The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-16 00:00:00

CRIME IN FRANCE-

The Correotional Tribunal of Poitiers (Vienne)
has just been` occupied with the trial of a
band of pretended sercerers, composed of a woman,
named Vignaud; Pierre Vignaud, her husband ; Eugene
Vignaud, his brother; and a relative of theirs named
Prevost, on a charge of swindling a widow named Cail-
lebon out of upwards of 3,003 f. The female prisoner
had, in 1861, undergone an imprisonmCnt of 13 months for
similar practices. Soon after her release she returned to
Poitiers, where she made the acquaintance of the prose-
cutrix, whom she persuaded that she (the prisoner) had
quantity of gold which the
the power of discovering a
widow's husband had concealed in the house on
his return from Spain. Unfortunately, for the dupe,
she believed in the existence of this hidden treasure, for the
discovery of which she had before applied to different som-
nambulists, and she lent a willing ear to the promises made.
The woman Vignaud commenced her operations by taking
the widow about to different parts of the country, the latter
having, as a matter of course, to pay all the expenses.
Holes were also dug by Vignaud in several parts of the
house, and various incantations performed over them. In
a short time after, during the absence of the widow, and
when her granddaughter only was present, she removed
a stone from the back of the chimney and showed the
girl, without, however, allowing her to come close to it,
something having a yellowish appearance, which the
sorceress said was part of the treasure. The girl in delight
informed her grandmother of the fact, who unloosed her
purse-strings more than ever. Some time after the announce •
ment was made that the treasure had boon found, and the
prisoners, accompanied by the widow, went to Angouleme,
carrying with them a box containing, according to the
account of the woman Vignaud, about 20 pounds weight of
gold. The object of the journey, all the expenses of which
as a matter of course were defrayed by the victim, was to
sell the precious metal. The police, however, having
heard of the arrival of persons with such a large sum,
fancied that a robbery had been committed, and insisted on
having the box opened, when it was found to be filled with
pieces of old iron. Madame Caillebon then returned to
Poitiers, and gave information to the police. When before
the .Court the evidence given by the prosecutrix was so clear
that the prisoners could not deny the facts, and were found
guilty and condemned, the woman Vignaud as the princi-
pal to eighteen months' imprisonment; her husband to four
months, and the other two to two months each. The four
were also oondemned to a fine of 50f each and to all the
expenses.

An eflicer-de-sante, named Alhzard, was last week tried
by the Court of Assizes of the Hantc-Loirc on a charge of
attempting to murder a young man named Bonfils, residing
at Auzsn ; Alltzard's servant, a young woman named
Mestre, was also charged as an ecceesory before
the fact. It appeared from the indictment that
the female prisoner entered Allfzard's service in
the summer of 1863, and that an improper con-
nection was soon established between them. Among
the persons who visited Allezard was a young man
named Bonfils, whom the former soon begun to suspect of
an amour with his servant, and to prevent any communica •
tion between them he locked the girl in ber chamber every
night, and sealed a strip of paper on her window, so that it
could not be opened without his kno a•ledge. These precaus
tions, however, did not satisfy his jealousy. Under the
pretest that robbers were always prowling about his premises
during the night, ho begged his neighbours to assist him in
watching, which they did for several nights without making
any discovery. Having thus paved the way for his design, he
advised his servant to give Bonfils a rendezvous in his stable
at 11 o'clock that night, under the pretence that she had
something important to communicate. Bonfils went at the
hour appoiated, and was just entering the stable, when
Allezard. who was watching at the window, fired at him
twice and wounded him severely in the leg and thigh. The
wounded man's cries soon brought the neighbours to his
aid, and he explained he had gone there to meet Allezard's
servant by her own appointment. She and her master were
according arrested, The girl at once confessed that she had
made an appointment to meet Bonfils, but that her master
had that night locked her up as usual. She protested that
she had no suspicion of what her master intended to do.
The evidence having clearly proved that the whole thing
was a plot devised by Allezard to get rid cf his supposed
rival, the jury found him guilty of wilfully wounding, and
the Court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment, The
female was acquitted.
At the Court of Assizes of the Aube a farm-servant, named
Malley, has just been tried on a charge of having at Mou-
lins, on the 25th March last, murdered his wife by throwing
her into the river Aube ; a married woman named Tonnelot,
with whom he had cohabited both before and after his mar-
riage, was also charged as an accomplice in the crime.
The woman Malley having disappeared on the 25th
March last, the prisoner, a man of very bad character, was
immediately suspected of having murdered her, and
several circumstances were sosn discovered which left no
doubt of his guilt. He was accordingly arrested, and, after
vainly endeavouring to combat the evidence against him,
at last confessed that at the instigatinn of the woman Ton-
nelot, he had induced his wife to go with him to see some
friends at a neighbouring village, but that the woman
Tonnelot met them near the rivs3r, and they then executed
the design of drowning her. In consequence of this con•
cession the woman Tonnelot was arrested. The river was
dragged, and the body of Malley's wife was found near the
spot indicated by him. In court, the female prisoner de-
nied her guilt, and attempted to prove an alibi, but failed,
while several witnesses deposed that they had seen her
coming from the direction of the river shortly after the
time when the murder was committed. The jury found
both prisoners guilty, but with extenuating circumstances,
and the court accordingly condemned them to hard labour
for life.

THE NEW CARDINAL,--There is a rumour abrcad
that one of the two cardinals' hats, rendered vacant by
the death of Cardinal Savelli and Cardinal Bedini, will be
conferred upon the Right Rev. Monsignors Manning, ILD ,
Provost of Westminster, and that he will, as a prior step.
be raised to the office of a bishop. The right rev. dcctor
was formerly archdeacon of the diocese of Chichester. He
was one of the most prominent of the High Church party,
and an earnest coadjutor of the Bishop of Oxford in his
Church work. The other cardinal's hat will, it is said, be
conferred upon a French bishop who is a close personal
friend of the Emperor.

