The Sun. — 1852-12-06 (London, England)

SWISS TRAGEDY.  A good deal of excitement has been caused in Switzerland by a very strange affair. The only passage of communication between the Haut-Valais and the upper part of the valley of Hassle, in the canton of Berne, is called Le Grimsel, and is a sort of caravansary, the keeper of which is bound to afford accommodation to poor travellers in return for certain advantages. The keeper of this place has for some time past, been a person named Zybach, the father of a large family, noted for his obliging and cordial character, and greatly liked by all who knew or had communications with him. In the evening of the 6th ult., this M. Zybach, went to the town of Mayringen, and he created some surprise by stating, in a public-house, fears that his hotel was on fire, as he perceived the reflection of flames at a distance in the sky. The next morning news arrived that the hotel had been burned down in the course of the night. Zybach, accompanied by the sub-pref,:ct, Mayringen, his personal friend, immediately set out for Le Grimsel. On their arrival they found the hotel in ruins, and the inhabitants of the adjacent village of Guttanen busily engaged in searching for the body of a peasant supposed to have perished. On his way to the Grimsel, Zybach had loudly lamented the misfortune which had befallen him, and when he saw the ruins he seemed overwhelmed with despair. But it turned out that the villagers of Guttanen, in trying to extinguish the flames, had found in a heap of dung several boxes containing wines and liquors, in a barn at some distance, seventy mattresses carefully wrapped up, and secreted in different places, a number of boxes and trunks containing all his property of value. This discovery was a clear proof that the fire had been wilfully caused ; and when the sub-prefect was told of it, and shown the different articles, he turned to Zybach and said, " You are a wretch ! You are ruined !" Zybach seemed distracted—he hurried to a lake at some distance and leaped in. But he was rescued, and sent, safely bound, to the gaol at Mayringen. His son, and three of his servants were also arrested. It was then discovered that he had insured all his effects for much beyond their value ; and it appeared that his reason for selecting the night of the 6th for the fire was, that from the wind blowing all the afternoon in a peculiar direction, he had calculated that a heavy fall of snow would take place, and that access to the hotel would be rendered impossible, a calculation which was disappointed. The arrest of Zybach on such a charge immediately gave rise to grave accusations against him. He, his son, and servants, are supposed to have formed a band of murderers and robbers, and to have made people who have stopped at their hotel their victims. Two years ago three Frenchmen, travelling in the Bernese Oberland, mysteriously disappeared, and not the slightest trace has since been found of them. The last place at which they stopped was at Zybach's hotel, and he declared that after sleeping there during the night they had gone in the morning towards La Fume.. Some years back three travellers from Frankfort disappeared in the same strange way after being last seen near the Grimsel. It has been called to mind that Prince of Denmark, a long time ago, lost a very valuable diamond pin in the hotel ; that Zybach denied having found it ; but that some time after one of his daughters had been seen wearing it ; and that, in consequence of the remarks made on this by his neighbours, he had been obliged to send it to its royal owner. Ia short, the kind, excellent, and universally respected M. Zybach is strongly believed to have been a criminal of the blackest dye ; and it is said that abundant proofs of his guilt will be forthcoming in due time. It is added • that some revelations have already been made which tend to convict him of the murder of the three German travellers. Since he has been in custody, he has several times attempted to commit suicide. He is possessed of considerable property.