A Hungarian Mystery.

Auckland Star, Volume XII, Issue 3546, 17 December 1881, Page 4 (Supplement)

A Hungarian Mystery.

The Vienna correspondent of the " Globe" Bays:—"A mysteiious business is related from Ccrnaia, in the depths of Hungary. Borgo Levies, a bricklayer of that town, was nearing his cottage after the, day's work, when a strange man stopped him in the road and asked him if he would undertake a job, for which he would be well remunerated, • I and my wife are living in a country house, a little way out of town, and 1 want you to come with your tools and wall up a sort of cupboard. But, you must como at once, for my wife declares she will not sleep another night in the place if the thing be not done before dark, I fancy the cupboard must be connected with some drain or passage, for it swarms with rats and mice; and that is why it must be walled up. If you will come at once you shall have 50 gulden.' Needless to say that the poor workmen collected together the necessary! implements in all haste, and marched off after the stranger, who led him to a tumbledown looking and long-untenanted house about a mile out of town. A pretty young woman, who appeared very nervous and anxious, met tliem at the door. They traversed several rooms, and at last reached a. kind of kitchen. A dark closet, which evidently reached some way back,,opened into tliis room by a low doorway., jj' That's the place,'_ quoth the lady;, 'it's full;of rats; wall it up quick, ugh l' Levies went to work, but stopped short with a start of surprise at a noise he'heard issuing, from the hole.. 'Oh, those detestable ratsi' exclaimed the lady; 'only listen to them 1' Once more the man took, up his trowel,,but after two or three artistic flops with the mortar, dropped it again with | a i'ump. 'Goon, goon!' begged the lady. JutXevics now declared he would not lay a brick till he had looked for himself with a lantern what manner of place this was. More demands that he should finish his job; threats, tears, and offers of lOOfl., 150f1., up to 500fl. if he would go on. But this only excited his suspicions the more, and he remained firm. ' Well, go and get a lantern, then,'said the gentleman, 'but take a glass of wine first.' You can guess what effect this had. He drank and went to sleep. When he awoke the: house was empty. He staggered to the police-station (for his head was still swimming from the doctored wine), and related what had happened. Search was mads, and m the recess they found an infant about six weeks old, iiaked, and with its mouth gagged. It \yas still alive, but died that evening, * So now the police have got a nice nut to crack. It will take them all their time, I should fancy."