Moffatt's Murderer to be Arrested.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3219, 13 November 1880, Page 3

Moffatt's Murderer to be Arrested.

(FROM OUR OWN COURKSPONDENT.)

WELLINGTON, this day. A warrant lias been issued for tho arrest ot Moffatt'a murderer. Tho warrant will bo executed ns soon as possible.

A Wftngcnui contemporary thinks that to act on the Herald's suggestion of occupyiug the land between Mokuu aud Kawhia would bo " madness itself.'

Borchetto to La Spezzia as from La Spezzia to Borghetto. They were tired, anxiou», silent; the most anxious, the most silent, being Lord Brackenbury'u valet. Again and again be had been on the point of revealing tho secret of tho diamonds, of telling nil he knew and all he feared ; but, remembering that he had acquired the greater part of this knowledge through the keyhole, he had as often checked himself. He felt, however, a great and growing dread —a dread that he scarcely dared define. The others felt it also ; but more vaguely,

They halted again by the path to Grassi's mill—halted, and shouted, and waited; not in actual hope that anything had happened since they left, but on the chance of it. All below was, however, dark and silent. The miller and his family were long since gone to bed. So they went on again. The moon had by this time risen, and as the road zigzagged, they paused alternately through spaces ot ghostly shade and still more ghostly light. There was not a creature stirring. They still stopped now and then to shout and listen ; but, save at one spot where there was a double echo, heard never a sound in reply. About two miles from La Spozzia they came from Bruno Bernardo and hi» party. They had searched every point at which an accident seemed possible. I hey had been down in places to the wnter's edge, and their clothes were torn by the brambles, and their boots were cut to pieces by the stones ; but they had seen nothing of the missing man—nothing. "Courage! we shall find him at La Spezzia," said Sandra Quaranta-Setti;; but the words were more hopeful than the voice.

They came presently to a turn in the road high above La Spezzia, where there is a famous view of the bay reaching almost from horn to horn. The olive slopes shimmered, tbc distant headland slept, tho sea was furrowed with silver in the moonlight. All was still in the little town. All was dark in the windows of the Croce di Malta.

'•He is not here," said the elder Bernado, as they went up to the door. A sleepy night-porter who could hardly speak for yawning, let them in. It was only too trtie. Lord Brackenbury was not at the Croce di Maltai

CHAPTER VIIL AN IMPKNETKABLK SIVSTEIIY.

A detailed account of the search made for the migsing traveller, of the rewards offered, of the judicial inquiries instituted, would fill many chapters; but the main facts may be told in a few pagei. All the local macbiuery of the law, such as it was in North Italy at that time, wo» put in motion. To lay the facts before the Syndic of La Spezzia was the first step to be taken; and tho brothers Bernardo, accompanied by Sandro QuaiantaSctto and Lord Brackenbury's volet, waited upon this functionary the folthe following morning. The testimony of tho two I.ikt, and ot the postillions, having been taken down, the Syndic, with his clerk and a couplo of gendarrai repared to the Hotel Croce di Malta, placed official seals on Lord Brackenbury « luggage, and took possession of tho key of tho room in which the tbings were deposited. Msiseneers were then despatched to Snfzana, Carrara, Massa-Ducale, and all the smaller communes round about; tpecial couriers were sent to tho authorities at Genoa and Lucca ; mounted carabineers wero told off to scour the roads ; and a reward of 2,000 Genoese lire was offered for information of the missing man. Before twenty-four hours had slapsed, the whole country »ide waa in an uproar. At Borghetto, at Matterano, at San Benedetto, domiciliary visits were made (0 such of the inhabitants as might be thought_to bear, or at any time to have borne, an indifferent character. At Carrara, two men who chanced to apply for employment ».t the quarries were arrested for no other reason tban they were strangers. In the same way, an invalid soldier travelling on foot to his home at Pietra Santa, and iin itinerant photographer who chanced to vi-it La Spezzia in the way of his calling, were detained on suspicion. • Is' othiug being proven against any of these persons, thfiy were liberated iv the course of ,a few days. Not even the cantonnier* to whom Lord Brackenbury bad given a pour-boire on the summit of the pass of Braceo, uot even the fisherman with whom he had chatted at the little sea-side town where Sandro Quaranta-Sette put up to dine, escaped examination.

