Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1887-01-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

JANUARY 1, 1897.  A RUSSIAN'S ADVENTURE.  A 'Russian gentleman, travelling in Italy, arrived one cold rainy evening at a small roadside inn in the Apennines, and not being able to get horses, was obliged to content himself with the miserable accommodation it afforded. The landlady came out to welcome him, decked in rings and jewels— a contrast, as he thought. to the dirty, inicared. for house. lie A...a a great deal surprised to hear his hostess order one of the servants to go to the tlergyinan's house to request the loan of some sheets for the stranger's bed. Many little incidents occurred to render the traveller suspicious. The gentleman had with him a fine Russian hound, which he never separated from, and never permitted to sleep init of his room. After a supper quite in keeping with the appearance of the inn, he was shown up to his bedroom. He ordered the servant to accompany hini, and his dog followed. This enraged the hostess, who made great demonstrations of wrath, and she declared she would rot permit her rooms to he dirtied by a log's presence. Iler rage confirmed the tie seller in his determinaitou not to allow the dog to leave him. Madam stormed in vain, and at length was obliged to yield. After she wws gone the gentlemen, by signs, for ho would not speak out, made his servant to snderstand he wished him to take out his pistols. . _  Over the chimney-piece there was a very large mirror. The hernia soon became very uneasy, whined, walked up and down, keeping his eyes fixed on the mirror; the gentleman looked at the ,mirror, but could detect nothing, he coaxed and by every methoi endeavoured to quiet the dog, and direct his a.tention from the spot, but all in vain. _ _ _ .  He then stooped down Itnd brought his eyes on a level with those of the dog, when he immediately discovered a space under the frame of the glass, and saw figures standing bebitrl. For the inome.it he knew not how to act. He did not think that the persons concealed had seen him looking under the frame. So he began a conversation with his servant, telling him he had all his life been a great wanderer, and had had a great many strange adventures; and kept walking up and down the room, stopping from time to time before the mirror. He continued telling stories of different encounters with robbers, his pistols in his hand loaded and cocked, those of the servant being also prepared, so the two were pretty strongly armed. During one of these recitals he, laughing at his own stories, and seemingly very merry, again stopped before the mirror and said to his servant, "When I was at such and such a place, my fellow traveller and I were standing before a door, as I may be now before this looking-glass, ! when I fired off my pistols thus, and he did the Fame "—and suiting the action to the word, he actually fired at the large glass, which cline rattling down and shivered to atoms at his feet. the great chasm revealing five men, two of whom his balls had killed. The servant instantly fired, and two more fell, leaving one unhurt. They were so taken by surprise at this unexpected attack and discovery, that they had no time to retreat. The remaining man, seeing pistols in the hands of servant and master, stood terrified. The traveller ordered him to come out of his hiding place. He did so, and at the command given laid down his weapons on the table. The Rinfsian gentleman took up one, and his servant the other, and, pointing them at the man's breast, told him that now he was at their mercy so he confessed the house was the resort of bandttti. and that the clergyman of the parish was in league with them, and the signal given to him that assistance was wanted was 'is ending for sheets, ‘‘lnoi lie invariably sent ruffians who feared nothing. He told him that they murdered all who fell into their hands, an carriages were burnt, and the bodies of their victims were buried in a great pit. Search was made for these bodies, and the truth discovered. The surviving robber, with , the ether inhabitants of the inn, were taken to Florence, and there tried and condemned.