Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 April 1888 — A MYSTERIOUS SUMMONS. [ARTICLE]

A MYSTERIOUS SUMMONS.

A Murder and It, R-sult* The following story was told me by a lady. She was the wife of a rich equire in the east of England, after whose death she married a well-known Italian. She was a woman of rem irkable ability and of great information, though somewhat eccentric. She had heard the story, with dates and names of persons. These she had forgotten, and bad never been able to supply them. She declared, however,' that she was positively assured that all the details had been verified by the French public authorities where the events related had occurred, and that the records still existed somewhere, if the place could only be found. < During the first French Revolution, two Frenchmen of high birth, Count A. and Viscount 8., were dispatched by the Royalist party on a mission to England. During their journey on horseback to a northern part of France, where a vessel awaited them, they were on one occasion oenigbted in the middle of a wide heath. Riding slowly forward, they perceived a light from what turned out to be a large ano solitary chateau. After st me knocking, steps .were heard slowly coming in the yard within, and at last the door was cautiously unlocked. A porter or caretaker peered through the narrow opening and asked the reason of the knocxing. “We have lot t our way and are tired and hungry. We require shelter and food for ourselves and corses. - ’ ‘ Impossible!” was the churlish reply, and the door was about to be closed, when one of the travelers intercepted it with his loot and producing a pistol, saic. “We are quite ready to pay for pur lodging and supper, but we cannot go further to-night.” The caretaker paused for a moment as though reflecting, and at last he said: “I will give you shelter for the night and food for yourselves and the beasts, on one condition, viz., that you give me your word of honor as gentlemen, which I am sura you are, that nothing will induce you to leave the room I give you, and that to-morrow at daybreak you go on your journey without asking „any questions.”— The promise given, the door -was opened, and the horses taken to the etables, which were within the court The porter then led the two travelers up a splendid staircase and through a long corrider hung with tapestry, at , length turping into a large empty room furnished as a drawing room, and evidently belonging to the dwelling of a wealthy noble. Near the door was a large fireplace in which a fire eoon biased. Candles were lighted, and the travelers saw two large and luxurious beds, with rich bangings, one nearer to the entrance than the other. A table was placed near the fire, and before long a substantial supper was brought, the utensils supplied for the meal, and all the belongings of the house showing considerable luxury. After eating their supper the two travelers went to rest. The elder took the bed nearest the doot*, leaving the other, at some feet off, to his companion. Logs had been placed on the fire sufficient for the night, the door was locked, and the way-faretis gladly betook themselves to sleep. 1 About an hour after going io sleep the elder suddenly woke, starting in his bed. He could not account for this sudden waking. The room was strongly lighted by the fire, there was no noise, and Count A. was about to lay himself once again on tbe pillow, when a remarkablesig it met him. Aman of striking appearance, with a gray beard but dressed in a blouse, walked slowly toward the bed. When he had approached within a few feet he beckoned three times to the Count, as though wanting him to follow. The Count gated at him without moving, when the figure, bowing courteously, turned round and walked slowly away, stopping from time to time and looking back, repeating his beckoning gesture with an imploring

gue till he reached the door, when he disappeared. Naturally startled at this unusual appearance, Count A. rose from hiajjed and walked to the door to see if it had been tampered with, but it was still locked. Very weary, he turned in bis bed and once mire fell asleep. About an hour later he rgtin started in the same sudden manner. Again he saw the same figure, thia time nearer the bed. Again did it beckon Him to follow, and, movirg toward the door, turned with great eagerness, and still oftener than before, to repeat the same motion with bisband. The hand was that of a gentleman, small and white, and with a ring on one of tbe fingers. Frightened at this extraordinary apparition. Count A. this time woke his companion and narrated what had passed. “Nonsense,” replied the latter, “you ate too much supper and have been awoke by a nightmare. I am really too tired to talk about it.” ___ The nervous ear-e«- < n<TR with which tbe elder traveler tepeatid the story, however, impressed the younger, until he proposed that the curtains of the Count’s bed should be tied to the bedclothes of his, so that in the case of a third visit he could be awakened without noise. After securely fastening tbe curtains of one bed to the coverings of the other each returned to bis own couch. 7* many years in sucession It is a great dry-weather plant, and its roots grow far down, but just how far on an average no one knows. They have been found to extend from 10 to 20 feet below the surface. It must be mown just as it begins to bloom or the stems will become woody and of far less value. About twenty pounds of seed are required to the acre. It is cured precisely the same as clover, though requiring more room in the field as it soon spoils if rain ed npon. We here of cases where the field has been cut three times averaging two tons in the cutting. Such yields are exceptional, and we doubt if they will ever be given in New York. Its feeding value is thought to be somewhat greater than that of red clover, and its fertilising value is probably as great, To a horse with weak loins and poor appetite, give one pint of linseed oil every other evening until the bowls become quite loose. Apply a mustard poultice or ammonia and oil liniment to the loins, rubbing well into the hair, and cover with a blanket for a few hours. Repeat daily until the skin becomes thickened and the hair erect, indicating that the surface has been mildly blister ed. When tbe effect of this blister has passed off repeat the application if necessary A third time the Count was awakened in the same startling manner. The figure stood close toJiis bed, and the face of the visitor looked down on that of the awakened sleeper. The features cf the apparition were plainly marked. They exhibited great pain and sadness. The Count grasped the hangings! The Count jerked at his curtains, but they fell back without resistance, for the knot had become untied. Once again the figure retreated sorrowfullv, turning but seldom to beckon, as though tbe attempt had been given up in despair. It w.-is now near daybreak. The Count awoke his companion, and they sat up together till morning. Shortly after dawn the caretaker, according to previous agreement, knocked at the door, which the Count unlocked without difficulty, and tho morninemeal was brought in. The caretaker looked curiously at the two visitors as though inclined to ask questions. He, however, did noTcarry out” this intention. - - The travelers,mindful of their promise, made no remark. The horses, well groomed and refreshed, were ready for their journey, and the two companions left the’chateau, the caretaker refusing to accept any payment or gratuity. The two men rode away, reached their port of embarkation, and arrived safely in England.

