The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-19 00:00:00

Crime in France.

The Court of Assizes of the Seine-et-Marne has
just tried a man named Bert, a carter, in the em-
ployment of M. Piedeloup, of Crecy, on a charge
of having, on Feb. 14, 1861, murdered a retired
farmer named Guyon, residing at Bouleurs, near
Crecy. On the morning of Feb. 15 the body of a
man was found in a pond by the side of the road
between the places abovenamed, and was identified
as that of Guyon. Teat he had been murdered and
afterwards thrown into the water was certain, as
he had received a dreadful fracture of the skull
from some heavy weapon, which it was thought
must have caused instant death, and a pool of blood
was found a few paces distant, where the crime
had evidently been committed. There was only
one man who could have any motive for this crime,
and he was a farmer of considerable property named
Trouble, who had, in 1857, who purchased all
Guyon's land, worth about 11,000 f., for an annuity
of 1,446 f. to be paid till Guyon's decease. Trouble
was accordingly arrested on suspicion, and during
the investigation which followed it was proved that
he had been drinking with the deceased at Crecy
on the evening of the crime, and also that the
trousers and shirt he wore had been washed imme-
diately after the murder. Trouble was tried in
May, 1861, and condemned to hard labour for life,
notwithstanding all his protestations of inno-
cence. Some months after his condemnation cir-
cumstances came to the knowledge of the gen-
darmery which seemed to indicate that Trouble
had not actually murdered Guyon with his own
hands, but had instigated some other person to com-
mit the crime. While the gendarmery were seek-
ing evidence to olear up the mystery, it happened
that the prisoner Bert, a man of a most violent cha-
racter, was arrested at Crecy for insulting the com-
missary of po lice. He was no sooner in custody than
several persons came forward to state that a week or
two before the murder, when Trouble and Bert
were one day drinking together, the former began
talking about the rigour with which Guyon en•
forced the payment of his annuity, and that Bert
said, " Only give me 500 f., and I will relieve
you of that embarrassment by killing him." This
disclosure put the gendarmery on the right track,
and other evidence soon came to light. The
gendarmery had in their possession a horse's
nose-bag, which had been picked up in the road
on the morning after the murder, and only a
few steps from the spot where it took place.
who lodged on the
This bag was recognised by Piedeloup, Bert's
employer, as his property, which had been lost
ever since the crime. Both Piedeloup and his
premises,wife also
haddepobseede n thatout Ba
leir tt,h e
night of the 14th
February, and that the next morning they bad
noticed stains of blood on his shirt, which he
declared had been caused by his nose bleeding.
Bert was consequently committed on the charge, and
orders were despatched to Cayenne that Trouble
should be seat back to be again examined at the
trial. After the president had interrogated the pri-
soner Bert, who declared that he had never offered
to murder Guyon, and that he was altogether inno-
cent of the crime, Trouble was brought into court,
and, in reply to the president's questions, stated
that Bert had certainly offered to murder Guyon
for 5001., and that he ( trouble) had thoughtlessly
answered that the money would be willingly
paid, but he persisted, as before, in asserting his
own innocence. Several witnesses were examined,
Bert was drinking with Trouble
o
14th February, and expressed
wthnhetoir h
convictiondeeepvoesendh
in tgof the at
that Bert was a man capable
of any crime. The evidence generally tended
to prove that Bert had struck the fatal
blow, and that Trouble and he had then
thrown the body into the pond.
Having heard
counsel for the prisoner, the public prosecutor, and
the summing up of the president, the jury retired
and soon after returned into court with a verdict of
guilty, but they allowed the prisoner the benefit of
circumstances,
years'
hard labour.tances and the Court con-
demned extenuating
him
to

CAPTURE OF TUE PRIVATEER RETRIBUTION.—
At last one of the Confederate privateers has fallen into the
hands of the Federate. According to advices received in
Liverpool from New York, we learn that the American brig
Leonidas had arrived at New Bedford on the sth inst., and
reports having been chased Into St. Domingo by the Con-
federate privateer Retribution, which vessel lay off the
port three days, waiting for the Leonidas to come out. On
the morning of the 4th, however, another steamer was ob-
served making for the port. This vessel proved to be the
Uniteda States
, was observed at once the
ng o
ieer
Retribution,Atbaanmda
gave chase to the latter ves-
sel, which tried to get away' The attempt was futile, for
the United States vessel put on a full head of steam, soon
overhauled the privateer, and captured her. The Retribu-
tioncliiSf the tes cru
was taken in tow L y the
Alabama and carried
away to a Federal port. The last heard of the Confederate
steamer Alabama was that she was lying off Santiago de
Cuba on the 16th April.
Baron de Beust, President of the Council of
Ministers of Sazoy, has left Dresden for Berlin,