Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 September 1870 — Terrible Adventure. [ARTICLE]

Terrible Adventure.

The Paris Patrie tells the following story: “An adventure truly horrible, and which, if made the subject of a melodrama, would certainly be denounced as improbable, has just occurred in the environs of Viterbo, in the Pontifical States. A cattle dealer stopped at an inn on the road not far from the city. He seemed very well satisfied with the accommodation and with himself, and he related to the inn keeper that he had just made an excellent bargain about some .cattle, by which he had netted a sum 0f5,000 francs. After supper, he started for the city, but had not gone far before he was attacked by three men, who tried to get him down. He defended himself bravely, and succeeded in making his escape He returned to the inn and related what had happened. At the same time, he said he would sleep there, as he did not wish, for fear of another attack, to resume his journey until the next morning. Accordingly, a room was prepared for him, and he retired to bed and soon fell asleep. In the course of the night he awoke, and heard some one speaking outside the door. What he heard filled him with horror. The inn-keeper was saying to some one : “ Dig the hole deep in the garden. I will throw him out of the window, and you can bury him at once." The traveler understood the situation at once. They were gping to murder him, ind the innjxaper was in league with the murderers to share the plunder and conceit* his body. He immediately rose and dressed himself, and, arming himself with a spade which was standing in a corner of the room, he waited. It was rfbt long before he heard some one approach the door. It was opened softly, and the cattle-dealer saw the inn-keeper about to step into the room. He immediately struck the wretch dead upon the floor with the spade. The cattle-dealer

then lifted up the body, and, opening the window, beneath which he could perceive by the dim light three men, and a Elt dug for himself, ne threw the body ito the yard. Tne three men took up the body, which they did not recognize, and set to work to bury it. The cattledealer, without losing a second, crept down-stairs, opened the door of the inn, and hurried off to give information to the Papal carabineers. They toon arrived at the scene of crime. The three accomplices of the would-be murderer had just finished their dismal work. They were immediately arrested, and lecognized as the sons of the innkeeper. It was they, doubtless, who, at the instigation of their father, had attacked the cattle dealer on the road.”