The National Register.
London, England, 1811-02-10 00:00:00

HORRID ill URDER.

The following unprecedented instance of savage and unna-
turil ferocity appears in one of the French papers.
P.sx Pi, JAN. 22.—The Bulletin of the Allier contains the fol-
lowing letter addressed on the 14th instant, by the Sul-prefect
of Gannat, to the Prefect of the department of the Allier:
"M. Prefect—l know not how to give you the narration of a
frightful crime, committed on the 15th ult. in the Commune of
Biuzut. • My pen seems to recoil at tracing detsils so horrible.
A young woman, 23 years of age, has just Murdered her father,
her mother, and two sisters!
" On the 13th December, Amarle Albert, of the Commune
of Boizat, a respectable man, poor, and with a large family,
was obliged, by the bad state of his affairs, to sell a part of his
proiserty. His daughter, Madelaiue Albert, of a violent cha-
racter, of suspected morals, and unfortunately accustomed to
abuse her father and mother, reproached her father in language
most violent, on account of his sale, and ended by imperiously
demanding a part of the sum which he had received. The
father refused, mentioning to her at the same time the state of
his affairs ; she insisted and abused him outrageously. The
father, vexed and affronted at the insolence of his clang:her, gave
her several blows on the shoulders, and ordered her to go to
bed —A quarter of an hour after, she seized an axe, and advan-
. ecd without noise towards the fire-side where her father, nu.-
ther,i and her brothers and sisters were warming themselves.—
She aimed a blow with the axe at her father's head, laid open his
skull, and. in spite of the cries of her family, she repeated her
blows. He was killed by the first stroke ; any one of the wounds
would have been sufficient to deprive this unfortunate man of
life. They were so deep, that the monster must have been pos-
sessed of extraordinary strength to produce them. She then
• threw herself on her mother, without being softened by her
prayers and sOrs, struck her five times with the- hatchet, and
bid her at her feet. Her two young sisters, one eleven, the
other three years old, met with no greater mercy. She struck
• the eldest both on the head and neck, but did not kill her, be-
. cause the poor creature crept under the bed.—These numerous
crimes did not satiate the tigress. She Seized her youngest sister
who held her mother's body, took her in her arms, and threw
her, alive as she was, into a well.
" Of all this family a brother 13 years old survived by a kind
• of miracle. He was so fortunate as to creep behind a trunk, to
• open the door, and to make his escape, calling for assistance.—
ladelaine Albert. added to such atrocity the refinement of hy-
pocrisy. She called to her brother, requested him to return, and
promised to do him no harm. In a voice the most mild and
-calm, she endeavoured to prevail on the boy to return to the
bense but he was too much terriiied, he ran away, and took
shelter in the house of a man of the name of Richard. In con-

sequence of his story, several of the inhabitants went to assist the
family. They found Madelaine Albert walking with great agi-
tation in the house, with a large knife in her hand, with which
she threatened to kill any one tha should approach her.
• (lat.kr:etc of the night, and the terror inspired by so dreadful a
sight, paralyzed the courage of those lien ; they dorst not ad-
to-seize het. In their
.presence Madelaine. Albert took
from her mother's pocket the key of the cupboard, opened it,
took ont the money that was in it, and went out of the house,
without any of the spectators having the courage to seize her or
follow her. It is supposed that she is gone towards Riom or
Clermont ; the gens o'sumerie are in pursuit of her.
. " 1 have. the honour to be, &c. '6 SARTIGES."
AMSTERDAM, FEB. 2.—The following is the extract of a
ie?:on tliis subject, transmitted on the 294 of this month by the
jitih‘President-of Gatinat to the Prefect of the department of the
Allier.-6! 1 have the honour to inform you, that the female,
-,lnamaMtigd-aleitie Albert, was apprehended yesterday, the
'of his month.; in the••ronimune c.t Sale!' Ignat, three kagucs
2: ont Rigne ; she was to-day conveyed to the prison of Gannat.
• 'lle 'unhandes whkh assembled from all parts to see this mon-
' ittift-v.its'itrocligioug. I cannot do tribe to you, the fncy• of the
populace. If the Bens-d'armorie had not protected this parri-
cide, 1 believe she would have be.l'n torn to pieces. It was %Vial
he utmost difficulty wi;s saved herr the stick: ?rid 4 Vino
I.ovitb trhieh site was assailed."