The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-07
A STRANGE STORY.
1t Reads Like One of the Novels of Alex.
Dumas, the Elder.


1t Reads Like One of the Novels of Alex.
Dumas, the Elder.
Last week Herr PeSzl, postmaster of
Neuzeug, a small locality in the district
of Linz, had to take sum of 1000
tlorins, together with some papers of
value, to the town of Steyr. In the
train he entered into conversation with
respectfully dressed individual, who
gave himself out to be an insurance
broker and was evidently well ac-
quainted with Steyr and the surround
ing country. They travelled together as
far as Linz, when the stranger, an
nouncing his intention of putting up at
the same hotel as his companion, Sug-
gested that they should drive thither
from the station together. To this the
postmaster agreed, and accordingly
they both got into Il twO-horse closed
conveyance that was waiting outside.
Shortly after starting the pseudo-insur-
ance broker offered the unsuspecting
postmaster his snuff-box, but no sooner
had Herr Peszl partakcn of its contents
than he lost consciousness. When he
began to recover his senses he was being
driven at a furious speed across the open
country. While still in a confused state
| Herr Peszel asked his companion
whittier they were bound, but instead of
replying the latter applied a damp
cloth to Herr Peszl's face, which caused
the postmaster to relapse into his former
| unconscious condition.
He has no recollection of what &C
CURED fof some Ci1he afterward, but in
the morning he once more revived and
found himself in a small open trap,
seated next to a man he had never seen
before Another man, in peasants
dress, was leading the horse. Herr Peszl
mt once remarked that his bag of valu-
ables had disappeared, together with
his fur coat, which had been replaced
| by thinner one made of a kind of
| Tyrolese homespun cloth. They were
driving along a valley unknown to Herr
| Peszl In the course of half an hour
they stopped in front of dilapidated
peasant house, built of rough, gray
stone. The postmaster was hidden to
I alight, and was conducted to large,
bare room on the ground floor, where
he was kept prisoner for four days.
! Food was brought to him by the man
| dressed as Il peasant.
Last Tuesday, toward three o'clock in
the morning, Herr Peszl was aroused
from his sleep by the same individual,
and after dressing himself, was led
about two hundred PAGES from the
house, where a sledge was waiting for
them. 1t was showing hard, and almost
pitch dark. As they drove along Herr
Peszl pressed his jailer with questions;
| but all the answer he could get was
that he was being driven home. About
an hour and a half from the time of
their start they pulled up within forty
yards of small railway station. On
alighting Herr Peszl found himself face
to face with the man who had travelled
with him to Linz. That mysterious indi-
yidual handed to Herr PeSzl his fur coat
and money bag, together with a ticket
| for Steyr, whittier he urged him to re-
| turn at once, as he was wanted by the
| police. All this was the work of a
| couple of minutes; the train was in the
station, and Herr Peszl had only Just
time to take his seat without asking
! further questions. On examining his
money bag he found it empty, which
can not have caused him much surprise.
On reaching home he was shown the
following telegram received at the
Neuzeug postoffice during his absence:
"Thank God! ! am alive, and hope to
return in two days. Let them know in
Steyr. A thousand greetings Signed,
Peszl." The hero of this extraordinary
adventure is man of such excellent
character that, so far, his narrative does
not seem to have excited any suspicion
on the part of the local authorities
Cor. Vienna LOnd0n Dajly Telegraph.