The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-18 00:00:00

CRIME IN FRANCE.

The young actor of the Theatre of Mont-Parnasse,
named Dumont, aged 19, who was arrested in the begin-
ning of July last for attempting to murder M. Demangeot,
of the same theatre, Ives two:days back brought up for trial
before the Court of Assiaes of the Seine. As all the circum-
stances of the crime were stated at the time, it will suffice to
say that the prisoner had been for some time received by
M. and Mme. Demangeot as an intimate friend ; but he had
returned their kindness by conceiving an infatuated passion
for Mme. Demangeot, whom he persecuted with his atten-
tions. At last he found means to conceal himself in the
bedroom occupied by M. and Mme. Demangeot, who slept
in separate beds, and when he fancied they were asleep he
approached M. Demangeot's bed, poniard in hand, with in-
tent to murder him. The other, however, hearing a person
in the room, jumped out of bed, and was immediately at-
tacked by the prisoner, who inflicted several wounds with
his poniard. Meanwhile Mme. Demangeot ran out of
the chamber, thinking her husband was in a fit, and
called for assistance. Several persons soon came with
lights, and then the husband and wife, to their amaze-
ment, recognised the prisoner, whom they had always
treated with almost parental regard. Before the examining
magistrate the prisoner acknowledged that his intention
had been first to murder the husband and then do violence
to the wife, but he afterwards pretended that when he con-
cealed himself in the room he had no intention of murder, but
had taken the poniard with him in order to commit suicide.
When before the Court, several witnesses having de-
posed that they considered the prisoner little better
than a madman, the Avocat-General proposed that the
trial should be postponed in order to ascertain the prisoner's
mental condition. The counsel for the defence, Mr. Jones,
the only Englishman practising at the French bar, ob-
jected to that course, on the ground that the Public Prose-
cutor had been long aware that the plea of insanity would
be put forward. The Court, however, after deliberating,
postponed further proceedings until next session, and
ordered that the prisoner's state of mind should meanwhile
be determined by competent persons.
The police have just succeeded in arresting a lad named
Francois N-, aged 16, who has been for some time past
very successful in obtaining money under fake pretences.
It appears that the prisoner was in the habit of reading the
advertisements inserted in the "'elites Affiches by persons
desirous of finding situations, and, after noting their ad.
dresses, he visited the advertisers, pretending to be em-
ployed by the directors of the above-named journal, and
genet ally extorted sums ranging from 20fr. to 80f. in re-
turn for false letters of recommendation. The prisoner
always made his calls in a hackney-carriage, and after driving
about for; hours, often managed to defraud the
driver of his fare by stopping at some house with two
entrances. Numerous complaints having been made to the
directors of the journal by the hackney-coachmen and ser-
vants whom the prisoner had defrauded, be was denounced
to the police, in concert with whom three trap-advertise.
ments were inserted. and the prisoner was arrested on leav-
ing a house where he had received a heavy fee for recom-
mending a young person at dame de eomptoir in a coffee-
house. He at once confessed that he was the party who
had committed all the frauds complained of, and was ac-
cordingly committed for trial.

A German named Veil was yesterday brought before the
Tribunal of Correctional Police, charged with robbing a
fellow-countryman, an emigrant on his way to America.
Veil had met the other on the Boulevard Sebastopol,
conversing with a gentleman, but making himself
understood with difficulty. The accused offered
to serve him as interpreter and show:him about Paris. Ha
then advised the stranger to change a silver watch which
he had, but the other objected, and on Vell telling him that
he would not meet with such an opportunity in America, he
consented. Veil then took him to the shop of a watchmaker
named Gaudiu, in the Rue Bourbon-Villeneuve, where he
gave his own watch and 20f. in exchange for a metal one.
Veil afterwards returned to the watchmaker and received
Bf. as his share of the profit in the transaction. Something
similar occurred at a shop in the Rue du Petit Carreau,
bearing the sign of the " Drapeau Liberateur," where a rug
was purchased for Bf., of which 4f. 250. were after
wards returned to Veil, and at a ready-made clothes shop,
where Veil persuaded his countrymen to buy goods to the
amount of 60fr., of which the dealer, on Veil's return,
French, the collusion between Veil and the shopkeepers was
handed over to him 33fr. As the emigrant did not understand
made while making the purchases. The three dealers, who
attended as witnesses, were severely censured by the Pre-
sident, who told them that they ought in reality to appear
at the bar with the accused, for lending themselves to such
a disgraceful transaction. Veil was condemned to a year's
imprisonment and 50fr. fine.