The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-05-20

and the, veranda are about ten or
twelve feet above the ground.
The G, ,ty Of the evening was at lis
height. There were hundreds of IT.
dies and gentlemen gathered in tho
building. For the benefit Of those
who have never visited Monte Carlo, |
may say that gambling, however it
may be regarded as wicked and de-
moralizing in itself, docs not present
such Objectionable features in this
earthly paradise as it does in less fn-
voicu localities; and gentlemen and
ladies' of the highest rcspcctability and
social position not only join the crowd
of On-lonkcrs but stake their money.
i is less than two weeks ago since
was sandwichcd between tic Duchess
Of Montrosc and the Rev. Newman
Hall, of London, and noticed that
licrG Grace was quite as deeply interest
cd in the fate Of her five hundred franc
note as-wcll, wen say 1 was in my
occasional louis.
TIE EXPLOSION.
| had turned away last night from
the right hand roulette table and had
started toward the t,cntc ct 1uu,'aute
table nearest the mantrlpicce, when
suddenly great flash Of fire and q
laundering report came from the Chin
ncypiccc. simultaneously nearly all
the lights went out and tho thick plate
glass came down from the roof like
hail. n dense smoke Obscurcd the
faint glimmcrs Of the few remaining
lamps, and the place was converted in
II second from bright and dazzling
scene or fgaycty to the dismal horrors Of
81 n 81, y
for the door, amid the shricks and
sobs Of nearly all the women in the two
rooms. Many persons lcapcd from the
windows and some were badly hurt
by the fall.
Something told me in an instant
what had happened. A bomb had
been exploded close to. the gaming
table, and amid the general wreck tho
perpetrators Of the act had robbed the
bank. The moment was free from
tho compact mass surging toward the
exit l FASTENED toward the spot where
the explosion had taken place. Al
ready others were there before ne.
The tables were covered two inches
deep with srlintcrs of glass, and
through the dense smoke there was
barely enough glimmcr Of light to dis
tinGuish between the shining gold
pieces and the fragments Of glass.
But with the aid of the money raIlcs
thc glass was quickly pulled aside,
and the carly arrivals rapidly slowed
away the gold in their pockets. If
there was any cronpicr or other en-
pioyc faithful to his post failed to sec
him. The small boxes containing
bank notes were open and quite empty,
and about 30,O00f. in gold were heap
cd in confused mass in the centre of
the table among tho fragments fglass.
The men whom | saw helping them
selves were probably mere casual spec
tators, who proiilcd by the occasion,
but were not privy TO the plot. The
conspiiators probably seized ut once
upon the notes and the unbrokcn 7.0u-
fcu"" of gold and escaped through tho
windows
Every morning tho bank supplies
each roulette table with 10000 francs
and each hcnte et QM0,untc table with
l6o,O 900 frames, of which 10 900 francs
arc in notes and the remainder is in
coin. AS tho bank had won u large
sum before the explosion took place |
consider that the robbers must have
got about 100000 francs. In about
three or four minutes the officials came
struggling back and rclighting the gas,
gathering up tho remaining gold and
locking the stable door after the lost
stccd. But there was certainly ample
time and opportunity for one or two
mon to have cleared Off three out Of
four of the tables in the main salon.
That only one table was robbed is evil
dcncc to my mind that the number of
consplrators was limited to two or
three aL the most.