The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-05 00:00:00

CRIME IN FRANCE.

The Military Tribunal of Lyons last week fried
four corporals, all belonging to the troops in the
camp of Sathonay, and named Weber, Quitter, An-
duze, and Delon de Cerbieres, charged with having,
on 14th January last, caused the death of a char-
coal dealer named Potdevin, residing near the camp.
From the evidence given it appeared that Weber
and Guitter, whose time of service was nearly ex-
pired, had passed the greater part of the afternoon
and evening preceding the crime in drinking.
About eleven o'clock, before retiring to their quar-
ters, they walked about in front of the camp, and
there met the other two prisoners, who had also
been drinking more than enough. After a short
conversation the four agreed to have a parting glass,
and as all the canteens in the camp are shut at
ten precisely, they determined to look for a wine-
shop outside. Seeing a light in a house at no
great distance, they went to it, and all entered,
and called for wine. The house, however, was
not a wine-shop, but a private dwelling occupied
by a charcoal dealer named Faure, his wife and
dlughter, and the husband of the latter, named
Potdevin, who were taking supper in company with
come friends. In answer to the demand for wine,
Pilla(-vio's wife said they had none to sell, brit
eff,red them some water. This answer so incensed
Guitter that he struck the woman in the face,
knocked her down, atid then all four rushed out of
the house followed by Potdevin, who a moment
after waS beard to cry " Murder !" Faure and two
of his neighbours hastmed to his assistance, and
found him lying on the ground and Weber kicking
him. They seized Weber and held him till the
guard came. The other corporals had made their
escape, after throwing several stones, one of which
was lying close to Potdevin covered with blood,
having apparently struck the unfortunate man on
the forehead. A surgeon-major of the regiment
was soon in attendance, but Potdevin died next
day of cerebral congestion. The other three cor-
porals were arrested next morning, and the woman
Potdevin identified Quitter as the man who struck
her. The evidence did not clearly establish which
of the four inflicted the fatal blow, but the stone
appeared to have been thrown by one of the three
who ran away. After hearing a number of wit-
nesses and counsel for the prisoners, the Tribunal
acquitted Anduse and Delon de Ccrbieres, but found
Weber gu'lty of inflicting wounds which had caused
death, and sentenced him to two years' imprison-
ment.
An attempt at murder was made three days back
on a Madame Morel, a dealer in hardware goods at
Vimoutiers (Orne), by a roan in her employment.
The latter, while in a state of intoxication, fired a
pistol at his mistress and then threw himself from a
window into the street. The ball passed through
the dress of the woman without hurting her, but
the young man was seriously injured, and conveyed
to the hospital.
The Court of Assizes of the Seine was yesterday
engaged in the trial of a liberated convict named
charge of
tGhueifltloatntde,foargjeoruyr.neyltmaain)pceuarrreideri,rooma
the evidence
that on the morning of the 7th June last the pri-
soner was in the neighbourhood of the Northern
Railway station, when he was accosted by the pro-
secutor, named Valliant, who had come from
Saint-Vast-les-Mello (Oise), who asked to be directed
to the rue de la Michodiere. Guillotte offered his
services to conduct him there, which were accepted,
and on his way Vaillant informed him that be was

going to the office of M. de CreponTatTalentjde-
change, in that street, to receive ton Eastern Rail-
way bonds which had been purchased un his account
by the broker. The bonds were duly handed over
to the prosecutor, but having entrusted them fora
moment to the prisoner to roll up, the latter ma-
naged to abstract three, and then took the earliest
opportunity to he off. Two of those bonds were
afterwards sold by him to a M oney-c hanger , named
Steffen, from whom he received 694 fr., and signed
the sale note with the false name of Bourgeois.
The third, according to the prisoner's account, ho
sold to an unknown individual for 260 fr. The pri-
soner at first denied the facts imputed to him, but
afterwards made a complete avowal. Guillotte has
before been condemned to five years' hard labour
for forgery. The jury having returned a verdict of
guilty, the prisoner was now condemned to 12 years
of the same punishment.

A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP ON CRINOLINE.—Dr.
Cullen has issued a pastoral letter, iv. which, after a
denunciation of model schools and the seductions of Pro.
testant orphanages, he descants as follows on crinoline :--
"There is another matter which deserves notice—l mean
that excessive vanity which now prevails in female attire.
Though the country is poor, and distress meets us on every
side, yet the expenditure on dress has been daily increas-
ing, and it is now carried to unjustifiable excesses not only
by the rich, but by many who are not affluent—by the
families of tradesmen, and by servants, and by teachers in
the national schools, who often give very bad examples to
their pupils. Even children are now trained in a love for
vanity. To support idle pomp and more vanity, as much
is expended as would relieve vast multitudes of the poor suf-
fering members of Jesus Christ."

-
NEGRO EMANCIPATION.—On Monday evening the
largest meeting that has been held in Tewkesbury
for many years assembled in the Music-hall to hear ad-
dresses on tho American war and negro emancipation ; the
Mayor (S. Hitch, Esq.) though not fully sympathising with
the objects of the meeting, courteously acceding to the re-
quest to take the chair. A resolution affirming " that this
meeting abhors the at tempt now made for the first time in
the historyof Christendom to establish an empire founded on
slavery as its chief corner stone," was moved by the Rev.
W. Box, seconded (in the absence through illness of Rev.H.
Welsford), by Mr. B. Spurrier, and carried unanimously.;
. a
amendment moved by Mr. J. Garrison not finding a se.
conder,Mr. G.Thompson then delivered an eloquf rnt. addres
of nearly two hours' length, in the course of which he. was
frequently applauded, and was followed by Rev. T, Warn"
eon is a short but forcible speech,