The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-03 00:00:00

A PRECOCIOUS CRIMINAL.

The Court of Assize of the Haute-Saone tried, a
few days ago, a noted bandit, named Pingand, whose
exploits have more than once been noticed in this
journal, on the charge of robbery and assassination.
He is only 23 years of age, and is good-looking. At
the age of 11 he ran away from home, and after
wandering about the country for same time, was
taken back by the gendarmerie. He subsequently,
however, again ran away, and became a vagabond.
At the age of 17 be was condemned, by the
Correctional Tribunal of Belfort, to imprison-
ment for robbery ; and a little later he was con•
demned, by the tribunal of Beume-les-Dames, to two
years' imprisonment, for the same offence. He was
sent to the central gaol of Clairvaux, and on the ex-
piration of his imprisonment was ordered to join the
2d Regiment of Light Infantry, for which he had
been drawn; but instead of that he returned home,
The gendarmerie were ordered to arrest him. He
thereupon began to scour the country, armed to
the teeth, committed numerous robberies, and loudly
threatened to kill the gendarmes who should
be sent to arrest him. Among the crimes specially
proved against him were a robbery of dif-
ferent articles in a farm-house at Nivry-le-Bourg on
the 15th of April, 1851; the breaking
with
into a house
and robbery of various things at Vergerone, on
aomf No-
vember, the
22d of Jaly ; two robberies, on the 30th of July,
Sr. Fesjeux ; and a robbery in a farm-house at Hen at
court. In addition it was proved that on the 10th *l-
- while engaged in thrashing corn
named Francois at Faymont, he suddenly
down Francois with his flail, and then, knocked
the hair, pulled out a knife and declaredeeming him by
him if he would not consent to ' he would kill
shore, two shirts, some stockingsgive him a pair
of
money. The terrified miller and ten francs in
his house to get the things, sadl'romised, and went to
In passing through the kitchen the prisoner followed.
hatchet, and, after the things he seized a large
him, made such dreadful th promised were given
that the poor man his rests against the miller,
flight across the field wife, and daughter took to
entered the farm f 8.
On the 9th of February he
La Mercelle. e aman named Grandvoinet, at
He was
a brace of Pistol armed with a musket and
Grandvoicet for h pistols, and he threatened to kill
eying, as he said, attempted to
give him up to th
be vowed that a, gendarmes, and, raising his musket,
them lle would shoot him. But one of
spoke mildly to him, and he, after some conver-
sation, promised not to ure them. He even con-
sented to d• . rink with them he remaining on one side
of the wall and they
on the other. The object of the
gendarmes in Gee g • e was to keep him en-
gaged until theirerinComwraidnes shauld arrive ; but
after a while be perceived this, and took to
flight, making dreadful menaces against them.
On the same day he boasted to a person of
having tricked the gendarme?, and declared
that the day should not pass without his
killing one of them. A few hours after two other
gendarmes saw him and went in pursuit. Pingand
allowed them to approach to within a certain distance;
when, raising, his musket, he said, " Don't come
nearer—l had intended to kill your corporal, but, as
he is not here, it must be one of you.' He shortly
after took flight to a wood, and the two gendarmes
followed. Seeing that one of them was gaining ground
on him he fired right into his breast. The poor man,
whose name was Dauphin, staggered, but did not fall,
and said to his comrade, " I am not dead yet and
will assist you." The wounded gendarme went to a
house and demanded assistance ; but such was the
terror Pingand inspired in the neighbourhood that
the people refused to receive him. The other gen-
darme tired at the bandit, but without effect, and
the latter escaped. The wounds of Dauphin were
very serious, though not mortal. The next day
Pingand entered a farmhouse at MeliEey, and, in
spite of the resistance of the farmer's w:fe, stole a
gun. On the Bth of March two gendarmes of
Belfort met him near Hericourt. They did not know
him, and asked him for his passport. "I am Pin-
gene," said he, " and the first who approaches me shall
die." At the same moment he raised his musket.
One of the gendarmes recommended him to surrender,
but he refused. " But to prove, however,"
sai •
d he,
" that I do not fear you, I offer you
a bottle of beer."
The two gendarmes accepted it. and all three went to
a public-house. The prisoner
kick insiat don having the
doors kept open, and he preserved his.
bands ; but he drank the beer with arms in his
The latter, however, watched their opportunity, and
the gendarmes.
seized him. They dragged h
house. He gave one a hits out of the public-
on the knee, which made
him stagger, and discharged his pistol right in the
face of the other, wounding him in the most horrible
way. The latter, however, drawing his sword,
wounded him severely.
For a few seconds the prisoner
lost his senses from loss of blood, but on recovering he
attempted to escape. He was, however, captured.
The jury brought in a verdict of guilty, but declared
there we
re extenuating circumstances, and the Court
condemned him to hard labour at the bagne for life.
GalignunCe Messenger.