The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-26 00:00:00

POISONING- IN FRANCE.
The Court of Assizes of the &Tani-I-lent of the
Ardech_t has lately been occupied for three days
in the trial of an elderly man named Dumoulin,
of Limnony, canton of Serrieres, arrondisse-
ment of Tournon, for poisoning members of his
family. Thirty years ago this man entered into the
service of a widow named Gecon, a woman of some
little property. He soon established a criminal con-
nexion with her, and after a while married her. She
gave him a portion of her property, but he treated
her with great brutality. A child she had by him
died shortly after birth, and two of her children by
her first husband also died in tender years; it is now
supposed that all three deaths were caused by poison
administered by the prisoner. In 1839 the prisoner
took a mistress to live with him in the same house as
his wife and family. This exasperated the wife—.
daily quarrels ensued, and at length the prisoner got
rid of her by poison. The circumstances of her death
left no doubt of this, but it was not until 1848 that
the law authorities heard of the affair; and though
they then prope§ed to exhume the body of the de-
ceased, they could not find the precise spot where
it was buried. After the death of his wife, Dumoulin
lived on bad terms with his son, on account of
some dispute about money, and the refusal of the
son to marry the father's mistress. On the 26th
of June, 1846, after supping alone with his father,
the son was seized with violent pains in the bowels,
and with all the symptoms of having been poisoned.
The father, thinking he was dying, knocked up the
cure of the village. The priest, horrified at the state
in which he found the young man, administered an
emetic, and this had the effect of saving him. After
that time the young man was repeatedly attacked in
the same way—indeed, in the course of a few
months he had no fewer than six attacks ; but
having always been able to vomit, he was saved.
That these attacks arose from poison administered
by tho prisoner there is - now no doubt, but
this; was not suspected at the time. The prisoner
him'self persuaded his son that he was bewitched,
and he took him to a woman who passed as a sorceress,
who predicted to him his early death, and persuaded
him to leave to his father the property to which he
was entitled. To secure the realisation of the predic-
tion, the father took the precaution of purchasing a
quantity of arsenic. In December, 1846, the son of
Dumoulin's deceased wife, a young man named Per-
roton, had a pig killed, and the prisoner was noticed
hanging about the trough in which the blood fell. He
knew that black puddings were to be made, and that
his son was to dine with Perrotin and his family.
He himself was asked to dine also, but he declined on
some Vague pretext. After dinner all the family the
of Perroton and young Dumoulin were seized with
violent pains in the bowels; six other persons in the
village, to whom the puddings had been sent, were
seized in the same way, and it is probable that all
these persons, twelve in number, would have perished
if timely remedies had not been applied. It appeared
that at this time Dumoulin had conceived the atro-
cious design of poisoning all the Perroton family, as
well as his son, as by their deaths he would have
come into all the property. One day in March, 1847, he
went to Perroton's house, and during the temporary
absence of Madame Perroton threw some poison into
the pot in which the soup was boiling. Madame
Perroton and two of her children partook of the soup,
and were immediately seized with pains and vomiting.
The same evening Dumoulin waited for his son and
son in law, Perroton, and to their auprise strongly
pressed them to go to his house to eat soup, but they
refused. The next day Perroton, having drunk some
of the soup, was taken ill, as his wife and children had
been. In the night young Dumoulin also was attacked
in the same way, after eating some food which his
iDfla;aihsionenroiunliad
giin, was prepared.
agai
n seized I n December,
with
al t
t 1847,
he
symptoms youngof
after drinking part of a glass of water
presented by his father; en this occasion he pressed
his father to drink the remainder of the water, but
the latter displayed great repugnance, and only
raised the glass to his lips. It was with difficulty
that young Dumoulin succeeded in vomiting, and
after that he recovered. On the 2d of January, 1848, he
had a violent quarrel with his father, and having by this
_ _

time suspected that his father was poisoninghim, he
announced his intention of leaving home. In the night
of the 11th of January he was affected with a violent
thirst, and having risen to procure drink he found a
bottle containing wine on the table. Of this wine he
partook, and immediately after he was seized with
the most horrible pains. He rushed out of the house
like a madman, but presently returned and took
to his bed, where he suffered dreadfully for
some time. The curb was called in; he found
the tongue of the young man quite black,
and the latter told him that the attack had com-
menced after he had taken the wine. On this the cure
observed that Dumoulin, the father, who had heard
what was said, quietly removed the bottle, which
was standing on the table, and replaced it by another.