The Cornice and Riviera were at this time considered the safest roads in Itily. No one dreamed of brigandage between Nice and Genoa, or between Genoa and Pisa. As for cases of robbery with violence, nothing nf the kind had happened in the neighbourhood of La Spezzia lor well-nigh & score of years. That a traveller should disappear from a freauented highway between four and five o'clock in the afternoon—disappear utterly and leave no trace—might well send a shiver of aim m throughout the diatiict. The youth, the rank, tho wealth of the missing man, made it so much the more startling. AVhcn in adddition to all this, it by nml by came out on information from Genoa (confirmed by the tardy evidence of Lord Brackenbury's own valet) that the lost nobleman had not only a large sum in cash, but upwards of thirty thousand pounds' worth of unset diamonds about his person, the excitement reached its climax. . - On tbc eighth day, Lord Brackenbury's brother, the Honourable Lancelot Brackenbury, arrived at La Spezzia. Lord Brackenbury having disappeared on the Saturday, Prouting had telegraphed on the Sunday to Grackenbury Court, his master's seat in Lancashire. Mr Brackenbury, who was shooting at the time over a iemote Scotch moor, did not, however, receive the telegram till nearly twenty-four hours later. He was therefore only just nble, by dint of hard travelling, to catch the French steamer which, then as now, left Marseilles for Genoa, Leghorn, Civita, Vecchia, and Naples, erery Thursday. From Genoa he posted straight on, without an hour's delay ; so reaching La Spezzia on the Saturday about midday. " What news of my brother." He was out of the carriage, in the hall, and face to tace with Lord Brackenbury's valet at thefoot of the stairs, before any one could run out to receive him. "No news, sir, I am sorry to say," replied Prouting, white as a ghost and shaking from head to foot. " Good God I What can have become of him?" A tall, dark, brown-bearded ycung man, dusty and travel-stained, be rtood with his hand on the balustrade, looking from one to another of the faces fast gathering round him, and seeing no hope or comfort in any. " Everything's been done, sir, that can be done," said Proutiuq. " The military has been all over the country." " And have discovered no trace ?' " None whatever, sir." "It was last Saturday that you lost him f "Last Saturday, sir,—just a week today." The young man looked bewildered—incredulous. He could not believe it. " Are you the landlord?" he said, turning to tho elder Bernardo. "Show me to a private room, please ; and you, Prouting, come up and tell me about it." They went up to a sitting-room on the first floor, the same sitting-room that had been prepared for Lord Brackenbury. The elder Bernardo opened the shutters and let •in the daylight; the younger followed with an armful of rugs and wraps. " That door opens into a bedroom, I suppose?" said Mr Brackenbury, as Mr Prouting helped him off with his overcoat. "Ye—es, sir," replied Prouting, hesitatingly. "But it's locked. That's the room my lord's things are. in. The magistrate of the place—him they call the Syndic —has fhe key." Mr Brackenbury stared at him confusedly, sat down, got up, walked to the window, came back again, looked utterly confounded and overwhelmed. The two Bernardos lingered a moment to see if the new comer wanted anything. " >Von't you take something, sir, after your journey ?" asked Prouting; "a cup of coiFee or " Mr Brackenbury shook his head. "No, no," he said. " Nothing now. Let me hear about my brother." With r weary sigh he dropped into a chair. The Bernardos left the room. The valet remained standing. " Now tell mo all—everything—iust as it happened." m. m WaS not mu.cn to tell '• yet to tell that little under the circumstances, was difficult. Prouting, however, did his best beginning with the departure from Genoa, and ending with the night search in the ravine. And the country, you say, has been scoured in every direction ?" They do say, sir, there isn't so much as a goat-track for miles round that hasn't been followed up, or a village where inquiries navn't been made." "And what is the general impression? Uo tho authorities seem to think he has been murdered?" " Nobody knows what to think, sir.'1 No—but they suspect! They tear ?— poor Cuthbert? Good God?—poor Cuthbeft!' •Jt—f. And Mr Brackenbury, withagroan, leaned his elbow on the table, and his head upon his and. . r j

