The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-12 00:00:00

MURDER AND ADULTERY.

On the 7th d April last, died at Metidd; id thq depart-
rtient, of the Lozere, in France, one E. Rouquette, di went
for proeuring substitutes in the army. Public opinion irn-
mediateiy attributed hit death to poison, and without hesi-
tation pointed out as authors of the dirtlt4 the widow of the
deceased and her paramour, Victor Almeras. efimi-
nal connection between these two persons had already been
noticed before the death of the husband, and had led to
scenes of extreme violence between the latter and his wife.

On the body being opened, arsenic wag found in the
stomach, and declared by the medical men to have been the
cause of death,

It appears that Victor Al neras had arrived at Mende a
few months previously, to offer himself as a military substi-
tute, and with that view had applied to Rouquette. The
latter had received him into his house, in expectation of a
favourable opportunity of placing his pi oleic. From this
domestic arrangement arose a guilty intercourse between
Almeras and the wife of his host.

About a month before the death of Rouquette, the other
inhabitants of the house were disturbed by a violent uproar
in his kitchen. After this scene, however, Almeras con-
tinued to reside in the family of Rouquette, who either
wished to hide his domestic disgrace or was unwilling to lose
the chance of being repaid the expence at which he had been
in maintaining the young soldier.
Not long before the death of Rouquette, his wife had
said to a girl of the name of Marguerite Marcon, ‘. You
know they forced me to marry Rouquette, but I'll not live
long with him ; sooner or later I will poison him." There-
upon she asked Marguerite to buy some poison for her, a
request which she vainly repeated several times, without
ever concealing the use she intended to make of it.
In the month of March Rouquette had a violent attack
of cholic, but soon recovered. On the 2d of April, after
eating some rice soup, which he soon threw up again, he
felt himself suddenly ill, but did not allow this to prevent
him from going out on the following day. On the suc-
ceeding day he was decidedly worse, and drank some warm
tisanes which his wife had prepared, and which were given
him sometimes by Almeras. Almost always after having
drunk he vomited. During the illness of her husband the
wife did not forget her own pecuniary interests, but asked
him whether he would not make his will. On the after-
noon of the same day she said to Madame Rouch—" The
wretch 'll not die of it ! It would take leas to kill the ass
of a poor man."

During the night from the 6th to the 7th a girl of the
name of Floret entered Rouquette's chamber. Rouquette
had just asked for some drink, and his wife, turning to Al-
meras, asked—" From which pot did you take it—from
the big one ? Did you put any of the stuff in the paper
into it ?" Almeras then went down into the kitchen ;
➢ladame Rouquette followed shortly afterwards, and was
some time before she returned with the tisane. On the
following day, at ten in the morning, Rouquette expired.
Victor Almeras declared himself ignorant of the cause of
Rouquette's death. Acknowledged that ho had brought
him tisane to drink, but had no hand in preparing it. Did
not know what the ingredients were. Had never seen
poison, and should not know it if he saw it. He most
positively denied the existence of any intimacy between
himself and Madame Rouquette.
Elizabeth Renouare, the widow of Rouquette, is scarcely
nineteen years of age, neither pretty nor ugly, and of a
small make. Occasionally, in a low voice, she would ex-
claim, " That's not true," " I recollect nothing of the
kind," ".The witness is mistaken," " I said nothing of the
.kind." She declared herself unable to account for the
.death of her husband. Believed him to have died a na-
tural death. Had prepared tisane for him. Did not
know of there being any poison in it. Elizabeth Reneuard,
it appeared on the trial, was a natural child ; had never
been acknowledged by her father ; had lost her mother
several years ago, and had never received any education
whatever.

Three medical men deposed to having discovered arsenic
in the stomach of the deceased, and in what remained of
the tisane of which he had been drinking.
Several witnef:ses were successively examined. Their
testimony left no doubt as to the adulterous intimacy of the
two accused. A girl of the name of Verry stated that
Madame Rouquette had told her that, tired of the ill-treat-
ment of her husband, and having conceived for him an in-
vincible antipathy, she had resolved, conjointly with Victor
iAlmeras, to kill him. That Almeras had proposed to
throw kim over a bridge during a journey which they were
to take together. That she had rejected this proposal as
,too dangerous, as she knew a safer way of getting rid of
him. The prisoner had acknowledged, according to this
witness, that she had twice failed in an attempt to poison
her husband.

