The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-11 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF THE

EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The assassin was taken to the Prefecture of Po-
lice and examined by the Prefect. The result of
the examination, as well as his previous history,
prove beyond a doubt that he is a maniac. His
name is Bellemarre (Edouard Camille Dieudonne),
his age 22. He is a native of Rotten. At the age
of 16 he was employed as a shopboy-by a trades-
man of that city ; he committed thefts, was
arrested, tried for swindling, and sentenced by the
Police Correctionnelle of that piece to two years'
imprisonment. After six months' detention the
remainder of his punishment was remitted by
order of the Emperor, then President of the Re-
public, on the ground of his extreme youth. He
then re turned to Path, where be got occasional
employment as a messenger. On the occasion
of the disturbances following the coup d'etat of
the 2d of December, 1851, he took part, or,
at least, says he took part, with those who
fought at the great barricade of the Rue de
Rambuteau on the 4th. On the following cl.,y
there were observed, on the walls of several
houses in the same street and the adjoining ones,
placards posted up, entitled "Motifs de la Con-
demnation it Mort de Louis Napoleon Bonaparte."
They were taken down by the police, and searches
made after the author—the placards being anony-
mous. In the course of the inquiry, Bellemarre
came forward, and avowed himself the author. He
was thereupon taken into custody once more,
handed over to the judicial authorities on a charge
of political offence, tried at the Police Correction-
nelle, and, being found guilty on his own admission
of excitement to hatred among the citizens, dec.,
was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a
foriress. He was sent to Belle Isle as a political
offender. His term of punishment expired in Jan.
last, and he returned to Paris in February, but
under an assumed name. He soon obtained em-
ployment in the office of a huissier, or sheriff's
officer, and was employed to carry messages, and
occasionally to copy letters, at a salary of about
85f. per month. In this employment he continued
until about eight days ago, when he disappeared.
The name of the huissier by whom he was employed
is Jeanne, who was completely ignorant of the in-
tentions of his servant, and who, moreover, bears a
respectable character.
The cause of Bellemarre's mistaking the carriage
which contained the Ladies of Honour is worth
being noticed. An old man who served as a sol-
dier under the Consulate and the first Empire, and
on whom the present Emperor has bestowed a pen-
sion of 1,0001., happened to be standing on the
pathway at the moment the carriage drove up, con-
versing with the tapissier of the theatre, whose wife
and children were present. The old man in ques-
tion is so enthusiastic a partisan of all who bear
the name of Bonaparte, and particularly of Napo-
leon 111., that the very sight of the livery of the
Imperial household drives him into transports of
joy. Wherever the Emperor is expected there he
plants himself for hours, and waits with the most
exemplary patience under all kinds of weather
until he gratifies himself by a sight of his benefac-
tor. He happened last night to be standing
quite close to Bellemarre when the carriage drove
up. At once he began shouting with all his might
and main, " Vim l'Empereur !" " Vim l'lmpera-
trice !" and his friend the tapissier and his wife
and children joined in the chorus. It was at
that instant that Bellemarre stepped forward
hastily ; his movement was observed by the sergens
de yille, who, as already mentioned, struck down
his arms. The pistols were small pocket ones, and
no trace of the balls has been discovered, though
they were distinctly heard, as we are informed, by
the ladies in the carriage, as well as by other per-
sons standing near. In 10 minutes after the oc-
currence the Emperor drove up. The news had
spread like wildfire. The Emperor entered his
box as cool and impassive as if nothing had hap-
pened. The moment he made his appearance the
audience rose, and welcomed and congratulated
him with the loudest acclamations, repeated over
and over again.
Bellemarre is little more than 22 years of age.
He is about the middle height, or perhaps some-
what under. He is slight in person, and his com-
plexion pale and very scrofulous ; his face is com-
mon, even ignoble, his lips thick, eyes dark and
small, and he has long suffered from a severe
rupture. He was rather well than ill-dressed
when arrested. When he was liberated from
Belle Isle, in January last, the Governor of the
prison wrote to the authorities that Bellemarre
was deranged in his intellect ; that he had
the monomania of crime ; and that he ought to be
taken care of as a dangerous maniac, who, he was
given to understand by his fellow-prisoners, had
sworn to attempt the life of the Emperor. Belle-
marre used to boast that he in his single person
was the accuser, the witness, and the judge of
Louis Napoleon ; that he had tried and condemned
him, and that he should be his executioner. His
fellow-prisoners, who disliked him, were wont to
turn him into ridicule, and he himself has admitted
that he was considered by them as a madman.
During his examination by the Commissary of
Police of the quarter of the Italian Opera, and
subseqUently by the Prefect, M. Pietri, he afected
to exhibit the greatest courage. He looked his
examiners full in the face, his manner was forward
and bold, and his answers unhesitating, boastful,
and even impudent. He made no attempt at ex-
cuse or palliation, and avowed his intention of, as
he said, taking vengeance on the Emperor, for the
six months he passed in prison for theft, notwith-
standing the remission of his punishment. When
asked if he had accomplices, he declared he had not,
and, with a tone and air of superiority, advised the
Prefect not to bother his head (creuser la, tete)
about finding out accomplices. It is suspected,
however, that he communicated what he proposed
doing last night to three or four persons of the
same description as himself, but they had no partici-
pation in the affair, beyond receiving his confidence.
He was asked if during his detention at Bella
Isle he had formed part of any secret society there,
or whether he was of the party Blanqui or Barbes
during the internecine war which the detenus
politiques carried on even within the walls of their
prison. He spoke in terms of contempt of both
parties, who, he said, would not admit him among
them ; but of the two chiefs he felt less indisposed
to Barbes than to his rival. He again declared
that he was understood by neither, and that all
must be mad as they believed him so. In a word,
he fully avowed what he had done, what he had
meant to do, and emphatically repudiated the idea
that he had accomplices. The opinion of all who
heard him is that he is a monomaniac. He
was this day transferred to the prison ,of the
Conciergerie, where no one is allowed to communi-
cate with him. These are all the particulars pos-
sessing interest about this affair, and may be relied
upon as being substantially correct.
MONDAY.—The unhappy man who fired at the
carriage of the Dames d'Honneur of the Empress
has been again interrogated. It results from the
assertions of the accused, and from a witness, that
the pistols were fired in the direction of the ground ;
and, in fact, the contents of the pistols did not
even hit the carriage, and were found on the path-
way. In some measure this may be accounted for,
a police agent having struck down the arm of the
assassin whilst in the act of firing.
I am told Bellemare is not in any way changed,
either in manner or appearance, from the moment
of his arrest. He cannot account for the guilty
act, or at least refuses to give any reasons for the
attempt. He answers vaguely to all questions.
He has more than once, however, taken occasion
to state that his mind is not affected. Such an
assertion alone, more than once repeated, and
without any reason, is sufficient to prove insanity.
In all probability he will be confined for life as a
madman.

