The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-01 00:00:00

A FRENCH MURDER.

A dreadful case of murder has just been tried before
the Court of Assizes of the Puy-de-Dome at Morn. It
appears from the acre d'accuistion that at about seven
o clock on the morning of the 11th of January, some
men proceeding to their week at the quarries of Tail-
bide, found a man lying dead and bathed in blood at
a short distance from the village. These men imme-
diately communicated the fact to the local au-
thorities, and the body was recognised by the
mayor to be that of one of the most honest inhabi-
tants of his own commune, a drover named Marien
Courson, aged 37. The head of the victim was riddled
with shot, the pockets had been turned inside out, and
it was evident that, as he was the bearer of from
1.200 fr. to 1,400 fr., the object of the crime was
robbery. The victim, accompanied by his two part-
ners, left home at an early hour on the morning of the
9th, to attend the fair at Montferrand, which was to
take place on the following day. They disposed of
their cattle and returned home in the evening of Fri-
day, the 10. h. After stopping for a short time at
Riom, they took the road to C'ambroude, and on reach-
ing • place called Davayat, Coureon left his com-
panions, and took a short way over country towards
Teilliede. On reaching a deserted part of the road, a
men named Hebrard, • farmer in the same commune,
who, aware that his victim wee possessed of • sum of
money, had lain in ambush for • couple of hours, as soon
as his victim came up fired two shots at him from a rifle
point-blank. Death was instantaneous. When Hazard,
upon whom everything tended to fix the crime, vv.
at first confronted with the produce of it, the rifle with
which it was committed, and other irrefutable evi-
dences of his culpability, he preserved the utmost cool-
ache, and pretended that they had been bidden in his
house by the real murderer. Some days later, however,
, he made certain unguarded disclosures to the gendarmes,
' and afterwards made a free confeseion of the crime
to the local magistrate, acknowledging at the same
time, that his vict m had been his benefactor on several
occasione, and only a few days before the crime had
paid a bill with which be had been pressed by a pub-
lican of the village. The cool bravado with which he
narrated every incident ornnected with hie deepty.laid
crime to the Court was, the journals state, revolting.
"When 1 was sure that Ceureon was dead," he said,
"I went up to him, examined his pockets, took every-
thing he possessed, and then went to a neighbour's,
where I took two or three glasses of wine and smoked a
cigarette." It is scarcely necessary to say that little
was added by the testimony of witnesses to • state-
ment like this, and Hebrard was found guilsy, without
extenuating circumstances, and s.ntenced to death.

SOLDIERS IN THE HARVEST FIELD.
The following letter has been addressed by Me.
Gladstone's secretary to Mr. J. S. Wright, of Bir-
mingham, an honorary member of the Agricultural
Labourer's Union :-
10, Downing street, February 12, 1873.
‘qr,-1 am directed by Mr. Gladstone to inform you that
the particulars forwarded in your letter of the 10th f
September last were transmitted to the War Office, accord-
ing to the promise made In my letter of the 4th of September.
It appeared from the Inquiries mode by that department that
there were very few ca-es in which soldiers had been em.
ployed in the harvest work when disputes between farmers
and labourers exited ; but an it was a matter of doubt
whether the Intentions of the Queens regulations— which M
to afford assistance in gathering the harvest for the Moat
of the whole community, and which does cot eontemplate
the employment of soldiers where it would afftct the result
of chsputes between farmers and labourers—had been uni-
formly observed, the following regulstlru has been published
by the War Office se an ad Minn to Article 180 of the Queen's
regulations, of which! have alr.ady forwarded you a copy
—'Such permission will not he granted where strikes or
disputes between farmers and their labourers exist. All tech
cases should be reported to the Secretary of State."-1 have,
Au, W. B. 121171P0N.