The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1878-09-11

her son, have had q child, who, II II had
lived, would be as old as he lie to-day,
secured her promise to a marriage with
him.
This mercenary and shameless
scheme Was carried out on January Is,
1873. On the same day the conspirator
secured the transfer OF his victims prop
erty 10 himself Since then they have
been missing. and are evidently in hiding
from an outraged sons just wrath.
Therefore, this is to give warning TO
the william that | shall leave no stone
unturned TO discover him, that | devote
myself to the search for him, body and
soul, aud that when do find him shall
execute the promise made him the day
] thrashed him in his own house four
months ago. 1t is also to warn the priest
who degraded his holy office TO perform
the infamous ceremony that a day Of
reckoning is at hand Tor him.
"FRANcIsco DE NoURB,."
Two weeks after the publication of
this letter, the priest of Villa Clara
was found bound, lace down, and max
ed, to his bed, with his back and legs
cut to mince meat. AT midnight on
the night before, he had been awak-
ened, and before he could utter cry,
q gag was thrust into his mouth. Then
when tall, thin man, who seemed to
De a servant, held him down, another
-thick-set, Well-drsssed person-ask-
cd him:
"Are you the priest who married
the Countess de NOurbO."
81 am" he replied. .
"Then you are the scOundrel we
want" said the short man. Strip
of his dishOnOred rags, PedritO."
The thin man Obeyed, and after ty-
ing him in the position in which he
was found, the pair belabOred him |
with whips which they had brought |
with them, till he tainted. Then they |
emptied q jar of vinegar over his back
and left him.
Warrants were issued for the arrest
Of Francisco de Nourbo and his valet,
who were recognized from the priests
description, but they could not be
found. The house they had inhabited
at Palis was closed, and a large sum
of money which Senior de NOurbO had
on deposit with his banker in the Par
isian Capitol, had been withdrawn by
him-for what reason he had not stat
ed.
In the meantime the Countess and
her bridegroom were quietly spending
the honeymoon at TOrtOsa, a quiet lit
tie fishing village, between Malaga and
Cape de Gate, where the Countess
owned a summer-hOuse. In the in
clement weather of the winter the pair
evidently tanciei this place safe
enough, and abandoned themselves to
a life of ease, laughing at the threats
of the offended son, which had reached
them through the papers. They were
destined. however, to have Il rude re-
call to the realities of daring mans
hate.
On the night of the 23d of February
one of the servants reported that man
wrapped in a cloak had been seen Turk
ing about the house for several hours.
The Countess commanded a search,
and the orange grove, gardens and
grounds were thoroughly secured, but
no sign of the stranger found. Never
theless; the doors were additionally
secured at bedtime and a man servant
sent to sleep in the hall, with a gun
within his reach.
At one o'clock the slumbering house
was reused by single shrill, piercing
cry. The startled servants hurried to
their mistress room, but all was still
within and the door was locked. From
the apartment occupied by Bancas,
came a medley of sobs, sup
pressed shrieks and horrible chickering's
and the door being forced the Countess
was discovered in her night dress,
writhing on the floor beside the bed of
her husband in all the revolving con.
vulsious of an ePilePtic fit.
Bancas himself was extended on the
bed, stone dead, and bathed in his own
blood, with an old fashioned gOld-hilt-
ed Spanish dagger buried to the hIlt
in bis heart.
He had died easily, for the bedding
was but little disturbed. The single
window in the room WIS open, and the
stout branch Of a pine tree outside
bore the scraped marks Of human feet,
plainly showing that the murderer
had worked his way on the branch,
and thus managed to gain the window
ledge, get the window open, and leap
into the room. In the moist coil TWEEN
ty feet below were the deep imprints
Of his feet, where he had dropped in
his escape, and these foot
marks led down 70 the shore. l.
One Of the fishing boats moOred in
the little cove Of Tartosa was found
next day 10 be missing, with all its
spars and sails, which had been slowed
away in shed near the shore. In their
place, however, was q package con-
tanning q hundred English crown
pieces. The village inn.keePer recOl-
lected that the evening before two
strangers, a tall, thin man and short
one, had taken dinner and engaged
beds at his house, but they had not
returned to occupy them.
The Countess was removed to mad
house, where she is to-day a hopeless
maniac. Of the stolen boat or the two
strangers nothing has ever been heard.
Therefore, the attorneys for the Sen
oras Catalina and Franciska Carata,
neices of the Countess and sole-remain-
ing heireses of the De NOurbo estate
apply for an administration of the said
estates, which are rapidly falling in
to decay through neglect, in the inter-
est Of their demented aunt aud the de-
mented aunts heirs.
They were having q family setto,
and she asked him IL there was any.