The Express.
London, England, 1864-03-17 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL.

(PROM 005 OWN COILILISPONDIZIT.)
PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVMMO.
A cause celebre is now being tried at Aix. All
the principal Paris journals have sent special re-
porters, and MM. Jules Fevre and lachaud are
retained for the defence.
In July last a man named Maurice Roux, a
coachman in the service of M. Armand, a gentle-
man of large property residing at Montpellier, was
found in the cellar of his master's house, lying on
his face, with a wound on the back of his head,
a rope tightly drawn round his neck, his hands
tied behind his back, and apparently in a dying
state. It was in the evening that he was thus
found. The man had been missing all day, and K
Armand bad several times spoken angrily of his
absence from his duties. A maidservant in the house,
who had heard her master inquiring for Maurine
Roux, told him that she thought she heard Maurice
groaning in the cellar. M. Armand said the girl
must be dreaming, but he nevertheless accompanied
her down the cellar stairs, and there found Maurice
in the position described. M. Armand at once ran
to fetch medical men, and a commissary of police.
According to the report of the medical men Maurice
was nearly strangled, and in a most dangerous con-
dition. He could not speak a word, but was able
to understand what was said to bin,. The commis-
sary of police produced a child's alphabet of ivory
letters, and asked the man to spell the name of the
person who had attempted to murder him. He spelt
name of " Armand"—his master. A long examina-
tion ensued by means of the alphabet, in the course
of which the man explained that while he was
sawing wood in the cellar his master came behind
him, and saying, "Je t'apprendrai it appeler ma
maison une baraque "—fl will teach you to call my
house a barrack}—he struck him a tremendous
blow on the head with a log of wood, which felled
him to the ground ; then he twisted a rope tightly
round his neck, and tied his hands behind him.
This happened at eight o'clock in the morning.
When Maurice Roux recovered he repeated
by word of mouth everything that he had indi-
cated by the alphabet, persisted in his story after
being warned by the Judge of Instruction of his
terrible responsibility to God and man if he made
a false accusation and took the sacrament upon it
in the presence of the judge. K Armand was
arrested upon this testimony, and at the end of last
year he was brought to the bar of the assize court
of Montpellier to take his trial on • capital
charge. But when judge and jury were as-
sembled, when the Procureur Imperial was
ready with bis speech for the prosecution,
when M. Jules Fevre, specially brought
down from Paris, had taken his seat in front of the
dock in which the prisoner was placed ; and, when
the court was crammed to suffocation with the prin-
cipal inhabitants of the department, burning with
curiosity to hear the case, the astounding news
came that Maurice Roux, on his way to the court
to give evidence, had been waylaid and beaten
within an inch of his life, so that it was impossible
for him to appear. The trial was necessarily
postponed. The general opinion in Mont-
pellier was that M. Armand, who is a
very wealthy man, had suborned a bravo
to murder Maurice Roux in order to prevent him
The Solicitor-General gave a parliamentary din-
nee last sassing at his residence is Eatso-place West, to from appearing against him. Maurice Roux, how-
the following members of the lower house :—Aldernmas Sir ever, revived after some days' medical treatment
James Duke, Sir Prank Crosaley, Mr. Bellew, Mr. Baas, Meanwhile K Armand's counsel applied to the
Mr. Mammy, Mr. Childers, Mr. Clay, Mr. Balms, Mr. W. Court of Caseation for a change of venue on the
E. Forster, Mr. Leathern, Mr. Morrison, Mr. Roebuck, Mr. ground that there was so much prejudice against
Schoisfield, he.
The subject of the removal of the mail-packet i the prisoner in Montpellier that be could not
have a fair trial there. The court granted
station from Southampton to Falmouth to be brought the application, and ordered that the trial
before parliament this maim
THE CATA. OPHE AT SHE7PIELD. Tbe sub- I should take place at Aix. It is a sin-
THE
list emotion. to more than 16,0001. The trustees gular circumstance, and one that gives rise
of the Duke of Norfolk's estate have gime 1,0004 An Ito many conjectures, that when the list of wit-
°Meld return of the bodies miming fix* it at 241. 1 messes was called at the opening of the trial,

