Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-21
HIGH-CASTE ROBBERY.
How They Manage Those Things
In Austria.
An Outrage, the Particulars Of Which Read
Like q Page from One Of Dumas
Novels-A Startling and
Mysterious Affair.
Vienna Cor. London Telegraph

Vienna Cor. London Telegraph
| A startling aud mysterious robbery Il
reported from Linz, the particulars of
which read like a page from one Of the
novels of Alexander Dumas, the elder.
Last week Herr Peszl, Postmaster at
Neuzeug, small locality In the District Of
Linz, had to take a sum Of 1000 forms, to-
gether with some papers Of value, to tho
Town of Steyr. In the train he entered
into a conversation with respectfully
dressed individual, who gave himself out
TO be an insurance broker, and was evil
IDENTIFY well acquainted with Steyr and the
surrounding country. They Travelled to.
gether as far as Linz, when the stranger,
announcing his intention Of putting up at
at the same hotel as his companion, sug-
gested that they should drive thither from
the station together. To this the POST
master agreed, and accordingly they both
got into a two-horse closed convey
ance that was waiting outside Shortly
after starting the pseudo-insurance broker
offered the unsuspecting Postmaster his
snuff box, and no sooner had Herr Peszl
partaken of its contents than he lost con-
seriousness. When he began to recover his
senses he was being driven at a furious
speed across the open county. While still
in a confused state Herr Peszl 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 occurred for some
time afterward, but in the morning he
once more revived and found himself in a
small open trap, seated next to man he
had never seen before. Another man in
PEASANTS dress was leading the horse.
Herr Peszl at once remarked that his bag of
valuables had disappeared, together with
his fur coat, which had been replaced by a
thinner one made Of kind of Tyrolese
homespun cloth. They were driving
along q 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 alight and
was conducted to a large, bare room on
the ground floor. where he was kept a
prisoner for four days. Food was brought
to him by man dressed as a peasant.
Last Tuesday, about three O'Clock in the
morDing, Herr Peszl was aroused from his
sleep by the same individual, and after
dressing himself, was led about 200 PAGES
from the house, where sledge was wait
ing for them. It was showing hard and
almost pitch dark. AS they drove along
Her 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 in
dividual handed to Herr Peszl his fur
coat and money-bag, together with tick
ct for Steyr, whittier he urged him to re-
turn at once as he was wanted by the po-
lice. 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 bis
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 Post-offic during his alb
sence: "Thank God l 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 char
acter that, SO far, his narrative does not
seem to have excited any suspicion on the
part of the local authorities.
He was a grave, serious man, in no way