A MYSTERY SOLVED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 20

A MYSTERY SOLVED.

A .Brussels correspondent writes to the St. James's Budget: — An extraordinary story comes from Priegnitz, in Prussia, where a skeleton has been found, which is thought to be that of a British diplomatist who disappeared, mysteriously over a hundred years ago. Mr. Benjamin Bathurat, a son of Dr. Bathurst, Bishop of Norwich, 1805-37. was in 1809 envoy to the Court of Vienna, and had been following the campaign between the Austrians and French. He seems to have been incomi prehensibly afraid of falling into the hands of the French, and as soon as the I treaty between Napoleon and Austria I was signed he fled'" from Vienna, maki ing for Hamburg, whence he intended to reach London. In November, 1809, he had arrived at Berlin, spent several days there, and continued his journey, in the slow fashion of the times, by coach. With him travelled his secretary and a confidential servant. On the 25th inst. he arrived at Kleteche, ' the last posting station before Perlebegg, which is to-day a railway station between Magdeberg and Berlin. Here, when asked for his passport and papers, he declared he was a Berlin merchant named Koch. While awaiting a -clay of horses, he put a number of questions to the postmaster concerning the safety of the roads, and if he should be likely to meet any French patrols. He seemed altogether to be in a very nervous condition. Those in the posting house saw Bathurst pull a pair of pistols out of his pocket and watched him adjust and readjust the trigger continually. He was warned twice that the horses were ready, but he seemed lost in terrified conjectures, and took no notice. Finally, on being reminded that the hire of the horses began from the moment they were harnessed, he made a start. SUFFERING FROM DEMENTIA. At half-past 5 he arrived at Perleberg, and here he left his carriage and insisted on being conducted to the house of tho Governor of the district, from whom he again enquired with mucii anxiety about the security of the roaus, begging to be told the shortest route, saying he had a terrible fear of French patrols and Customs officers, who had twice already tried lo poison him. The Governor recognised that Bathurst was suffering from dementia, and did his best to assure him. The British Envoy left and started for the posting house. Two girls living next door to the posting-house watched him pass their window, but nothing more was ever seen of Mr. Bathurst. The next day the diplomatist's cloaK was found hidden under a pile of wood in the posting-house, and a fortnight later bis riding breeches were found oy two women gathering dead leaves in the forest of Quitznow, close to Perleberg. The prevailing idea was that Bathurst had been assassinated by French soldiers, who were after his despatches. His wife applied to the Emperor Napoleon' to give her every facility to seek her husband, and this was done, all the resources of the country being at her disposal. The hat of the lost diplomatist was found on the edge of the River Stepnitz, and this was consequently dragged for his body, but in vain. It is now reported that some wood cutters in the forest of Quitznow have discovered a skeleton in a good state of preservation, not far from the spot where Bathurst's riding breeches were found. The boneß are thought to be those of the envoy whose diesappearance has always been a mystery.