The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-06 00:00:00

A CHARITABLE ASSASSIN.

Ihe Gazette des Tribuniiux of Sunday contains are
port of a trial before the Royal Chancellery of Grenada,
in Spain, of Don Vincentio de Bentaval y Sazar, a
landed proprietor living in the only village between the
two small rivers El Rio Barmejo (the Red River) and
El Rio Sangre (the River of Blood), situated in the
region of the Alpuxaras, which was so flourishing in the
time of the Moors. Don Vincentio, it appears, had ex-
hausted his fortune in relieving the poor. He lived
simply on garbanzos, tomataas, pimentos, and algarabass
and upon the fish and game he caught. After a time
five men were found assassinated, who, however, were
not inhabitants of the village. The first victim was a
canon of Granada, who had gone to the Alpuxaras for
his health. The second a rich merchant of the city of
Adre. The third, the treasurer of a regiment in garri-
son at Grenada. Two other persons were also found
murdered, and all in the same manner, by. gun-shot
wounds. At length two vine-dressers were witnesses
by accident of an attempt made upon the life of a man.
The assassin was seized and conducted to the village o
Atalbaytar, and the inhabitants were thunderstruck on
discovering in him Don Vincentio Bentaval y Sazar.
On being conducted before the Alcalde of Ugijar, he
admitted at once his guilt, and alleged as an excuse that
he killed the rich to save the poor ; his heart was deso-
late in witnessing suffering and misery. He had spent
his fortune for the unfortunate, and as his own reseurces
were exhausted—but let him speak for himself :
" I had nothing left, and my poor pensioners came
flocking around me, crying for bread, and I had none
to bestow upon them. Moreover, two young persons
had plighted their troth, but just on the eve of their mar-
riage a fire destroyed all they possessed. They came
to me : I saw they adored each other—l could not se-
parate what God had joined—and promised to make
good their losses. I asked some of my old friends for
money, and they laughed me to scorn. The usurers
demanded securities which I could not procure. I was
returning home, broken-hearted, when the monk Gre-
gorio crossed my path. I asked him to lend me some
money, and he told me that there were 100 ounces of
gold in his valise at my service. I told him the purpose
for which I destined them, and he called me a fool, and
refused to keep his promise. These taunts of folly,
coming from so holy a man, exasperated tae. I stepped
back a few paces, and laid him dead with two bullets ;
but not being able to witness his sufferings, I smashed
his hHead d
thenwith
aackl anrogwe l
es
dt ogneed."
that he had assassinated
several other persons, in order that his poor pensioners
might not die of hunger.
In vain h:s counsel invoked the good intentions of
his client ; they answered him that the road to hell
was paved with good intentions. He called to mind the
happiness and prosperity of the whole village, which
was owing to Don Vincentio, who was loved and
revered by the inhabitants ; and, lastly, he insinuated
that he could bring forward medical certificates to prove
that his client was under an aberration of intellect.

All this casuistry was, however, thrown away, and
the Spanish Magistrate condemned him to suffer death.
On hearing his sentence he exclaimed, ` Oh, my God !
what will become of my poor friends in the village r,
Will the Royal clemency he extended to Don Via
centio ? Alas, we know not ; but let us pray for his sour

hasLtieaktietnentbaent:Gateonferjal Sir Jo l
i3uiteel,
Escio rn.,seo,n..Gc.B
son-in-law
Earl Grey, Lynebam Park, near Plymouth,
We have authority to contradict the report of
Thomas Lethbridges being a candidate to represent
the city of Bath at the next election. The Honourable
Baronet has been urged to come forward for the Eastern
as well as the Western division of Somersetshire ; but
he pleads twenty years' service in former days in Parlia-
ment as his excuse for declining the honours now offered
to him.