John Bull in America Or the New Munchausen

Cover John Bull in America Or the New Munchausen
Genres: Nonfiction

ON the fifth day of August, 1824 a rather genteel looking stranger arrived at the Mansion Ho-. tel in the city of Washington, where he inquired for a retired room, and expressed his intention of staying some time. He was dressed in a blue frock, striped vest, and, gray pantaloons was about five feet ten, as is supposed, and had a nose like a potato. The evening of the following day there arrived . in the stage from Baltimore, a little. msho-, gany-faced foreigner, a Frenchman, as it voulcl seem, with gold rin in his ears, and a pair of dimity breeches. The li tt man in dimity breeches ex pressed great pleasure at meeting the stranger, with whom he seemed to be well acquainted but the v stranger appeared much agitated at the rencontre, aud displayed nothing like satisfaction on the occasion, With the evident intention of avoiding little dark compIexibned man, he, in a few minutes, desired the waiter to show him into his room, to which he retired without bidding the other good night. Thi

...

s room, it may be as well td observe, was on the lower story of a back building, bounded by an alley in the rear, and the winclo vs of which were within two feet of the ground. It appears from the testimony of the waiter, that on going into his chamber, ancl observing a portmanteau, which had been placed there in his absence, the stranger inquired to whom it belonged. The waiter replied to tho French gentleman. . As you , seemed to be old acquaintance, I thought you might like to be together, sir. This information seeinecl to cause great agitation in the mind of the stranger, who exclaimed, as if unconscious of the prescnce of the waiter, C I am a lost man which the waiter thought rather particular. The stranger, after a few moments apparent perplexity, ordered the waiter to bring him pen, ink, paper, and sealing-wax, and then desired to be left alone. It is recollected, that the dack complexioned - fo-reigller retired about ten, r uesting to be called up at four oclock, as he was going on in the stage to the soutll. This is the last that was seen, either of the stranger, or the dark-complexioned foreigncr. On knocking at the door, precisely at four ocloclc the next morning, and no answer being wiven, the baiter made bold to enter the room, b which to his surprise he found entirely empty. Xeither trunks nor stranger, nor dark complexioned foreigner, wek to be found. Had the stranger and his friend previously run up a Iong score at the Mansion Hotel, their disappearance would not have excited any extraordlnany degree of surprise. But the stranger was indebted but for two days board and lodging, and the dark complexioned foreigner had paid his bill over night. A person who slept in the next room, ecollected hearing a stir in that of the stranger, as he thinks about three oclock, but supposing it to be some one going off in the mail, it excited no particular observation. A very minute examination of the windows of the room, vhich as has been before obscrved were low, and looked into a back alley, n7as had but there was nothing which indicated any violence, or afforded any clue to an explanation. This is all that could be gathered in relation to the mysterious disappearance of these two travellers. But on searching about the room, a packet was found carefully sealed, and directed To the Editor of the - . , the rest was wanting, and the omission was probably occasioned by some circumstance occurring at the instant, which , led to the sir gulara ffair above detailed. Some days having elapsed widnout any thing occurring to throw light

MoreLess
John Bull in America Or the New Munchausen
+Write review

User Reviews:

Write Review:

Guest

Guest