TIGER AND BUFFALO FIGHTS IN JAVA.—As
no circus or arena of any kind is erected for the
fetes, several men, armed with long spears, form a ring
consisting of a vast concourse of eager spectators. The fight
between the tiger and the buffalo is always ccnsidered the
sensational scene of the day. The portable cage into which
the tiger has been driven is placed in the centre of the
ring, and that of his adversary exactly opposite, a few
paces apart. When the doors aro opened, the tiger, it he
has lost heart by his long confinement, will immediately
make a rush towards the circle of spectators, seeking for
a gap through which he may make his escape—a vain
attempt, for so formidable is the zone by which he is sur-
rounded, and so threatening are the glittering spear heads,
that, with his tail between his hind legs, ho not unfre•
quently retreats to his artificial cover, out of which he
must again be driven in order to make him come to the
scratch. If, as is generally the case, he at last turns in des-
peration from the pointed barrier of spears, and encounters
the buffalo, infuriates by pa;n inflicted by the points of the
same weapons, the king of the jungle rains his head, waves
his tail from side to side like a cat ready to pounce on its
prey, and looks at his adversary as though the glare of his
fierce eyes were sufficient to inspire awe and dread. The
audience at this crisis becomes breathless with excitement.
From the Regent himself, to the little boy who gazes at the
scene seated on his father's shoulder, all are fascinated by
the same dread spectacle, and en ominous silence prevails.
The defiant roar of the tiger is responded to by the deep bel-
lowing of the buffalo, which shakes the surrounding
ground. The tiger, after stealthily advancing, stops to
watch the movements of his foe ; the buffalo, threatening
his adversary with his formidable horns, stands reedy to
toss him in the air. But the cunning animal, by a kind of
instinct, seems to understand the danger to which he is
exposed, and crouching down, as though for a leap, while
his enemy rushes forward to fling him up, he leaps over his
head, and with the speed of lightning saddles himself all
fours on his back.' Beyond the reach of danger from his 0p-
,..
pone's horns, he now plants his teeth in the skit of the
unfortunate
uffalo, whose groans of rage and anguish are
distinctly heard am:
.1 the loud shouts of the people. Should
the tiger not succeed in tbYng his leap at the right moment,
the buffalo throws him up into the air like a gal,- and as he
falls, stands prepared to goad him to death. If the tiger
should come off victorious in the contest, he is carefully
kept and tended, to display his prowess in another gala.—
Life in Java, by TV, B. D' Almeida.
THE WHALE FISHING.—On Tuesday the steam-
ship Polynia, Capt. Gravill, arrived at Dundee from
the whale fishing. The Polynia comes home clean, after
an absence of about five months. She reached the
fishing ground in May, and continued to shift from ono
place to another up till two or three weeks ago, what: she
cleared the ice. During the whole time one whale only was
sighted, and some very bad weather was experienced.
Capt. Gravill reports having seen the Activa of Pete' head,
which had no whales, but the oil of 657 seals. The Sir Colin
Campbell, of Peterhead, WPB also spoken by the Polynia,
and had at that time one whale and about 3''o seals, which
would yield about 15 or 20 tuns of oil. The crew of the
Polynia caught 22 brown bears, some of which were of
considerable size. Two have been brought home alive, and
the others have been preserved for their hides. Captain
Gravill states that he scarcely ever saw worse weather, and
never during the many years ho has gone to the whale fish .
iug did he move about so much and meet with so little suc-
cess.—Dandee alacertiser.
" France," says the Krent: Zeitang of Berlin, "did
last month take some slight step tor he
mark, but
only out cf complaisance for England. The proceeding,
besides, had no official character, and consisted only in
Icharging in an unofficial manner the French ambassador at
Berlin to recommend moderation towards Denmark in the
conversations which he should have with Count de Els•
mark and M. de Thiele. '1 he subsidiary demand of Earl
Russell that universal suffrage should be applied in Schles-
wig, has not been supported by the Cabinet of tine Tuiler iets

LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN
RAILWAY.
REFRESHMENT ROOM TO LET.
CLAPHAM JUNCTION STATION,
The Directors are prepared to RECEIVE TENDERS fro m
parties uho may be desirous of becoming Tenants as it om
the 2d Novembea next—ot the Refreshment Recm at the
Clapham Junction Station.
Portico ara of the Agreement under which the Room w ill
be let can be obtained upon application at this Office, or at
the Company's Rents Office at this Station.
Tenders must be accompanied by references as to respecta-
bilrek,v •• -nd should be m arked outside " Tender for Refresh-
ment Room." and will be received by the undersigned not
later than Wednesday, the 28th inst.
T e Directors do not bind themselves to accept the lowest
or any Tender.
By order,
FREDERICK CLARKE, Fccretary,
Waterloo-bridge Station, London, Sept, 10, The&

SPORTING IN TELLIGEICCE—This ray.

DONCASTER RACES—T ms DAY.

(EY ELECTRIC TELEGWII

DON STAKES.

Beaver
King George
Coup d'Etat
..
TO WN PLATE.

Washington
Skylark
2
Lytham
Fourteen ran.
DONC AST ER STAKES.

Ely
Coast Guard
Tooi Tooi ..............
Nine ran.

ACCOUCULMENT OF THE CROWN
PRINCESS OF PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, SEPT. 1.5, 1 P.m.
Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of
Prussia gave birth to a Prince at noon to-day.
Her Royal Highness and the infant Prince are
doing well.