The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-30 00:00:00

FOURFOLD MURDER IN BELGIUM.

Murders generally come in battalions, it is often
said, and the adage is verified in Behduiii. For many
years the country has not witnessed an execution, the
absence of capital offences having been remarkable.
Now, however, immediately following the murder of
two ladies in Brussels, we have intelligence of the dis-
covery of four murders comuiitted by one man at a
village called liornu, near Mons, nearly 30 miles from
Brussels.
The murderer, for about three years, has been a
small farmer 1111,1 sheep dealer. his Dame is Dessoua-
le-Moustier. He is twenty-eight years iif age, and
was married &Ale three yeaD ago to the daughter of a
fanner. Ile was acquainted with three brothers Who
werg extensive trailers in sheep, near the Forest of
Ardennee. The elder brother, Pierre Joseph
aged sixty-two years, was on friendly terms with
the murderer, and in March, 1868, called upon
him on business. Ile was never again seen
alive, and it was known that he had upon him
the sum of 3,0001. About a month afterwards his
brother, Nicholas Thirion, aged fit ty-eight, visited the
pris mer to make inquiries respecting his missing bro-
ther, but he never returned to his home in the forest.
A month still later—namely, May, 186 S—the youngest
id the three brothers, Gustave Thirion, aged forty-
three years, went in tearch of his brother, and shared
the same fate. The mysterious disappearance of the
three brothers naturally excited considerable suspicion,
and Deseowele-Moustier was called before the au-
thorities and interrogated, but gave such a plausi-
ble explanation that, in the absence of any proofs,
he was discharged. A few ilays ago his wife became
imililenly ill, and he refused her medical aid, but she
induced a neighbour, who accidentally called in, to
send the village doctor. She rallied a little, but after-
wards had another attack, under which ahe sank.
Before her death she made sonic disclosures respecting
her husband, and avowed her belief that he had
poisoned her. The doctor confirmed her swipieions
and, acting on his information, the man was arrested.
The previous suspicions then revived, and the dying
wife's disclosures prompted an examination of the
premises of the prisoner. An old pit that had been
tilled up in his garden was excavated, and there at
different depths were found the remains of the three
victims, of course considerably decomposed.
In poisoning his wife the wretch appears to have
had a double motive. A woman is the neighbourhood
has cohabited with him and is enceinte. To bring this
paramour into his home, and at the same time to rid
himself of the only dangeroun witness of his previous
grimes, he resolved to compass her death.
When arrested and charged with the murder of his
wife, he, with great coolness, exclaimed, " Oh ! is that
all? He was on Saturday confronted with the
remains of his victims, but was very aollected and dis-
claimed all knowled. ge of the matter. Hi. has, how-
ever, since admitted' his guilt, and inculpated an old
man, who has been arrested, as an accomplice. He
pleads for speedy execution.
The stomach, kc., of his wife are in the hands of an
eminent analyst in BM9PAiIIS foe examination.
The remains of the three murdered brothers were on
Brinday interred in the village oemetery, in the presence
of thousands of spectators from the surrounding towns
wad villa,:ep.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. ,
From the closest Inquiries which the authorities of Mons
have as yet been able to make, they have no reason to sup-
pose that the denunciation of II oyen as his accomplice ia any ,
other than an attempt on the part of the murderer, liessolis '
Is Moustier, to take revenge on the old shepherd, whole 78
years of age, for having given information to the rural guard
tending to Inerean the suspicion against him. lie remarked
that he supposed the occasion would be the last time of seeing
his house, and asked for some food. Ile made a hearty meet,
and as it, "I know I am a lost man. I demand tha they
should fluish the matter at once. Let them place me before
a file of men, and shoot roe. To be guillotined, that would
trouble me." Ile then asked what would he done with his
sheep, and on being told that they would sell them, gave in-
formation as to the prices they should fetch, and requested
that out of their price 1,0005. should be given to his sister-in-
law, 000 f. to his father, and 500 f. to a certain Legrand for the
rent of a meadow. On the resumption of the inioiries he
again avowed his guilt and directed the police to a place
where tney found a purse containing 6,000 f., half of which
sum he had taken from Me Victims. liC said that robbery
had been his motive in committing the crimes. It appears
that the body of Pierre ,I mph Thlrion had been found naked,
and on askitg the accused the reason of this, he replied
with the utmost coolness that he had been unwell, and had
refused to drink, and be hail conveniently strangled him
wontt asleep in bat, and then dragged the needy to the well
' *Ali the aseistance of iloyou. To explain why the l.rothcot
, Thlrion trusttd themselvts with Lessons In Moustier, it in
l, necessary to add that It ;m4 00t5 they were engaged in a con-
• trahand trade it cheep with France, and that he was their
' agent. A confirmation of their being enn7ed le anotegliag
r appeared in a roily of their brother•lndSw to the judge's
t question if they travelled unaccompanied by dogs. He iaid
th 4 he had Irani time to thee lent them as many as fourteen
' dogs, but that they had always returned without them.

(1-lay a ingnent will( held at Leeds on the
a t.oa.vaaeth Barker, seed thirty one, wife of Witham
Luber, oatmeal, who had be pa found dead in bed io ha.r
000 house on the previous uay. The deceasa d's huzuehd
Mad for some time been out of NN ork, and she had in conse-
quence been 'reduced to such a state of poverty that she had
sot even the pecesearlee of life, and ultimately died hem
nervation. The jury returned a verdict accordingly. 'l'he
deeeeeled had never made aphlication for peroehlal natal,