The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-11 00:00:00

Crime in France.

1 The Court of Assizes of the Bas-Rhin tried, the day
before yesterday, a man named Steiner, aged 25, on charges
of attempt to murder and robbery committed on the 12th
May last near Epfig, on the person of a carrier named
Joseph. On the above-mentioned Joseph arrived at Itte-
wilier (Bas-Rhin), on his way to Schlestadt, with a load of
poles, which he purposed selling to the hop-growers of that
neighbourhood. Not knowing the road, he inquired his
way at a public-house, and the prisoner immediately said
that he was going to the place, and would not only accom-
pany him but introduce him to several persons who would
purchase his merchandise. They accordingly started to-
gether and had travelled about a league when the prisoner,
who was walking behind Joseph, struck him on the head 1
with a largo stone and knocked him down. Ile redoubled
his blows till he thought the man was dead, then stole
from his person a knife and a purso containing 60fr., and
made off. Joseph was, however, only stunned, and, hav-
ing recovered his senses, ho with difficulty got to the
nearest village and gave information which led to the
prisoner's arrest on the following day. The evidence of
Joseph and other witnesses being conclusive against the
prisoner, the jury
found him guilty, but with extenuating
circumstances, and the Court sentenced him to hard labour

for life.
The Military Tribunal of Paris has just tried the
Turco, named Ali-bel-Abbes, of the 2d Regiment
of Algerian Sharpshooters, who, on 2sth June last, killed
one of his comrades named Abdel-Kader-ben-Taar in the
Garden of the Tuileries. The circumstances of the case,
which were given in the journals at the time, are briefly
and clearly explained in the prisoner's confession, made on
the following day to Captain de Lignieres, of his regiment,
as follows:—" Last evening I went alone to the Gardens
of the Tuileries. I there met two women, and was going
to speak to them, when Abdel-Kader-ben-Taar accosted
me. The woman asked me why I was nearly white while
he was black, and I replied that in Africa there were black
fathers and white mothers. A sharpshooter, who, in
passing, had heard what we said, remarked to the women,
as he pointed at Abdel-Kader, that in our country
negroes were bought and sold for money. Abdel-
Kader, incensed at this remark, vented his anger
on me : he struck me repeatedly, till I fell, and
while under his feet I drew my bayonet and struck
him as he stooped over me." When asked by the President
whether he intended to kill his comrade, the prisoner re-
, plied that he was furious at having been insulted and
thrown down in the presence of women, and that ho
thought only of avenging the outrage. He deeply re-
gretted what he had done, as he had never had any quarrel
with Abdel Kader, and did not even know him. After
hearing a number of witnesses and counsel for the prisoner,
the Tribunal declared him guilty of wilfully wounding, but
without intent to kill, and condemned him to five years'
imprisonment.
The Tribunal of Correctional Police yesterday
tried a man named 011ivier, aged 34, on a charge
of having in the evening of the 12th Aug. last snatched a
porte-monnaie, containing several hundred francs, from the
hand of a lady at the moment she was getting into her car-
riage, on the Boulevard des Italiens. The thief was pur-
sued and taken a few yards from the spot, but not before
he had thrown away the porte-monnaie, which was, how-
ever, recovered and restored to its owner, who, when the
prisoner was brought into her presence, clearly identified
him. In his defence the prisoner asserted that he was inno-
cent, that he had seen the porte-monnaie snatched from
the lady's hand, and was running in pursuit of the real
offender, when he was arrested and charged with the theft.
Abundant evidence was however produced to prove the
falsehood of this statement, and the tribunal accordingly
condemned him to six months' imprisonment.