Apparition.
The Times, 1824-10-07T00:00:00

(From a Calcutta paper.) CaDtain Rodgers, of the Uadras army, having arrived in the river oolgy, reduced to the utmost extremity by long sickness, his friend I'Ir. Paton (the magistrate) sent a boat witth supplies to meet him, under the charge of Alodar Bux, who was instructed to bring up the sick gentleirman with as little dlelay as possible, to M\r. Paton's man- amosa m town. This Aloedr Bux was a confidential servant of Air. Paton't for several years. On the evening of the 22d of September, Eoor Captain Rodgers died. On the evening of the 23d, Mlodar Bux returned to town, accompanied by the deceased's two Al3dras uervtr, lunodar Bux then stated that Captain Rodgers had expired on the evening of the 21st, oft Fultah, and in the act of writing a 3etter; the property of the deceased, he added, was on board the b ; he then delivered the keys (wrhich he'said had been intrusted lto him for the purpose) to ir. Paton. After performing the last nrelancholy duties to the remains of his deceased friend, Mlr. Paton opened his writing-desk in the presence of his two friends, Mlr. J. Mackenzie and Alr. R. Iackenzie. They found in the c ngsdeak1 the paper which Alodar Bux had alluded to s ,emng in tne hands of Castain Rodgers at the moment of his death. It was a codicil to his will, in which with charac. ':eristic kindness he had bequeathed to each of his servants the sun of 15D rupees, for their unwearied attentions to him durinb his inr.ess. The repot of this document was made known to the hfa 'dras men: but Tur. Paton stated at the same timc, that as the will was in the possession of Lieutenant Robertson, at Vizagapatam, he could not pay any bequests until he had the sanction of AMr. Robert. son's autho ty or so doing; he requested of tlsem, therefore, to 'rait auntil he should receive a reply from that gentleman to hls let. ter, containing tbe intelligence of his friend's death, &c. Two or three days afterwards, the AMadras servants, with apparently great -mxiety of maznier, came to Mr. Paton, complaining that the climate .disagreed with ttiem. They further confessed that they had a more supernatural cause for their uneasiness, as the apparition oftheir de. ceased master had appeared to them In the night. Thislast declara- tion they for several miornings repeated and stated, that tbey were nightly haunted by the apparition of their deceased master; they even ,5altd-2at he spoke. The apparition, they reported, was wont to st&?an`t their bedst:de, and in a mild voice to give orders, and make raquus, such as bring me water," " give me my clothes," " rise, rire, g'-t up." About nine days ago, ASodar Bux presented himself before his nsaster, M1r. Paton, saying, that be had been married about 5 years ago to a young girl at Mawnpore, aad that she and her friends were repeaedfV writing to him to pay them a visit. He accordingly begged o a'r. Paton to give him his discharge, that he might return home; this the latter, making allowances for the pressing urgency of the man's domestic circumstanced, readily fanted, giving him at the same time a certifcatc of conduct while .n hia service. On the 21st inist., MIr. Paton received a reply from Lieutenant soherison, stating that in addition to the aums and property con- tained in the inventory of Captain Rodgers's eflects, there was a sum of 900 rupees in gold, not accounted for, and which there was little doubt the deceased's servants had embezzled. Thin Information, c.nnected with the story of the apparition, immediately struck Mr. Paton with the idea of foul play on the part of the Afadras men. He accordingly sent a mnessage, reqtsesting to speak With them: only one of them could be found at the moment. The man very readily, and suspecting nothing, came to Mir. Paton, who spoke to him very courteously. " By the way," obAerved Mr. Pawn, 1have discovered the cause of the indisposition you com plain of, as well as the reason of your being disturbed by the appari. tion of yauf deceased master." The man listened with intense in. terest. Continued Mr. Paton, "I also have been similarly diatarbed, for your dead master's apparition came to me last night." The fear of the man was now a pparent in his cauntenance. "Yes," con. tinued Mr. Paton, " the apparition came to nie and said, that he would haunt Vou and your fellow-servant forever, unless you restore the 900 rupees in gold of whichyou robbed him." Extremely terri- fied with what he neard, and agitated by the conviction that he stood in the presence of an enchanter, the poor man entreate7d forgiveness, and said that he would confess alU, and recover the stolen pro- pe.rty. He accordingly made an- instant and true confession to this effect-tbat teir master had ever, to himself and his feIlo;rwservant, been such a kind master that they never would have dreamed of dcfrajding him,hiad they not been tempted bv Dodar Bux after Captrin Rodgers's desth. Mlodar BLux, it seems, inquired if there was aiiy loose cash7 The Madrassees replied, that there wap a bag containing 900 rupecs in gold. This Modar Bux mmediately took charge bf, bargaining that the prize should be di- atided between all three at te fitrs convenient opportiiity. eicr Patoa, acting upon this involtntary imonfiation, "o adroitly elicited from the o ladras men, isued imt ediate orders ge r the apprehension of the otSier it that all the unorious gentleman, fr tr. h ',Iodar Btax. Suffice it that ah torce are in gaol here for the of'ence, and tbat the whole of the stolen projluty bas becha recovered meeeptfng I about fifty rupeez, wlicb Air. A lodtr B,ux lhad found meaos of ex- pending beibre he was seiged, and seized In the nick of time, too, lUSt as he was about to take a long trip, like a kind, attentive, and dutiful husband as he appears to be. He seems nn accomplished itmpl, ehis llota araBux: for he had designed to bilk his two more simp1c lladras coatjutors out of thelr share of the booty; nay, supposing that they durst not complain. he plumply told themn that they should not share witlh himi the golden prize. They, however, .thrcatened to impeach, anti on tbe very day in whielh the confession was made, the divisionbargaingd for had, we believe, taken place. APPAIRITION.