The North-Eastern Weekly Gazette. — 1883-07-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

RUSSIANS ADVENTURE.  (simEcTED). 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 thonght, to the dirty, smeared-for house. He was a great deal surprised to hear his hostess order one of the servants to go to the clergyman'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 Itussiaia hound, which he never , separated from, and never permitted to sleep out of his room. After a, supper quite in keeping with the appearance of the inn, he was shown up to hia bedroom. He ordered the eel. vant to accompany him, and his dog followed. This enraged the hostess, who made great demonstrations of wrath, and she declared she would not permit her rooms to be dirtied by a dog's presence. Her rage confirmed the traveller in his determination not to allow the dog to leave him. Madame stormed in vain, and at length was obliged to yield. After she was gone the gentleman, by signs, for he would not speak out, made his servant to understand he wished him to take out 111 pistols. Over the chimney-pieee there was a very large mirror. The hound 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 method endeavoured to quiet the dog, and direct his attention from the spot, bet all in vain. He then stooped down and 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 behind. For the moment 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 tellint 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. Daring 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 same"—and suiting the action to the word, he actuallyfired at the large glass, which came 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 master and servant, 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 Russian gentleman took up one, and his servant the other, and, pointing them at the man's breast, told him that now be was at their mercy; so he confessed the house was the resort of banditti, and that the clergyman of the parish was in league with them, and the signal given to him that assistance was wanted was sending for sheets, when he invariably sent ruffians who feared nothing. He told him that they murdered all who fell into their bands, all 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 other inhabitants of the inn, were taken to Florence, and there tried and condemned.