The Express.
London, England, 1861-01-17 00:00:00

A MAUPAIII3 PLAISANTERIE.

The Courrier of Lyone reports the following
curious CUP as having cane before the Tribunal of Correa•
tional Police in that city on the 10th inst. :

A well.dressed gentleman, of respectable appearance, is
brought before the court. Ide is pale, confused, and seems
ashamed. Everybody's eyes are fixed on him. What fault
bas he committed The witnesses shall inform us.

31w.Lane Hot (with teats in her eyes) states her name,
Christian name, age, and profession.
The President—Tell us with what you charge the de-
fendant.

Witt;Oal -On Christmas-eve that gentleman, who is an
acquaintance of my husband's, paid us a visit, and asked us
to go and sup with him after midnight mass. We thanked
him, but told him we meant to return home after service.
He insisted, saying that he meant to give us a capital juned
hare. He then left. I bad, Monsieur le Priasident, I -had
then, bat I have now no longer—(here the witness wept)--
my poor Juliette.
The President—You moan aat that you called Juliette?
Witness—Yea, M. le Priaident. (Laughter.) I had then
my poor Juliette—(renewed laughter)—and during the gen-
tleman s visit she came and rubbed herself against his legs
and mewed ; and the gentleman maid, "Madame you have a
very tine Angola there." lie then passed his hat:d along her
hark and said, " Its fur is very silky; it is very fat ; it
would do capitally for a jugged hare." I did not pay any
particular attention to his words; and 1 believe
my husband said, laughing, "If ever you kill it,
I beg you will keep the skin to make a muff for my wife."
Some time after the gentleman's departure I felt amid pre-
sentiment ; the joke came into my mind, and I called "Ju-
liette: Juliette !" but Juliette did not answer. (Here the
witness wept again, and there was laughter in court, while
the defendant bid his face behind his pocket-handkerchief.)
The President—Be calm, madame ' • we understand your
emotion, but after all it is only a cat.
Witness—lt was such a nice one, and I was so fond of it.
If you only knew. Well, that gentleman there called it
downstairs, killed it, had it cooked like a bare, and pre it
us for supper. It was abominable ! My poor cat I
(Laughter,)
The President—Sit down.

The witness then retired, wiping her eyes.
After the evidence of • witness who had seen the defend-
ant cut up poor Juliette, the defendant was interrogated.
The President—Why did you take away the complainant's
eat ; and, above all, why did you kill it ?
Defendant—lt was a joke that I wished to play madame
and her husband, by giving them a jogged eat as a Christ-
mas supper. I did not mean any harm. I had often mid
to madame's husband, "You have • very line cat ; it would
make a ,apitalstew, and I should like to treat you to &drab
of that kind." Madame's husbeml alwayareplied, "In any
ease you will say nothing to my wife till we have eaten it ;
and you will take care to keep the skin for me." I regret
to have caused grief to madame, but I repeat that I only
intended a joke.
The Preexlent—lt was an ill-natured joke. Besides, the
destruction of a domestic animal is an otlenve. Remember
that
The Court toed the defendant 30 banes.