This act confirmed the suspicion which had previously
entered his mind, that the young man was poisoned
by his rather. lie went home to see by a medical book
what should be done in a case of poisoning, and during
his absence the father introduced a notary to the son,
and caused him to make his will. In a conversation
which ensued during the father's absence between the
son and his brother in-law the former said that he
knew that he was poisoned, and that his father had
different descriptions of poison secreted in a certain
hole. On the return of the curd this statement was
repeated to him. The priest first of all applied an
emetic, and took the precaution of preserving what
was vomited ; he then went and took the poison from
its hiding-place ; after which he had an analysis made
of the matter thrown up by the young man, and, on
learning that poison existed in it, had the father ar-
rested. In addition to these terrible facts against the
prisoner it was proved that when in gaol he had con(; ssed
to a fellow-prisoner that his intention was to his
son. When the evidence was concluded the President
asked the prisoner if he had anything to say. He
answered in the negative, and at the same moment,
drawing forth a knife, bared his breast, and plunged
the weapon into it. Blood having inunedistely
flowed, a cry of horror was uttered by the auditory ;
but it appeared that the prisoner was only scratched.
The jury declared him guilty, and the Court con-
demned him to death. On entering the prison the
prisoner egain attempted to commit suicide by knock-
ing his head against the wall, but without success.

home, and heard a disturbance in the street near
hl3 house in Radcliffe crescent. Some of his family
said there was a man and a boy fighting. Witness
went to the window, and saw the deceased and another
boy, not the prisoner, wrestling. He saw them both
fall down and get up again. The prisoner at that
time was four or five yards from them, and appa-
rently not at all connected with the fight or squabble
that was going on, but he saw him walk up to the
deceased and fire a pistol. He could not tell from
what part of his person he took the pistol. He saw
him present it and fire at the deceased. An immense
quantity of blood immediately afterwards flowed from
the mouth of the deceased. Witness saw him stagger,
and ran out immediately to assist him, and try to
catch the prisoner. He directed the body to be
taken to the hospital. The prisoner's hand was close
to the deceased when he fired at him; he was within
a foot or two of him. Witness did not see the decased
touch the pistol. In answer to the Coroner, Mr.
Brown added that he was satisfied the deceased did
not touch it, and that the pistol did not go off by any
accident at all.
Thomas Charles Cornish, attorney and brother-in-
law of the last witness, gave similar evidence, and
added that he pursued the prisoner, and saw him
given into the custody of the police. He could not
exactly identify the prisoner as the boy who fired the
pistol ; the thing was done so instantaneously he had
no time to have more than a casual glance. On his
way to the station-house the prisoner said he supposed
he should be scragged. He also said that the pistol
was not loaded with ball, but with shot. After he had
arrived at the station house he sail he did not know
that the pistol would go off. He said something
about the pistol being on half-cock, but what it was
witness did not hear distinctly. No inducement was
held out to him to say this, nor were any threats made
to him. The prisoner said he hoped a surgeon had
been sent for.
Samuel Brown, a lad, 14 years of age, and son of
Mr. Samuel Brown, the magistrate, who likewise
witnessed the affray from his father's window, cor-
roborated the former evidence as to the struggle and
the prisoner shooting the deceased. He added that he
saw the prisoner with his hand down between his
legs just before he went up and fired off the pistol.