Not many years later the elder of tbe two returned to France and accepted the new state of things. The Bonaparte government offered him an administra tive post in the north. This the Count accepted, and among the other induce- i ments which led to his acceptance was the chance of elucidating tho mystery which constantly recurred to his memory. A very short time elapsed after assuming his duties when he made inquiries as to the chateau and its owners. The story told him was that the chateau belonged to the Marquis de —, a gentleman of great wealth and of retired habits. When somewhat advanced in life he had married a girl of low extraction but of great beauty—the daughter of the peasant who now took care of the chateau. A year or two after their marrisge a half brother of the Marquis had left the army and come to reside with his brother, and some months later all three Lad disappeared from the country' together without leaving any address, the chateau being placed under the care of the father of the Marquise, an old gamekeeper. The rapid succes sion of incidents in the Revolution, by absorbing public interest, had prevented inquiry. The caretaker led a gloomy, solitary life at the chateau. He was little seen exoept when he went out to make purchases; but he always appeared to be well provide d with money. Arming himself with the necessary legal authority, which probably lent itself eatily to the functionaries of the

State, the Count prepared to investigate the mystery. He accordingly repaired to the chateau wit’h the agents of the law, and a priest well known in the neighborhood, to whom the story had been told, On arriving at the house the caretaker endeavored to withstand the intrusion, but yielding to force, the gate was opened, and the Count anti the priest proceeded straight to the room where the.incident had occurred. “I think,” said the priest, “this affair at present belongs more to me thap to the law. Allow me to spend tbe n’ght here alone. All I require is a lantern and a pistol, There will be force within hearing, but I believe the mystery can be «olved more easily by one man than by many.” The brave old man’s ofler was accepted. The Count and his at tendants posted . themselves in other pr rts of the house, keeping the caretaker with them.. A fire was lighted in the large room, and the priest was left there alone with his prayer book. He had hot remained long, when the figure appeared beckenirg to him, and he at once rose to follow. It passed through the door, always looking from time to time to see that the priest was behind. It led the way through a long corridor, then into a room which still contained all Ihe appearance of a lady’s. In the corner was a small staircase, down which the priest descended in obedience to the summons of the apparition. It led to a small vestibule which opened into a chapel. The figure walked blowup the aisle, ascended the steps of the altar, then suddenly disappeared. The priest, following with his lantern, perceived after some search a brass ring on the very spot where the figure had vanished. It was evidently the handle of a trap door, which, however resisted all the attempts of the priest to raise it. He fired his pistol, and soon the Count and his attendants came to his help. The door raised, a steep ladder staircase led into a vault At the bottom of the ladder lay a human skeleton, dress ed in clothes similar to those worn by the apparition, and with a beard still hanging to the chin. A ring was on tbe finger. The caretaker made little difficulty in confessing the real facts. The Marquis, who was a man of tbe kindest disposition,and had treated his half-brother with unwonted indulgence, had discovered that too intimate relations existed between him and his wife. Frightened at his orders to them to leave the house, the two had murdered him as he slept in the large room, and conveyed his body along the passage through which the figure had led tne priest. The caretaker was taken into confidence and left to look after the house and property, whil? the criminal couple had left the country and were living in Belgium under an assumed name, supplied with money by the woman’s father, the caretaker.from the resources of the property, to which the half-brother was the natural heir. He and the woman were brought back to France, tried and executed.

This story was told me nearly forty years ago, at J ersey, during the year of the first Exhibition. Though in simple language, it was related with great dramatic force apd undoubted good faith. The lady declared to me that she fully believed that the Btor v had been officially recorded in the archives of the state, municipal and provincial departments in France. She was by birth of consid; erahie rank, and members of her family” had been in close friendship with many emigres. She promised to let me know ifs h e e ver heard- of i t again^-but—L-eaw-little of her afterward, and she is now dead. It would be interesting to know whether her narrative had any fonnda tion. Some one who may have Heard this tale may supply the-information. I have never heard cf it from any other source, no. read of it in any book. The narrator told me that those who had first related the story were evidently believers in its truth.