" I saw something in a French paper ye«terday about the diamonds—what does it mean ?" he asked presently. " My lord made a purchase of jewels sir at Genoa; a very large purchase, so'thev say-something like thirty thousand pounds." " Yes, yes I know he thought of buyino them. Where are they ?" B " The diamonds, sir ?" Mr Brackenbury nodded. "My lord had them in bis travelling belt." X "In his travellingbelt 1 On his person 2 Do yon mean to tell me he had the diamonds actually upon him when he left the carriage?" :; "Indeed, sir, I am sorry to say ho had.'1!: " Merciful Heaven !—and yet it seems scarcely credible. They would not go into so small a compass." Mr Prouting explained how his lordship bad caused the jewels to be broken op, I and how, being only loose stones, the diamonds took up very little space. ~■,,.. " You saw them yourself, Prouting?" " I saw them, sir, when I took in my lord's lemonade. They were lying on the table in three little heaps." " And you are srtre he put them in .his belt?" " Yes, sir, I—l happened to see him put them in—quite accidentally." Mr Brackenbury pushed his chair back suddenly, got up again, and walked restlessly to and fro, " Where is the Syndic ?" he next asked.

" Close by, sir—bis office, that is to say: but be isn't much there. His private house is a little ways out of town." " Take me to his office. If he is not there. I will go on to bis private house," Prouting fetched his hat and led the way. They met the (Syndic at his bureau door, on the poiut of going home ; but he turned back and led the way to his private room.

