The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-25 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL.

(Isom ova OWN

PARIS, SUNDAY EVENINU.
At the :Assize Court of the Isere on Mardi 21.
was tried for the murder of his own daughter, and
the attempted murder of her lover, a criminal of
no ordinary stamp. Benjamin Reynaud, the cul-
prit, a man 66 years of age, with snow white hair
and beard, a man of education, respectable position,
and easy fortune, is not a Brutus, thinking, with
barbarous virtue to wipe out the pollution of a
Tarquin by immolating his own flesh and blood,
but a hoary letcher who killed his daughter from
the vile motive that she was cognisant of bis having
been laughed at by one of his mistresses. This
M. Reynaud went in early life to the Isle Saint
Denis de la Reunion, where he became receiver of
stamps and taxes—a post of much consideration in
the colony. In that colony he married, had tire
children, and lived for many years much respected.
He returned to France a few years ago and
settled in a country house, at Clary, near Grenoble.
His wife found the residence too dull, and without
any positive quarrel, although she knew that her
husband was guilty of many infidelities, soon left
him to return to the colony, where she had married
daughters. One of the daughters, Madame G'arli-
'aline, a lady of free and easy manners, separated
from her husband, in consequence of a scandal
the circumstances of which are not explained, and
came to live with her father in France. That elle,
to his knowledge, had a lover prior to the one
whom the father attempted to assassinate we
distinctly proved on the trial. He, a Lothario of
threescore years and upwards, notoriously intrigued
with all the women in the neighbourhood whom he
could influence by money, social position, or by that
moral ascendancy which, notwithstanding his age,
he appears to have been able to exercise for im-
moral purposes. One of his mistresses was a young
married lady, a Madame Baudrand, the wife of a
notary. This Madame Baudrand, after becoming,
much against the grain and with frequent remorse
and repugnance, the mistress of the father, was
also the confidential friend of the daughter, and
knew of her liaison with M. Lobinhes, a young
receiver of stamp duties, who had lately come into
that part of the country. It happened one day
that as M. Reynaud was expecting a letter from
Madame Baudrand to give him a rendezvous, a
letter from her to his daughter Madame Gantiliume
came to the house, when the latter was out, and the
father took upon himself to open it. In that letter
he found himself described as the "old one" (le
view), whom she, Mdme. Baudrand,would contrive
to get away for three or four nights, and she recom-
mended Mdlle. Gardilaune to make the beat use of
the opportunity to see her lover, M. Lobinhes, of
whom she was so very fond. Hereupon Reynaud,
as he admitted on the trial, formed the deliberate
resolution of murdering his daughter and her
lover and killing himself. He left his house, say-
ing that he would be absent for three or four days.
At the village of St. Marcellin he bought a brace
of pistols, which he loaded, and a poignard. He
wrote letters to his wife at Reunion, to one
of his married daughters, and to a son
who lives in England, telling them of his
intention to commit the double murder and
suicide. He fixed upon the notary and the advo-
cate who were to wind up his affairs after his death.
Having deliberately made all these dispositions, he
returned in the dusk of the evening to his own
house, where he found his daughter in the drawing-
room. Not seeing her lover with her, he observed
that he had probably arrived too soon, but he could
wait. He then laid down the pistols and poignard
upon a cheat of drawers, and coolly told her that
lie had brought the arms there to use them ; that
one of the pistols was for M. Lobinhes ; the poig-
nard for her ; and the other pistol for himself.
M. Lobinhes, who was concealed in an adjoining
room, heard the conversation, and rushed out. He
asked for pardon, remonstrated with Reynaud, and
urged him not to commit a dreadful act which he
would afterwards bitterly repent of. Reynaud said,
" I grant no pardon; take a pen." The young man
took a pen, and was asked to write, " I admit my-
self to be an infamous suborner." He threw the
pen down, and declared that nothing would induce
him to write it. Reynaud then threatened to fire.
"Give me a moment," said the young man; "let
me say one prayer." A moment's hesitation en-
sued after this appeal, and Lobinhes rushed to a
window and jumped out ; but while he was jump-
ing, Reynaud fired and wounded him. A moment
after he stabbed his daughter in three places,
plunging the poignant up to the hilt, and
leaving her on the floor speechless and dying. He
then tired the remaining pistol into his own
mouth, and the ball carried away a portion of the
upper jaw, but without inflicting a mortal or
even very serious wound. Meanwhile Lobiuhea
returned up the stairs, and seeing that Mdme.
Gardilanue was in her last momenta, thought of
nothing but endeavouring to administer to her
some religious consolation. In a few moments she
breathed her last, and the wretched father, when
ho saw her with her bosom bared and dead, en
claimed, "She was a beautiful girl, and a charming
mistress."

For this enormous crime a Grenoble jury has
found extenuating circumstances—grounded, I sup-
pose, upon the fact of the bow files of the attempt
at suicide ; and as the French law does not allow
hard labour to be inflicted upon a man above 00,
the sentence is only simple imprisonment fur life.
Mdnie. Baudrand, Reynaud's last mistress, is
missing, and it is feared that she has committed
suicide rather than appear at the trial.
M. Sainte-Beuve, a judge of the Tribunal of
First Instance, was assaulted in the streets on
Friday, and, the circumstances being exaggerated
as the tale spread, it was rumoured at the Palace de
Justiceyesterday that another "Jul" hail appeared.
Except, however, in the single particular that the
culprit has effected his escape, this affair, which is
not a serious one, bears no resemblance to that of
Judge Poiusot and Jud. M. Sainte-Beuve loft the
St. Genevive library at half-past 9in the evening
to walk to his own house on the Quai Napoleon, and
while passing along the Rue St. Jaques, he pried
on one side a man who stood in his way on a very oar'
row pavement. As he proceeded M. Sainte-Beure
remarked that this individual was following him,
and on arriving at the Quid Napoleon, lie turned
round and told the man that if he did not go swill
he would have Lim arrested. Thereupon the wye•
terious pursuer gave M. Sainte-Beuve a knock-down
blow, and disappeared while the leasers by were
helping the judge to rise. The injury receivel by
the latter--a slight contusion occasioned by the fall
—is of no consequence.

The Paris Presse, 'Freaking of the conduct of the
Free& bishop% says :—" There is no question of martyring
anybody ; it is no case of the first s poetics of the church
who died for their (Kith ; it is simply • question of certain
princes of the church who display en obstinate bitternee
in defending their earthly pow...slow, which may Le nabob;
but is certainly nut christian."