The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-08-08 00:00:00

DREADFUL CATASTROPIIE. .

(tao A PARIS PAPI

An horrible crime, which pref.ci,ts in its details
the omit ostool.hing courage 1 sitesuliir pre-core
of 'Mod, ll,ls been lately committed in the vicinity
of a little village of the Brie. It altogether forms
a drama, the episodes of which !tosses' Artist in.
'trrefo. If the trial tit which it will give rite shot!
not obtain the inehancholy celebrity of the 1115 f. of
Foables, it will at lesat display a character eft
woman, whose frightful situation was snow critical
then that of the mysterious and imprudent lie-
itfiefe of Itliodez.
A pedlar snit his wife, a ellen, time tiore, itre-
prided themselves at night-fall at the door of a fitile
'farm hotter, a short deetance from the high nool.
They requested of the farmer per eis *lesion to .1,6.16
-there, whose wife was still confined to herbed, Ilse-
leg lately lain-in. A smolt room ars sisigord to
them, where they paned the slight 'quietly. The
next day bring Sunday, the farmer and his %eremite
werit to muss to a neighbouring village. The pod,
ler also expressed • wish to go there, and there re.
maimed in the house osilfthe wife of the former, the
pedlar'. wife, who complained that 'else was toot
well, and o child of sex years of site.
Scarcely had the people gone wit, when the ped-
lar" wife, armed with a knife. preseideel heteeff 'at
the bed of the lying-in woman, and demanded her
mnney, threatening to kill her in cave of refusal.—
The latter, sick Rod weak, did titer oppose the
slightest resistawce, and delivered up the keys of
tier drawers, at the same time detesting the little boy
to cunduct ihe woman who had to look for sumrethiug
in them. She ewe softly freni herbed, followed the
pedlttr's wife, with bring heard, and having beck-
oned the child out of the room, locked the robber
up in the chamber. She thee desired the child to
van to the village, to apprize his father, and desire
him to bring assistance.
The child did not lose an instant; but, by an
iternoweivable fatality, met on the tort% the pedlar,
who had left the church, no doubt, to join his wife.
Hoenig asked the child where he was going, the
latter answered ingenuously he was going to seek
his father, as an attempt was made to rob them.
The pedlar took the child by the hand, and slid it
would be unnecessary, sod that he would himself
go, to protect his mother.
They renamed to the farm where the fiirmer's wife
was shut top; they k ((((( iced at the door, hilt this
women not recognising the voice of her husband,
Obstissatrly refused to open it; the pettier made
vein efforts to induce her to do it, mind being un-
able to attain his end, threatened to cut her child',
thrust, if she did not inetatitly decide up it.
Furious at not being able to prevail iipoti her, lie
executed bus horrible tenet, and killed the child,
almost muter the eves of Its another, who heard,
without beilig able to give succour, time cries end
last sighs of her *me
After having committed this useless crime, he
endeavoured to penetrate into the house to stove his
wife; time pressed, they might each moment re-
turn from Waif, and lie could not succeed its get-
ting adissinien but by mounting on the Fla and
descending down the chimney. Dining all this
time lie exhausted his rage in menace* and impre-
cations against the farmer's wife, who, almost feint-
leg, raw nothing to deliver her from certain death.
This wretch had already. got into the chimney,
and was about to enter Into the chamber, when
the farmer's wife, collecting all her force, drew,
by sudden inspiration, the palliasse of her bed
to the edge of the hearth, and there set it on
fire. The smoke in a few minutes erieri,fpea
the assassin, who not being able to reascrad, very
soon fell into the fire, half suffocated. The coura-
geous farmer's wife lost not her itreseace ter moot,
but struck him several blows with the poker,
which put him beyond the chance of recovering
his senses. Finally, exhausted with fatigues and
mental agony, she fell dying on the carpet of
her chamber, and remained in this situation till
the moment when the farmer and his servants
returned from church to be witnesses of this hor-
rible occurrence. The dead body of the child
Niguel, at the gate of the farm-house, was the first
spectscle that struck the eyes of this unhappy father.
They forced open the gates, and after having re-
called to life the farmer's wife, they seized the two
culprits, who were delivered up to justice. It is
believed that the pedlar will survive his wounds,
and be able to receive the punishment due to his
crimes. The two assassins will be immediately
brought before the Court of Assize of the depart.
meet, where this sitfair is in preparation for trial,
which excites the greatest interest through the
whole country.—e Quotidkinse.l