ANOTHER SURVEYING EXPEDITION.—The United
States Surveying Expedition, under charge of Lieute•
nant Williamson, accompanied by an escort of about 125
soldiers, under command of Lieutenants Gibson and
Hood, left Fort Reading on the 26th of July for the
foot-hill of the Sierra Nevada, directly east of Shasta.
The object of this expeditiou is to discover, by actual
and careful survey, the existence of a practicable route
for a railroad between the Columbia River and the Sacra-
mento Valley. It is thought the party will be out about
four months. The whole expedition numbers nearly
200 men.
•

THE MAILS,—SOOTHAMPTON, Sept. 10.—The Royal
Mail Company's steam-ship Avon, Capt. Revett, sailed
this afternoon with the Brazilian and River Plate
171 passengers, among whom are his Excellency M.
,Monteiro. Baron d'ilamaraty, Baron Treilhard, Baron
Aersen, Baron de Russo, Count de Lucotre, Count Van-
derstracten, Col. Oliveira, Dr. J. A. De Souza, and Dr.
Krohus ; 49,2961. value in specie, 30,0007. ditto in jewe
lery, and a full general cargo. The Tay, with the West
India and Pacific mails, and the Great Western,
with the
Brazilian and River Plate mails, are duo at Southampton
on the loth inst.; the latter vessel is, however, expected
is e
about the 12th. The Peninsular and Oriental Comxpected on orpabout
any's
steam-ship Tagus, Capt. Weeks,
olynadli a M
aani cl 1 Company'sPa steam-
hip c mails, the 14th inst., with the mails from Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon,
Cs a di
aa
rndiaGtai,bwr a li
ttha rt .13
epest 8
Thell
and
the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Iberia,
Captain Christian, with the Peninsular mails, will sail
on the 17th inst. The United States mail
steam-ship
Washington, Captain Cavendy, arrived at Southampton,
from Bremen, yesterday, and will leave on Wednesday
for New York, with the German, French, and English
mails, about 250 passengers, and a full cargo of general
merchandise. The steam-ship
North Star, s
expected
ted
Warnack, of the Vanderbelt line N
of
to arrive off Cowes, from New York, cm rotdc t• liskyre,
, about Wednesday next.