Mr Brackenbury begged to know what bad been done in tbe way of search; and tbc Syndic—a voluble, self-importantinnc-•tiouary—brought out bis minute-book and a pile of correspondence, and proceeded to show with what zeal and discretion, and at how large a cost, the investigation had been carried on. Here were copies of nig own letters to the local authorities of various - communes, and their replies to the tame; a list of thirty-four domiciliary visits made in various mountain hamlets during the past week; minutes of the examinations of suspected persons; ( accounts of sums expended on telegraphy, printing, gratifications to subordinates and the like ; besides various reports furnished by the officer of carabineers whose troop -was emnloved in the search. i. Mr IM ackenbury listened till the Syndic had talked himself out of breath, and then said very gravely :— " Your investigations nave been conducted on a wrong basiF. lam not surprised that you have failed." ; ••: The Syndic hepped to know what -bettor course " sua JSccellenza "could propoae.v 4 "You tell me," said Mr Brackenbury, " that no case of robbery with violence has occured here for many years, and that the people of your district are well-conducted harmless. Why hold them'answerable fw my brother's disappearance ? Lord Bracken' bury waa assuredly not the first traveller who ever got out of his carriage on that road for exorciac. It is a circumstance that mint hove happened every day. Why, .then, thould he be molested—he alone, after years of public safety ? He had upon his person a travelling-belt, containg money and jewels —but bow should your villagers or iuiiermen know that ?" The Syndic stared. That the brother of the missing man should defend the people of his district was more than he could comprehend. "It seems to me," continued Mr Brackcnbury, "that we should take Genoa for our point of departure. There must be persons in Genoa who knew that my brother bought the diamonds—who may have followed him, waiting the first opportunity to obtain possession of them. Tney -were bought, X understood, through tome Genoese banking-house . . . ." >'. . ■, " Through Kicciotto and Da Costa, in. terrupted the Syndic. :..'■. '• And I learn now, from my brothers servant, that these jewels were broken up by a workman in Lord Brackenbury'a employ. Where is that workman?" * The honest Syndic was confounded. He admitted at once that'"his Excellency's'1 view of the case was worthy of consideration. ';i "But," he added, "given that a murder has been committed, what has become of the body ? We have not merely been searching for the assassins, but for their victim." Despite the sweet subtlety of his mothertongue, your well-educated Italian ■very: often expresses himself vitti. a brutal'; straight-forwardness of which not even tbc most ignorant Frenchman, nor perhaps I even the most ignorant Englishman, would be capable. The worthy Syndic was quite unconscious of the horrible suggestiveness of his speech ; but his hearer felt it like' a slab. "Yon cannot do better, Signor Sindaco, than continue your search," he said with a shudder. "I will myself institute enquiries at Genoa." Then Mr Brackenbury asked for, and rpceived, the key of the locked chamber ; and, with a few parting ins tructiouH'aud civilities, went his way bank to the Albcrgo Croce,di; Malta. He then took possession of his brother's luggage ; ordered fresh horses in , an hour's time ; desired Prouting to berpady | to accompany him ; and sat down with . a heavy heart to the luncheon which, he had forgotten to order, but which had. nevertheless been prepared for him. " ~',j They had laid a letter beside his plsiterj-'•: ! the same letter that Fronting had. fetched from the Post Best ante the night of Lord Bracken bury's disappearance. He recognised his own handwriting upon the envelope. It was a letter written in, reply io one he had received from his brother, nearly a fortnight ago. The sight of it almost choked him. r By a little before four p.m. he was on the road again, bound for Genoa. When the carriage reached the spot at which Lord Brackenbury had alighted, he got out and walked some way back, examining the ground and particularly toting the turn at I which his brother was last seen, After this, he pursued his journey without a moment's unnecessary delay, paying the..post-boys himself at the end of every stage, and urging on the new ones with feverish impatience. . . . j : r> , It was dark long before they reached the summit of the Pass of Braceo, and neatly five o'clock in the morning .when, the ! carriage drew up at the door of the Hotel Feder. ... ",',,.,"j ■'/■ ..-,,. I , "Your Signor can have his old ; rooms , again," said the waiter, whom the night porter had called up outof his bed.. :: .« <.Tiiey are jtist vacant." , ; «« .; '' 1 hen. seeing a strange gentlemen alight he stared and said:— . -- .. >■... <.- " How!—it is not the same Signer ; ?' ~1 But Prouting signed to him to be silent; and Mr Brackenbury was, by a curious coincidenoe, shown into the very apartment that Lad been occupied by his brother, iis * I It were needless to recount all that Mr Brackenbury did and caused to be done, in | furtherance of the one supreme object upon which his thoughts and energies wore bent.* He, at all events, spared neither time, . nor money, health in pursuance l; ;,of that object. Assisted ,by : Signpr Kicciotto, he secured the .j legal services of Signor M 010; spurred on the police authorities ; procured the apprehension of Antonio CafTarelli; circulated hand bills printed in French, English, ami Italian giving an account of Lord Brackenbuiy's.disappearance, and offering a great xew«d,>for i nformation of the missing nobleman; telegraphed a description of the diamonds ,to London, Amsterdam, Marseilles, and Paris; and despatched a couple of detectives,. to - search the coast between Genoa and La Spezzia. <!<>l->fi I wUSW Antonio Caffarelli was promptly; examined, and as promptly released. He was found quietly at work in his own workshop at the top of a bouse in a small alley opening out from the Via de' Orefici. Ho showed surprise, but no confusion, and bore .himself throughout the examination, with tn.°_ composure of innocence. He worked, «it seemed, tor various employers, all of whom gave him a good character; and he brought evidence to show that he had not.beea.iabsent from his home for more than an hour or two, either lately, or at any time withinthe past two years. • '! v* How Paolo Giovanelli and various other persons were suspected, interrogated,, snd dismissed ; hownotonly Genoa and London, but every European capital, rang with the story; how "The Extraordinary Case 01 Lord Brackenbury," and his thirty thousand pounds' worth of diamonds, figured: for weeks in every newspaper at homo and abroad; how the interest of the subject by and by dieil away, and even Mr Brackenbury's passionate perseverance was worn out at last, arc matters that need to bo out briefly indicated. Enough that strictest search was made, and made in vain; that days, weeks, months went by, and left the mystery unsolved. ' ;■'. Lord Brackenbury bad disappeared as completely as if the earth had opened and swallowed him.

(To lie Continued on Wednesday.)