The jury remained out of Court for about an hour, when
they returned a verdict of Guilty against Elizabeth Re-
nouard, the widow Rouquette, but acquitted Victor Al-
meras. The existence of extenuating circumstances having
been admitted by the jury, the widow Rouquette was con-
demned to hard labour for life, and to be exposed in the
pillory.

The crowd assembled at the trial seemed to manifest dis-
satisfaction with the sentence pronounced, as an insufficient
expiation of a crime perseveringly committed during four
days and four nights, though her extreme youth and the
total want of education may be supposed to have excited
the compassion of her judges, and made them unwilling to
inflict the extreme penalty of the law. The dissatisfaction
of the inhabitants of the department with the mildness of
the sentence appears to have proceeded from the multitude
of atrocious murders committed in the Legere within the
last few years, and an idea has become prevalent there that
their frequent repetition is owing to the circumstance that
in none of these instances has the criminal been put to
death. It is not long since another woman of the name of
Ruin was convicted of poisoning her husband ; a man of
the name of Lamandes of murdering a young girl to whom
he had been appointed guardian ; and a man named Car-
lat, and his wife, though convicted of parricide, were con-
demned to hard labour for life, because the jury had ad-
mitted the existence of extenuating circumstances. The
consequence has been the prevalence of en opinion among
the country-people that the punishment of death has been
abolished. The woman Carlat, before killing her father,
is known to have said that the penalty of death had been
done away with, and other criminals appear frequently to
have made use of similar language.

When a Dutch maid-servant wishes to go to a (lance,
and has no swain of her own, she hires a cavalier for the
occasion. A beau with an umbrella receives double pay.
There are now living at Shawell, near Lutterworth,
a man and wife, an aunt and nephew, a brother and sister, a
father and mother ; in all only three persons.
COUNT Bo Ro Lows lc L.-This once-celebrated
dwarf died on the sth inst., at his residence near the Pre-
bend's-bridge, Durham, in the ninety-ninth year of his age.
He was a native of the province of Pokucia, in Polish
Russia, and was in early life patronised by the Countess
Humiccka, a Polish lady, with whom he visited various
countries in Europe. He resided some time at Paris, which
he quitted previously to the Revolution, and came over to
this country in the year 1782, and where he has ever since
remained. Besides exhibiting himself at fairs, he was at
one time a great favourite with the nobility and gentry, to
whom he recommended himself not only by his diminutive
stature, but by the vivacity of his manners, his general in-
telligence, and his frank and amiable disposition. Collins,
the eccentric author of " The Evening Brush," was one of
his host and kindest friends, and through his advice and
assistance he realised a small property, which enabled him
to spend the last thirty years of his life in case and tran-
quillity. The Count's height was exactly 351 inches ;
his person was a model of symmetry. His remains are to
be interred in the Nine Altars, in Durham Cathedral, near
those of his friend, Mr. Stephen Kemble.
On Sunday evening last great confusion prevailed
in the neighbourhood of the London-road in consequence
of flames proceeding from the premises of Mr. Stranger,
stove manufacturer, No. 91, which stands at the rear of
the Catholic chapel. The fire was visible in a very short
time to the congregation assembled there for the perfor-
mauce of worship, who almost instantly left their seats.
The flames were rapidly extending to the upper part of the
building, and the destruction of the entire premises was
fully anticipated. The firemen for some time could not
obtain an entrance, owing to the dense and suffocating
smoke which issued therefrom. However, after some time,
the flames were got under, but not until the lower pastof
the house had sustained great injury. The loss will fall on
the County Fire Office.

Throughout the whole kingdom the Tories seem to
have specially directed their exclusive system against the
always
knownbeenferh ia
butchers. What their motive may have been, in so doing,
prime successful.
beef A
and
we are at a loss to discover ; but we are glad to learn that
mtown,his ainttatchliis-
ent to the principles of Reform, has been entirely deserted
by his Tory customers, with one solitary exception. No
sooner was the election over than orders were sent by the
they
eq nainloyt
we
Tories that he should send in their accounts, as they no
longer wanted " Reform beef." The Liberals seeing this
persecution directed against one of their number, have
given him their aid, and the result has been, that he now
" kills a cow extra" every week. And this is all the Tories
have gained by their attempt to punish a man because he
voted far Ainsworth and Knowles..—Bolton Free Preis.