The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-27 00:00:00

The Extraordinary Trial for Murder in

France.

The La Bastide affair still continues to take up columns
of the newspapers. On Monday considerable animation
reigned in the precincts of the court, for it was reported
that Jacques Latour had declared that something new was
about to turn up. The prisoner had worked himself up into
a great state of excitemeut, and had announced to Master
Joffres, his defender, that "the day of glory has arrived I
the sun is about to dissipate the darkness, and before the
jury the accused is about to become accuser." When La-
tour entered the court he drew his notes from his pocket
and smoothed his hair; his face had become contracted ; he
was paler than usual, and could ill conceal his irritation.
The evidence given on the previous day by several old fel-
low prisoners had greatly agitated him, and as they were
giving their testimony he rose, then sat down, clenched his
hands, and shook with his grasp the railing behind which
ho was placed. At every moment he seemed as if he were
about to spring upon the men brought forward to prove
that they had seen the comb found upon the bed of the
murdered Raymonde Berge in the possession of the accused.
The Hercules, on the contrary, maintained his usual atti-
tude, sitting impassable with his arms crossed. Latour
completely lost his temper, and declared he would no longer
be defended, he had no confidence except in the members
of the jury. He declared that the veil was about to be
torn, and that already some of its rags had fallen. The
prisoner then became furious; glancing round the court—
" Yes," cried he, " I am innocent, and you, gentlemen of
the jury, public minister and witnesses, are about to be as-
tonished with this drama, half comic, half tragic." The
proceedings then continued, and several witnesses were
called, who all testified that they had seen the comb pro-
duced by the Crown with Jaques Latour. Again the pri-
soner became violent, declaring that he had no confidence
in the judge, that it was useless to go on, that he had bet-
ter be killed at once. At the order of the judge the police
tried to force Latour to keep his seat, but as he continued
to struggle and swear, it was decided that he should be sent
back to prison, and that the trial should go on without him.
This calmed Latour, who had no idea of not watching his
own case, and he was permitted to remain. The principal
points which it was then sought to prove were that the
money found on the prisoner did not belong to him, that
he spoke of the crime at Baillard, before it was known to
the public, that he was in the neighbourhood on the night
in question, that he was a man, however frail in appear-
ance, of great strength, that he smoked, and that his cha-
racter was generally bad. With regard to the last charge,
Jean Ferrier, a gendarme, had a curious tale to tell related
to him by Latour. " Jacques Latour," he said, " who had
been shut up at Lentein, tried to make friends with me ; he
confided to me that he was a clever robber, and had plun-
dered a cure of 1,000 francs. He got into the cure's house
by pretending to be a pedlar selling handgeerchiefs. The
cure would not buy any. Latour insisted, and finished by
tempting the servant, to whom he gave for three francs a
handkerchief that was worth six. The cure opened a cup-
board, and took from a purse the money to pay him. Latour
resolved to appropriate it. In going away he remarked a
place under the staircase where he could hide himself, and
he crept into it. At night he stole out and lifted the latch
of the cure's door. The latch made a little noise, and the
cure, raising his head, said in a rage, That b-- of a ser-
vant has left the door open.' (Laughter.) Latour remained
at the foot of the bed waiting till the cure went off again,
when he opened the closet and took the purse."
Latour called several witnesses in his favour, who declared
he had a large sum of money before the murders at La Bas••
tide—that four men, strangers to the place, of suspicious
mien, and wbo could give no account of themselves, had
been seen in a wood near the chateau Baillard, and that one
man had threatened a person who could be none other than
M. Lassalle.

The prosecution then commenced against Audouy, who
tried hard to prove that on the night of the 25th (that of
the murder) he slept at a certain house. The books of the
house showed he did sleep there on that night, but then it
was shown that the person who had entered the date had
made a mistake, and that Audouy had only slept in the
house on the night following. The Procurour Imperial
then tried to prove that Audouy also had spoken of the
assassination before it was generally known. Audouy in-
sisted that he was innocent. The president said, " You
have, perhaps, been the instrument of men being in want of
your strength. You would no doubt be culpable, but you
would be less so than those who conceived and coldly
hatched the crime. Your duty is to make known your
Accomplices—justice will take your conduct into account.'
dt,Jouy replied " If there were a million of culpable per-
sons 1 would make them known if I knew them." Latour,
at this in,!ication of weakness on the part of the prosecution,
must have p;ucked up courage. On the next day the trial
went on, and ,Audouy appears to have made a slip. He
appealed to LatoQr on a point of no interest to say if he
(Audouy) knew " ce..3 messieurs."
President—Who ? ces messieurs ?
Audouy—Latour.
President—Aud who else? Come, a good movement—
it concerns your head,
Audouy —I can say nothing more.
Later in the day a strange altercation ensued between
Latour and Audouy, one prisoner examining the other, the
latter bringing accusations against the former.
Latour—But he thought he was there.

Audouy (hesitating while Latour looked at him fixedly)
I cloni say that Latour was there, only I beard every one
speak ill of him, and say he was there. Then I said" Well,
he might say X was there."
Latour—Then he speaks like a parrot.
_ _

Audouy then declared he had no confidence in Latour,
and explained this by saying that he was a robber, though
he never saw Latour steal. He believed all the ill spoken
of him.

Latour—Then if he believes that the witnesses have tes-
tified truly against me, he must also believe the charges
brought against himself, and in that case he also is guilty.
Latour, after this piece of logic, smiled, and sat down
/„:eased with his reasoning.
At,,.-louy (upset by this incident)—What do you wish me
to say ; Do with me what you will. I have never known
M. Latour. Put me in bits. lam innocent. (Frolonged
sensation.)

The Hercules was again exhorted to confess, but declared
as before that he knew nothing. On the way back to
prison a violent recrimination took place between the two
accused. It is reported that Latour will make serious reve-
lations, which will fiiTow light upon the whole affdir,