Edward Horgan gave similar evidence to that of
the first witness, Coggan, adding that after Collins and
Dauncy had called them names, Collins began to spar
at witness. He ran towards him, and Collins made
off down Coronation-road. He caught him by the
railings of Zion Chapel, and struck him twice. When
he (witness) was in the act of so doing the prisoner
came behind and struck him in the face. Witness
then turned round and ran after the prisoner, who
pulled out a pistol with a brass barrel, and presented
it at him, and Collins pulled out the life-preserver and
waved it at him. Dauncy presented the pistol and
said, " Come on, lam not afraid of you. lam ready
for you. I'll have you." Witness replied, "Oh !
never mind. I know both of you, and will let you
hear of it to morrow," and walked off. The prisoner
and Collins followed jeering and abusing them.
The deceased and Coggan had gone on, and they saw
nothing of the pistol or the life-preserver at the time.
When he rejoined them witness told them what they
hal heard, and said he did not like to kick up a
row on a Sunday. They all then walked on, and stopped
at Brown's. The prisoner and Collins followed,
and stopped not three yards from them. Witness
looked round at them and said, " I will give it to
you by-and-by." The deceased also looked towards
Collins, and said, " I'll tell your mother of you, and
get something done to you fur having that with you."
Collins pulled the life-preserver out of his breast and
said something, and the deceased rushed at him and
laid hold of it. Witness then ran after the prisoner,
who wanted to lay hold of the deceased, to make him
let go of Collins. The prisoner then pulled out the
pistol and presented it at the deceased again, saying,
"If ho don't let Collins alone I'll shoot him." Wit-
ness said, " Will you ? " and he replied " Yes, and
I'll shoot you too," presenting the pistol again. The
prisoner then ran to the other side of witness, put
down the pistol between his legs, and cocked it. He
then ran past witness, rushed up close to the de-
ceased, and fired directly. Witness endeavoured to
prevent his getting at the deceased. The prisoner
was about a yard and a half from witness when he fired
at the deceased. Deceased immediately after-
wards put his hands to his breast and
staggered. A stranger who was passing stepped
up and supported him ; and, assistance having
arrived, he was conveyed to the hospital, where the
house surgeon immediately saw him. He pronounced
him dead, and said they had better take him to the
nearest public-house. During the whole transaction
nothing of an irritating kind was done towards the
prisoner, and nothing towards Collins except the
scale—trying to take the life-preserver from him
In answer to the Coroner, the witness said it was not
customary at Bedminster to carry pistols or life-
preservers.

•
Thomas Prowse, surgeon, deposed that he lived in
Guinea•street. The prisoner was in his employ. He
understood that he was 14 years of age. His father
was a journeyman miller. He saw nothing of the
prisoner after twelve o'clock on Sunday. He did not
know of his having a pistol in his possession.
The inquiry was then adjourned till Wednesday,
in order that the post mortem examination might take
place, and for the testimony of one more witness,
which it is expected will conclude the evidence.
The prisoner exhibited the utmost unconcern
throughout the whole of the proceedings, staring
every witness in the face as he gave his evidence with
remarkable effrontery.

