AN ECCENTRIC BARON.

Patea Mail, 10 February 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN ECCENTRIC BARON.

“ You don’t mean to say he has quietly died in his bed?” “Yes, indeed; who would have thought it ?” “ Died just like any one else, without an explosion. How tame!” “Our friend Glaser is to go down to-morrow with twenty men and inspect the cellars of the Schloss.” “ Alas, poor fellow, and I never bade him adieu.” But last week .Robert Glaser, first lieutenant of engineers returned safe and sound to Vienna, and reported his extraordinary discoveries in, or rather under, the castle of the late Baron Arpad Lopresti. His account runs as follows : —I was sent down to Sosdia to inspect the foundations of the Schloss, in consequence of reports that said foundations had been mined and filled with dynamite. My task is hardly half accomplished, and I return to it tomorrow. Our search thus far has resulted in the discovery of three mines, each containing 4| kilogrammes of dynamite of an unusually pinkish colour. The late lord of the Schloss was a first-rate chemist, and I conclude that this stuff must be of home manufacture, for it is not like the dynamite of ordinary commerce. To test its powers, to render it harmless, we exploded the lot in an open space 3000 yards from any habitation, and the detonation was so tremendous that windows were shivered and doors blown in. Since then, ten more mines have been discovered —they were so connected that they might have all been exploded simultaneously. The effect would have been stupendous! And now for the reason of deceased’s little penchant for honey-combing the foundations of his ancestral hall. It was the result of a rooted antipathy to the tax-gatherer —a sentiment shared indeed by many, though fortunately few resort to such drastic measures of self-defence. The dynamite, however, was only to be used as a supreme and final protest, for the Baron employed other —and as it proved, efficient —means for every-day purposes. For instance, he kept a couple of the largest and fiercest dogs, which were regularly let loose when the taxgatherer approached. It appeared that a certain rate collector, more crafty than his fellows, once got into the castle in disguise. The trick must have been discovered, however, for after waiting some time in the hall, the door opened, and instead of the Baron, the horrified official found himself face to face with a gaunt wolf. After this, and in consequence of the report that the grim lord of the manor had sworn a deep oath to blow up the whole place sooner than pay taxes, the gatherers approached the place no more, contenting themselves with jotting down the outstanding dues, which to-day amount to 80,000 florins and which will at last have to be paid by the heir. Another peculiarity of the Baron’s was to ride about the woods in the costume of Adam —before the fall. His theory was “ perfect liberty ” within his own domains, and i’ faith he enjoyed it. Strange to say, beyond these peculiarities, Baron Lopresti was not only of sound mind, but a remarkably clever fellow ; a scholar, and —to the few whom he liked —a courteous and hospitable host. His anecdotes of Eastern life were as glowing as his wine was good, besides which he was a great musician and a redoubtable swordsman and chess-player. Only now and then a fit of cynical morose-

ness, or, rather, mocking anger, would seize him, and then someone would be sure to suffer some sorry joke. There was no knowing what he would do, and, in fact, it was always better to depart simply and swiftly. As to the outlying peasantry, they adored him, and last week 700 of them followed his remains to their last resting-place.