The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-12 00:00:00

A PICTURE OF FRENCH THIEVES.

The Court of Assizes of the Marne, in its last
sitting, tried a young man named Rennevier, an ex-school-
muter named buffet, and Uranie Buffet, daughter of the
latter, for robbery. On the 22nd August last, whilst the
Abbe Brayer, cure of Sezanne, was celebrating mass, his
ouse was broken into, and a basket of plate, a sum of
money, three Roman bonds of I,ooofr. each, a pair of
pistols, and a gold watch, were taken away. On inquiry,
it turned out that the two male prisoners had become ac-
quainted in the gaol of Epernay, where they were both
confined, snd that they there concocted the robbery of the
cure : Buffet, who belonged to his parish, having no doubt
suggested it, and Rennevier having planned and executed it.
The two prisoners then came to Paris, where they took the
female prisoner into their confidence. She was a Loretle,
known by the nickname of Pervenche, and was notorious
at the Chateau Rouge and other public dancing gar-
dens for the skill with which in dancing she managed to
knock off the hat of her partner with her foot. Rennevier,
in his interrogatory, frankly and even impudently, admitted
his own guilt; but said that his accomplice was not Buffet,
but a Jew named Max. He, however, stated that Buffet
came to Paris with him to dispose of his booty. " How
could be have done that," asked the President, " if he had
not been concerned in the robbery ?" " I had ordered a
supper for two in a public-house at Epernay," answered
the accused, "and expected Max to join me. But as he
did not come, I asked Buffet, who had just arrived, to join
me at table. He did so, and in the course of conversation, I
being heated with wine, let out what I had done. But, re-
flecting a moment afterwards, I said, ' Now you know my
secret, I will not leave you for a moment, lest you
should sell me ; and if you attempt to betray me, I nig
kill you without hesitation.' It was after that that we
agreed to come to I'aris together. On our arrival,"
continued the accused, "he lent me clothes, and
I went and sold the plate for 595 f. lle after-
wards introduced me to his daughter, and she became my
mistress." Buffet, in his interrogatory, denied the charges
simian him. The female accused admitted that she bad
been kept by a man, but had at the same time two other
regular lovers, and a number of others whom she picked np
by chance ; also that she had accepted Rennevier as another
lover the moment he was presented to her. She had, she
said, taken him for a rich man whom she could pluck; and
he had given her papers to take care of, which he told her
were bonds for 58,000 fr., though they turned out afterwards
to be only printed advertisements. Evidence was given
clearly proving the guilt of the two men ; also, that the
woman not only knew all about the robbery, but bad at-
tempted to sell what she conceived were the bonds, un-
known to Rennevier. The jury declared all thr,c guilty,
and the Court condemned Rennevier to fifteen, and Beth t
to eight years' imprisonment with hard labour, and the
female to five years' ininrisonment. A woman named
Vihtinie Genet, servant to titanic Buffet, was tried atth
the hand; but there was no evidence against h r, and ;Le
was discharged.

ExPI.OsION AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS,
Butsroc.—Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon, shortly before
one o'clock, a very serious explosion occurred at the Zoolo-
gical Gardens, Clifton, Bristol, which happi'•y was unat
tended with loos of life. Preparations were making for a
grand gala on Monday nest fur the benefit of Mr. Gyngen,
the pyrotechnist, who has a shed in the gardens near the
bear pit for the manufacture of fireworks. At the time of
the accident some of the parties in hie employment were
engaged in rameo;ng the composition into the rocket eases,
when, from some unknown cause, the materials ignite?,
and a terrific explosion ensued, by which the whole of the
shed was blown into the air, and the tirewerks that had
been already made were destroyed. Two of the workmen
were seriously injured, and one of them so SeTtqtly that ho
had to be at once conveyed to the Bristol Infirmary.
Aopes
are, however, entertained of his recovery.