The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-26 00:00:00

THE PRASLIN MURDER.

The Gazelle deo 7'rieurtaux mentions the existence of
several wounds on the person of the Duke de Praalin. " In-
dependently of those remarked on his hands, and which
seem as if caused by bites, two others have been discovered,
one on the side, and the other on the leg. When called on
to explain how these wounds had been occasioned, the duke,
after having at first refused to do so, replied, it is said, that
it was the buckle of his trousers which had ru`,bed his side,
and that he gave himself a violent blow on the leg the even-
log before, when getting into one of the railway carriages.
When asked if he had mentioned these injuries to any one,
he replied in tho negative, but afterwards said that he had
spoken of them to a person of his household. It is also
known that after having found in the fire-place the remains
of clothing, almost entirely consumed, and en which traces
of blood were perceptible, it was discovered that the dress-
ing-gown which the duke wore was also stained with blood,
and that it had been recently washed. The duke, it is said,
admitted this latter fact, but attributed the blood to his hav-
ing come in contact with the body of the duchess, when he
found her expiring ; the cause of his washing out the stains
of blood was, he said, to spare his children the sight of
it. Several versions have circulated relative to the circum-
stances of the horrible drama which took place on the night
of the 18th instant. It may be comprehended how difficult
it is at present to make on this point plausible conjectures,
if the precise position of the rooms of the apartment, at the
moment when the crime was discovered, and the nature, as
well as the direction, of the wounds, be not known in an
exact manner. We do not therefore think it right to repeat
these several versions, particularly as they to not accord
completely with the contents of the proei s-verlkaur, and the
observations of the medical men. In fact, if the bloody stains
marked on the floor, and on the hangings of the chamber,
proviug the desperate efforts of the victim to escape from the
murderer, be taken into consideration, the conclusion must
be come to that the unfortunate duchess was first struck in
her bed, and that then, escaping from her murderer, she
must, whilst overturning the furniture, and whilst she still
was receiving blows, hove struck with her mutilated and
bleeding hands at every door, and then, at last, must have
fallen exhausted into the arm-chair near the chimney.
There, bent double, still uttering cries which her assailant
endeavoured to prevent by pressing her mouth, she received
from behind on the head and neck repeated blows, one of
which opened an artery, and produced death. According
to these indications, it appears probable that the pull at the
bell, which roused the persons belonging to the household,
was not given during the struggle, but that the duchess,
recovering for a moment her senses, after having been left
for dead, found sufficient strength to seize the bell-rope, which
was at the side of the causease on which she had fallen, and
where she was found expiring."
FUNERAL OF TILE MURDERED LADY. —The whole of
Sunday night was employed in making preparations for a
funeral service for the late Duchess de Praslin. By 7 on
Monday morning they were complete. A rich catafalque
covered with velvet adorned with silver ornaments, having
candelabra at each corner and covered with tapers, was put
up in the middle of the nave of the church of the Madeleine,
but without any armorial emblazonment,. At 4 on Monday
morning the body of the late duchess was removed, without
pomp, attended by some members of the family of Marshal
Sebastiani, to a vault under the church of the Madeleine,
from whence, it is supposed, it will be conveyed to Corsica,
to be interred in the tomb where repose the ashes of her
mother.
" On Monday," says the Wats, "a funeral service was
performed in the Church of the Madeleine for the Duchess
de Praslin, in the midst of the tears and lamentations of all
who attended. Some friends of the unfortunate lady joined
General Tiburce Sebastiani, the Duke of Coigny, and other
members of the family, to mingle over this tomb, so pre-
maturely, so cruelly opened, their heart-reuding regret,
their despair, and their tears. Never was mourning more
natural, more true. The disastrous termination of the life
of the Duchess de Prulin, her virtues, her amiable
qualities, and her great and genuine charity, called forth
the most bitter and inconsolable grief, even from the
moat indifferent. All that can make a woman beloved
and respected was combined in the Duchess de Pnalin.
She was still handsome. Brought up in the house and
under the eyes of her illustrious father, Marshal Sebastiani,
by a governess of the highest character, she possessed
every good ment 1 gift. Her bounty was inexhaustible. At
Paris, at her country seat, in every place which she inha-
bited, she bestowed her alms in abundance, and the poor
may be said to have had the enjoyment of her fortune. She
was adored by her family, the great consolation of her
father, an example to all who became acquainted with her.
She was beloved and venerated. What • void is made in
society! What an eternal grief has been planted in the
hearts of her friends! Above all, what a dreadful stroke
for Marshal Sebastiani ! Up to the present moment, per-
haps, be is still ignorant of the fate of his cherished dough-
ter ! The reports of his arrival in Paris were unfounded.
His family, up to this hour, do not even know where he is,
and whether he has received the fatal news; whether it has
reached him by any one of the messengers sant to him in
four different directions, or whether he will learn it, without
re pparation, through the public journals, or, perhaps, from
the mouth of some indifferent person. This uncertainty
forms a subject which keeps the minds of the family and
friends of the marshal in the most painful state of agitation.
However it many come to hint, the blow will be frightful.
No one can judge of its force. The marshal has lost the
person whose tender care and filial affection constituted the
happiness of his life—and how has he loot her!" After the
service the coffin was carried down again into the vault, where
it will rennin till removed to be seat into Corsica. Atand 10,
all the draperies with the catafalque were cleared away,
the church was opened to the public u usual. Seals have
been affixed to all the property in the hotel at Paris, and at
the chAteau of Vieux Praslin (Seine et Marne) in the in-
terest of the children of the unfortunate duchess.
MADEMOISELLE DE Luxor —The governess, is of Italian
origin, and belongs to a noble family; her name is de
Luzsi (Laura), and not de Lusy. She allows that she was
much moved and annoyed at being obliged to quit the duke's
famila and reiterated from the young ladies whose education
she had superintended ; ea, eir!"in" in all: tt: l'"-
guage of a letter written by her to the Duke de Pnalin and
seized amongst her papers. What is certain is, that the
duchess took offence at the intercourse subsisting between
the governess and the duke, and without • high intervention
would have demanded a regular separation. The duke,
yielding to prudent advise, contented to the governess being
sent away; and the duchess, in acknowledgment of this con-
cession, settled on her a pension for life. Its said that
some of the royal family interfered recently to reconcile the
duke and duchess. The King, the Queen, and par-
ticularly Mme. Adelaide, had a great affection for the
duellers. The duke, who had been the intimate friend of the
Duke of Orleans, was intimate also with the Duke de Ne-
mours, who invited him to all his hunting excursions. They
thought the duke and duchess reconciled since Mdlle. di
Luau's departure. Marshal Sebastiani, it is said, consented
to set out for Corsica only when assured that his daughter
was reconciled to her husband. The governess is no longer
in secret confinement. The correspondence seized at her re-
sidence has been examined by the commission of the Court of
Peers, by which she is to be interrogated. She is very calm
and does not appear to have the least dread of the result of

far as she is

She acknow •

ledge■ having replied sometimes with vivacity to the Duchess
de Praslin, whose jealousy and violent language Ai,
dreaded. We have spoken of tho altercations between
the duke and duchess, of which she was the cause
The duchess suspected her relations with the duke, and fre-
quently complained of them. What contributed much to
irritate her was a journey which the duke made two years
■ to Corsica with Mdlle. de Luzzi. The duke took with
Mdlle. de Luzzi his two eldest unmarried daughters. It was
only a month since that the duchess was able to obtain the
removal of Mdlle. de Luzzi. It is also said that a war-
rant wee issued. against another mistress of the duke's, re.
aiding in the Rue de Varennes, but who was not found ■t
her residence.