AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 179, 6 May 1872, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

There is no lack of romantic element in tlie newspapers of the present time. Under the heading of “ A Very Extraordinary Story, ”an account lias appeared in The Times of the disappearance in London of Mr L. R. Baer, a young Russian over here on a business errand, as the manager at Moscow for Messrs. Blews and Sons, of Birmingham, contractors to the City of Moscow Gas Company. On the 12th of last month, Mr. Bauer, being then at Riga, wrote to Messrs. Blews, saying that he wished to see on some affairs of business, and proceeded to Hamburg, when he took his passage by the Libra, and on the 25th reached London, where he had an interview with a gentleman belonging to the Moscow Company, who happened to be in town at the time. On Friday, the 26th of January,at 20 minutes past 10 a. m., ho telegraphed to Messrs. Blews that he was going to leave Euston-square for Birmingham by the noou train, but at five minutes past 12 a second message reached Mr Blews from the Euston office to the effect that their correspondent had missed the noon train, and would come on by the train leaving at 3 p.m. From that moment, however, to this, nothing, with the exception of a strange communication, has been heard of Mr Bauer. On Saturday, the 3rd of February, eight days after the telegrams, Messrs Blews received two notes in an envelope bearing the London postmark of February 2. One of these was from Mr Bauer himself, and it puiv ported to inform the senior member of the Birmingham firm that their Moscow manager had been seized by the agents of a secret society in Russia and condemned to death. This communication was dated January 27, and stated that the writer had then only a few hours to live. Covering that letter was a note dated the 2nd of February, and containing the following words i— 4 Sir, —The foolish autlioi of the enclosed brief lias informed you right; lie is dead. Our safety forbids us to send you your property—to wit, some papers, which have been burnt. Wo aie, Sii, A Sufficient Number.” These letters naturally impelled Messrs Blews to make inquiries for their correspondent, hut nothing could be learnt. A communication lias been received from his father, stating that during the summer of 1870 the sou became affected by what the Russian doctors term 1 wander madness, and wandered about aimlessly until lie fell down in a state of exhaustion. The immediate cause of this attack was said to be mental and bodily fatigue, and. it. is surmised that the same cause in this instance may have induced the same malady, the Birmingham Post states that the Russian Government is making inquiries in connexion with this strange disappearance.