.vhich, amounting to 700,0001.,
, but at the last half-yearly meeting
..y it was stated that the profi'a would
at a dividend being paid. This has been
oy the great amount of guareastced stocks,
,ch entirely take away the profits from the
iginal shareholders, although the traffic receipts at
t' e present time amount to 4,000/. per week, or
_08,0004 per annum." The statement then goes on
to say that nothing short of thorough and unre-
stricted investigatic.n into the whole of the affairs of
the company will suffice. Appended to the statement
is a table, showing that the present stock of the com-
pany, including 1,984,965/, due on debentures,
amounts to 5,892,2754, to which, when the arrears of
calls and balances are paid up, must be added
1,170,6901., snaking a total of 7,1629651,
Tizi, MIDLAND RAILIVAL—DERDY TUESDAY:"
A series of strikes of various classes of' workmen em-
ployed by the Midland Railway Company have for
some time been pending, and at length the goods
guards and porters have ceased work at every prin-
cipal station, thereby putting an entire stop to the
goods traffic throughout the lines. The strike at this
station commenced yesterday morning, and was so
universal that all the goods sheds were instantly
closed, and it was found impossible to collect t)-
gether hands sufficient to send off even one luggage
train, although a great variety of parcels and pack-
ages, some of which contained articles of an extremely
perishable nature, required forwarding to their desti-
nations without delay. It seems that this gem ral
cessation from labour is owing to the directors' re•
ducing the wages of one class of men—the goods
guards—from 19s. to 17s. weekly, and of the goods
porters from 17s. to 16s. The strike commenced at
Nottingham, about a week ago, when four men threw
up their situations rather than submit to the re-
duction. The knowledge of this was immediately
communicated to their fellow-labourers in every
direction and more general strikes followed at Leeds
and Bradford, and subsequently et Derby. This morn-
ing the men still remain way from work, and seem
likely so to continue, until the directors restore to
them the amount of wages already reduced; and that
the latter wilt be obliged to give way is certain, or
the damage to goods delayed will bring very serious
'lasses upon the shareholders. The engine .drivers and
firemen, until within the last few days, have also been
upon the eve of striking, in consequence of the
directors requiring them to travel three journeys at
the same rate of wages they have hitherto received
for two journeys ; but they were too unanimous
amongst themselves to be forced to submit to the new
terms. They are 203 in number, and all, except
three, would have struck within six hours, had not
the company consented to allow the old engagements
to remain in force. As soon as danger from the
pending strike appeared to be over, Mr. G. P. Paget
brought down a number of new men to displace the
riigleaders ; but their comrades were true to their
friends, and threatened to leave in a body at a
moment's notice if even one were dismissed for
taking part in the movement. The consequence has
been that not one man has been discharged. Mr. G.
B. Paget, in addressing the men, urged upon them to
accept the reduction, the very low price of provisions
well enabling them to do so; and he promised, if
they would, that, as the price of food rose at any
future time, he would see that their rate of remune-
ration was increased.

A WONDERFUL STORY.
The following most extraordinary story is related
by the Paris correspondent of the Independant of
Brussels, in a letter dated the 14th inst.:—" A few
months ago one of the most charming hotels of the
new quarter of the Champs Elysees was occupied by
Count an ex-foreign diplomatist, the Countess
R—, and their daughter. The Count is about 60
years of age, his wife 25, and the daughter 6. Count
It— received a great deal of company, and parti-
cularly foreigners of distinction, in consequence of
his nationality, and the acqueintances that he had
made in his different embassies. The young Countess
was a great favourite for her beauty and her accom-
plishments. Notwithstanding the difference in the
age of the Count and his wife, their conjugal life was
a perfect model of propriety and dignity. The
Countess, it appears, had little fortune before mar-
riage. The Count, who was the friend of her
family, had married her as much on account of
his admiration of her merit as of the desire that
he felt, being the last of his race, to dispose of
his property in favour of a family that he esteemed.
Such was the general position of things as it has been
certified to me. I❑ the month of September last the
Count received, from a capital in the north of Europe,
a letter from a priest, entreating him to come as soma
as possible to the death-bed of the mother of the
Countess, and he was strictly enjoined to come alone.
The Count, although much surprised, complied with
the request, and concealed it from the Countess in
order to spare her feelings, He arrived at -- in
sufficient time to receive from the mouth of his ex-
piring mother-in-law a most painful and sad avowal
—a confession enjoined without doubt by the priest
as a condition of reconciliation with God. Here my
task as a narrator becomes difficult and delicate. I
! must leave the reader to suppose what the
confession was. The dying person was of about
the same age as the Count, and had married
an old man. At, his dcbilt in the diplomatic career
!he Count had passed several years in that capital,
where he bad formed an intimate acquaintance with
the family of the lady. At length, to his great regret
and that of the Baroness G—, he changed his resi-
dence, and during 18 years rose successively in diplo-
matic functions. At the end of this period he returned
as an ambassador. The Baroness was a widow with
a very little fortune, and - the prospects of her
daughter were therefore by no means brilliant. The
Count offered his hand to the daughter, and the
mother, dazzled by the advantages which would result
to her from this alliance, gave a guilty assent. The
marriage took place, but the mother, f:om a caprice,
as the Count supposed at the time, stipulated that he
and his wife should go and reside in another country.
