The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-19 00:00:00

THE FRATRICIDE AT ICERSALAIIN.

aqsassiu.

The French papers publish accounts of the trial last
week at Quiroper, in Brittany, of Olivier Kennel for
the murder of Ms brother. The prisoner is described
DA being tall and powerful, his eye ordinarily cold and
inexpressive the front part of his head bald, with long
dark hair falling behind upon his neck. The nature and
circumstances of the crime imputed to him will be best
explained by a translation of the examination of the
priaoner by the presiding Judge :
" ' You returned after the war to the Chateau of Kersalann
in March. 1871, and yovr brother, who had served In the
Pontifical Z .naves, lid not retniti until January, 1872. There
was at that time in thv house a young woman servant, Marie
i.e Clech, to whom you had paid attentions Yea! -

It appears that in order to gam your object you offered
her money. Aire refused it. You promised her marriage,
which shows to what an extent yon were Impelled by pas-
sion, and that you were jealous of your brother r most, for
both of you pur-ued the young woman with your importuni-
ties.'—' There were he importunities on my fart. 1 loved
her I perceived in her great I ival Hes. I esteemed her, but
I did not annoy her. lam am prised that such a reproach
should be addr, ssed tome. lam very observant of dem Tom,
and It would be quite opposed to my feelings to corrupt any
young woman. 1 may have °Herm'. money to Marie. I can-
not say Yea, for I loved her mush. It was for that reason
alone that I courted her, but without any evil intention.'
" living further premed with queen as upon the same
point, he replied that his memory had failed him. The Judge
reminded him that he had been heard to say, • It is a good
thing that butt my brother, or I would have put a bail into
his heed.'

"The prisoner role furiously, and in a very lou.l voice ex-
claimed, 'I was ale apsea good terms w.th lily Inotber [ii y
ma to prove that I cherished bad tel lings towards lint—to
make that a weapon agalnat me. I always level him. Ills
aought to hold me responsible for hie death. 1 prot, st against
that before Ileaven. lam continually being told of what is
contained in the ride 4 accimation, but the acte daccusat ion
II inaccurate. Thus It states that my moth, sent away
Marie Le Clech, whereas it was Marie who left of her own
accord. After that will you ask me to accept your acte
d'accusatian
"After this outburst the prisoner resumed the seat which
was allowed to occupy, Sr. it-jury to his knee preventing
him from remaining long in a standing position.
"The President read a passage from the minutes of the
preliminary examination to prove that the prisoner dis-
tinctly avowed that lie had assassinated his brc.ther because
he believed that he had caused the departure of Marie Le
Cleeh.—To this the prisoner replied that he remenibere
nothing of the preliminary examination, but be denied that
toted shown himself to be such a monster.

- --
"The President: ' You are not an ordinary criminal. You
have receivid a superior education Ilow do you now explain
your crime I You have asserted that you took your pistol to
Shoot yourself. Why, then, did you leave your room r•—• I
knew not what II waa doing. lam not a coward, as I have
shown, Ilad I known what I was about I should have blown
out my brains alter killing my brother, but I remember
nuthing '
. •

„.
"The Judge: ' But you remenber, at least, that you fired
three times at your brother?'—' I took the weapon intending
to kill inpelt. After that I have no coascioneneaa of what
I did. How it was done is a problem which I cannot ex-
Plain lam told that upon my first examination I gave a
else explanation of the circumstances. That may have
men. But that proves a. hit I any; for bad I known what
I WKS about, Hit likely I should have mad° that statement.
The examination of witaciaes was then proceeded with,

" The Come de lierstrut stated that he was playing at
billiards at the Chateau de liersalaun upon the day of the
murder, when Olivier entered the room, and immediately
thee shots were tired Ile at first thought it had blien an
accident, awl spoke to Olivier, who made no reply, and left
the room. Turning to Ernest, who had fallen to the ground,
he found him bleeding and insensible.

- -------•--
" The prisoner's counsel, M. Lachaud, inquired whether
the witness believed the catastruphe to have been a crime
or a inisfertune, to which, alter several moments' reflection,
he replied, 'I believe it was a crime ; but, according to
witnesses to be called, Olivier hod for some time past lost his
head, without being actually mad.' Being pressed as to his
belief that the prisoner intended to kill his brother, he
answered, •It is difficult to say; but I do not think so.'
"The young women, Marie Le elects, was next called. She
was dressed in the usual Bre tonne costume, and is described as
about 16 years .d age, and very good-looking. At first she
dhplayed great unwillingness to reply to the questions ad-
cireped to her, and the Judge, thinking that she was not con-
versant with French, directed that a Breton interpreter
shohld I e called in, but the witnews then said, 'II I am to
tell all I would rather do so in French' She then made a
statement to the following effect:—' M came after
nie often. At first he etiered ice 201, and then came several
thins and knocked at the Cone of my room. 1 would not
open it, mot afterwards 1 told Madame de Kennel that I
wished to leave. When he learnt that he come to me and
d, because he thought I was afraid of him and enter-
tained a had opinion ot him. Aftel wards he often dme 1001,
which I also refused'
"The Judge: And his brother?'

" Witness : ' He ran after me one evening when I was
going into my room, but when he .w that I shut the door
he went away Ote I iay he said to me "You ought to get
married, for you Amok' be away from bite' M. 0101er
asked no Chat he had said to me, and I told him, upon
which he said, "It lea good thing for him that he is ay
brothrr, or I would have put a ball Into his head." But I
did not attach any iniportance to those words. One day he
found M. Ernest in the kitchen with me, and said, " Ah,
these are the trieks which my brother plays me' The pre-
vious evening I had been to a neighbouring farm, and he
thought his brother was with me, and searchod for us a long
time. 1 told the other servants not to say where I had
gone.

" The Prosecuting Crginsel, addressing the prisoner: 'You
see that you did really utter threats of death against your
brother.'

"The Prisoner, In a broken voice: ' Yes, I mud have sold
So, for she would not have invented them. But they were
not serious or she would have attached hunortance to them,
arid would have warned my brother, or would have exerted
her ihfluonce over me to prevent such a misfortune. I repeat
that I do not recollect anything:
"The Procureur 'Ol course, this Is part of your system.
"The prisoner rose, and with great indlomion exclaimed,
' I have no syitem. I speak the truth. It is infamous to
say so'

" After this outburst the evidence of some other wit-
nesses as to the subsequent conduct was taken, and the case
for the prosecution was closed.
"Medical evidence was called for the defence to prove
that the prisoner's mind was affected: but one of the wit-
nesses declined to pledge his belief that there was such a
complete failure of memory as was asserted.

" Maitre Lachand based the defence upon the ground of a
disordered intelket—which hat been aggravated by au alb
seri-dna passion for the young girl—that he had no unfriendly
feeling against his brother, and that the fatal shots tel been
flied during a paroxysm of maniacal passion, which did not
render the prisoner liable to the charge of murder.

'After a short deliberation the jury returned a verdict of
Guilty with premeditation, but allowed extenuating circum-
etances.

"After the Judge had pronounced the sentence of hard
labour for lit, the prisoner arose, weeping, and exclaimed
in a loud voice, I have been unfortunate, but lam not an
:mania. You might take my life, but you have no right to
disgrace me."

AN EMERALD.
SAYS DENNIS I carry me purse in me hat;
And I'd like to sec who'll pick a pocket like that —Punch.