NOES.
Adderley, C. B. Gore, W. R. Monitt, W. J.
Addington, W. W. Gower, O. W. Mowbray, J. R.
AngerWeln, W. Graham. Lord W. Murray, W.
Arbuthnott, Gen. Grecian, G. Naas, Lord
Archdall, Capt. Grey de Wilton, Via. Neadegate, C. N.
/well. J. H Orogen, Sir E. Newport, Visct.
Bantle, H. J. Hamilton, Lord C. Noel, G. J.
Baring, T. hamiltoo, Vint. North, Col.
Barrow, W. H. Hamilton, L T. 3 orthcote, Sir S.
Barttelot, Col. Hardy, G. Pack.), C W.
Bathurst, A. A. Hardy. J. Paklugton, Sir J.
Bathurst. Col. Hartopp, E. B. Papillon, P. O.
Beach, W. W. Harvey, R. B. Patten, Col.
Bective. Earl of hay, Sir J. Peel. Gen.
Beecroft, G. B. Henley, J. W. Pennant, Col.
Brntinck. O. W. Hervey. Lord A. Pevenaey, Visa.
Timone, R. He) gate, Sir F. W. Powell, P. 8.
lieresford, W. Seagate, W. U. Powyg-Lybbe, P. L
Bernard, Col. Hodgson, R. Renton. G. W.
Bernard, T. T. Holford, R. 8. Ridley, Sir Si.
Bond, J. W. liolmesdale, Visct. Rogers. J. J.
Bramston, T. W. Bottum Lord Bolt. J.
Bridges, Sir B. W. linruberston. P.S. Rowley, R. I'.
Briscoe, J. I. Hume, W. W. Belk Thomas
Brace, Major Hunt, G. W. Sclater-booth, G.
Bruce, Sir H. I ngestre, Vlsct. Scott, Lord 11.
Burghley, Lord Jermyn, Earl ficourSeld, J. H.
Burrell. Sir P. Jervis. Capt. Smith, Abel
Care, S. Jolliffe, Sir W. G. Smith. 8. G.
Cecil, Lord R. Jollifle. H. H. &myth, Col.
Chapman, J. Kekewich, 8. T. Somerset, Col.
i odrington, Sir W. Kelly. Sir F. Some., J.
Cole, H. Ker, D. S. Stanhope, J. B.
Collins, T. Kerrigan. Sir K. C. Stuart. Lient -CoL
Cubit, G. King. J. K. Strawy, Sir H.
Curzon. Sleet. KnalchbulL W. F. Aurtees, H. K.
Dalkeith, Earl of Knight, K W. Taylor, Col.
Darner, S. D. Knot, CoL Tempest, Lord A.
Dickson, Col. Langton, W. G. Thyoue, Lord E.
Disraeli, B. Leeke, Sir H. Tollemaclie, J.
Da Gine, C. Lefroy. A. Tottenham, LL-Col.
Dtinoombe, A. Leah. Major C. Trefusia, C. H.
Duncombe, W. E. Leith, W. J. Turner, C.
Do Pre, C. G. Lennox, Lord G. Vance, J.
Dutton. It. H. Lennox, C. s. Vaaslttart. W.
Edwards, Col. Leslie, C. P. Verner, Sir W.
Egerton, A. F. Igalle, W. Verner, E. W.
Egerton, E C. Liddell. H. G. Vise, Col.
Exerton. W. longlield. R. Walcott, Admiral
Elphlnatone, Blr J. Laraine, Lord Walker, J. R.
Estcoort, T. IL Lygon, F. Walpole, S. H.
lane, CoL Lytton. Sir E. B. Walsh. Sir J.
Farquhar, Sir 11. Malnwaring, T. Walter, J.
Ferrer, J. Malcolm, J. W. Waterhouse, S.
Follower, E. Idaho., R. Wallington, J. W.
Fergumon. Sir J. Manners, Lord J. Welby, W. It,
Ferrand, W. Manners, Lord G. J. Whitmore, H.
Fitzgerald, W. 8. Miles. Sir W. Wood& II T.
Fleming. T. W. Miller, T. J. Wyndham, P.
Floyer, J. Mills, A. Yorke. K. T.
Franklyn, G. W. Mltford, W. T. Yorke, J. R.
Oallwey, Si, W. P. Montagu, Lord R. VELLUM
George, J. Montgomery Sir G. Heathente, Sir W.
i Getty, 8. G. Mordaunt, Sr C. Selwyn, C. J.
Four conservative tomboy voted, it will be seen, for the
bill. viz.—Mr. E. Autrobas, Lord A. Churchill, J. IL
Gasket], and G. Toolbar..

Mao "ice Roux did not answer, and it was stated
in court that when he arrived at Aix by the rail.
way he was taken very ill. The public prosecutce
said, however, that he was expected to attend the
next day. The extraordinary defence set up is
that Maurice Roux's story is a pure invention,
that he indicted injuries upon himself, put the
rope round his own neck, and tied his own hands
behind him, upon the calculation that by seeming
his master, who has the reputation of being
a violent man, and is said to have struck his ser-
vants before, he should get a large sum of money out
of him. This theory is supported by Dr. Tardieu,
the most eminent professor of medical jurispru-
dence in Paris, and by Dr. Jacquet, a leading
surgeon of Montpellier. Nevertheless, the public
prosecutor made a crushing speech against the pri-
soner, and pressed urgently for a conviction. The
improbabilities on either side are very great, and
the result of the trial is awaited with extraordinary
interest

M. Beware application against the Prefect of
the Seine to have his name placed on the list of
candidates was called on to-day, but in copse-
quenoe of an informality in the citation, stands
over till to-morrow. It is very clear now that if
an injustice has been done it cannot be remedied
in time.

The Bourse has been very firm. Rente es div.
closed at 66fr. 20c., being a rise of 20c.