreme surprise
What an extraordinary application wa
here! Money! What money? He indig
nantly denied the whole transaction. MI
rabel was mad.
To establish his sanity, and at the sam
time refresh the memory of his friend
Mirabel without further ceremony ap
pealed to the law, and in due course til
lieutenant criminal, with his officer, mad
his appearance at the house of Auguie
to conduct the perquisition. Search be
ing made on the premises no money wa
found; but there were discovered tw
bags and red ribbon, which were identi
fed by Mirabel as those which he had dc
Iivered to his friend.
The account given by the latter differe
in some material particulars from that G
Mirabel. He had enjoyed, indeed, som
casual acquaintance with that gentleman
They had dined together once at hi
(Auguier's) house. He had accepted tn
hospitality of Monsieur Mirabel, as Otter
at tavern. He had advanced that gel
tleman crown. Mirabel had spoken {
ghost and money, and had talked {
placing the latter in his charge. 4
-.o,a-4 - baJ l,ox.,o,ro, 1;p,;+aJ h;e no,