Singular Occurrence.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 130, 9 May 1883, Page 2

Singular Occurrence.

The Globe Brussels correspondent writes : — A fatal* accident, at first supposed to be a murder, has caused a sreat sensation at Antwerp. Mdme. Everaerts, who with her Lusband lived m the Longue Bue d' Argile, where they let apartments to two young officers, surprised chat her son, a boy of twelve yeare of age, did not come down from hi 3 room, went to ._b©B— whatrhiTwas about, and, to her horror, found him. lyin# on the floor beside his bed, bleeding to death. Lieut M., of the ArfcilTeryT^wlfcr occupies * room on the first floor, and who had been heard coming down from the room above^ was suspected of having murdered the boy, and I a penknife on the table which showed traces of having just been wiped Was supposed to have been the weapon he employed. Moreover, a pocket«hand« kerchief stained with blood was found m his room. The boy, who remained sensible for a short time, could not be got to give any account of the way m which he received the wound from which ha was dying. The explanation given by the lieutenant, now proved to be true, seemed too extraordinary to be believed, and he was at onoe arrested. It appears that, another officer, whose room is adjoining that of theviotim of the accident, and who was then out, had noticed on several occasions that somebody had been to a drawer of his secretaire, which he kept locked, bat which could be got at by pulling out the drawer above. Unable to discover who the guilty party was, he decided on laying a trap for him, and with the assistance of his fellow-officeis, placed a loaded revolver, so that it would go off when the drawer was opened. They were careful to remove the balls from the cartridge, to which, however, one vemaiuei, and to prevent any injury to the supposed thief, the pistol was so arranged .., that on going off, the charge should be fired into, and cot outside secretaire. But the boy, pulling the drawer from the side instead of by the middle, defeated these precautions, and the ball shot him near the heart". Lieutenant M. had promised his friend, who had gone to Brussels for the day, to go up to his room immediately if he heard the report of the revolver, so as to catch the intruder m the act. The poor boy, who evidently did not like to own what he had done, dragged himself to his room and shut the door, and then fell ex« hausted on the fbor. The other officer, ion his return hastened to explain the circumstances, - taking on himself the whole responsibility of an act which he | most sincerely deplores, and obtained the release of his fellow lodger.