They went to Italy, where they remained until the
recent revolutions broke out, and then they visited
Paris. The nature of the cruel confession made by the
dying woman to the Count to save her soul from per-
dition by absolution may be divined. The guilty
mother died pardoned by the Count, but the man,
who had once loved her, received such a shock that
from this moment he resolved never to see his wife
again, or the fruit of this fatal marriage. lie availed
himself of the pacification of Italy to return, and
went straight to Mount Casino to solicit an asylum
from the Benedictine monks of St. John. The
Countess learned at the same time the death of her
mother, and the strange disappearance of her husband.
Soon afterwards she.received some papers for the re-
gulation of her fortune, as the definitive documents
of a separation for which no motive was stated. We
may judge of what pissed in the mind of this young
and charming woman, who was at once an orphan
and almost a widow, without being able to
comprehend the causes of a separation, or
knowing where her husband was. She its a
gilled at first that she was the victim of
some atrocious calumny, but, knowing her innocence,
she resolved to seek out the true cause. Last month
she decided on visiting the foreign capital where her
mother died, and there the unfortunate Countess
learned everything—how is not known. Suddenly
her daughter, the little angel adinire:l by all whe
knew her, became odious to the mother, and ere long
the Countess became insane. Last week the furni-
ture of her hotel was sold by auction, and a report
was current that Aldlle. Alboni had purchased the
hotel, but I do not know what truth there is in the
report. The unfortunate Countess has a brother, it
is said, in the service of cne of the Princes of the
north, and a notary of L'aris is stated to have directed
the sale by his orders. As to Count It—, it is
supposed that he intends to become a monk."

THE SANDWICH ISLAND PRINCES.—We announce
in our American intelligence the arrival here, by tho
Canada, of the Hon. G. P. Judd, Minister to his High-
ness the King cf the Sandwich Islands, accompanied by
Alexander Lihihiho, heir presumptive to the Hawaiian
throne, and his brother Lot Karnehamheha. The object
of Mr. Judd's visit to the United States and Europe at
this period, has reference to the late outrage of the
French at the Sandwich Islands. The King is uncle
to the Princes, and the of ject of the latter in visiting
Europe is purely one of observation. The two young
gentlemen, who, from their exterior and manners,
are fully entitled to the name, are brothers,
about seventeen and sixteen yecrs of age,
They speak English thoroughly, with pleasing cor-
rectness, giving every evidence of good manners and
education. The youngest is namA Alexander Lihihiho,
who has been destined and selected by his uncle, tie
King of the islands, to:succecd him on his throne
should he himself die childless. This, however, is but
a remote probability, as he is married, and is only
34 years of age. Two children whom he has already
had have died. The largest of the islands over which
the King reigns is 0 wilyhee, where Captain Cook was
killed. The chief city is Honolulu, which contains
about 10,000 inhabitants, and is becoming a place of
great commercial importance, being a sort of half-way
house between Valparaiso or Lima and S..n Francisco,
from which latter place it is distant by sea about 2,400
milks. The two Princes have been received at New York
with becoming dignity and attention, and they gill no
doubt meet in this country with similar respect.—Liver•
pool Standard,

•
THE LATE BERMONDSEY' MURDER. -.--Tll3 Secre-
tary of State has flowed the following rewards to the
parties employed in the detection and conviction of the
Mannings, perpetrators of the murder of the late Patrick
O'Connor:—lnspectorld, 15/ ,• S,rgcants Langloy,
101.; Witchener and Thornton, 101.; Shaw, s/.; K.,lidat,
Si.; Smith, 81.; Andrews, Si.; Poliec•combbles Barnes,
101 ; Burton. Si.; and L'ickyer, 51.
A CHRISTMAS FR :;SENT. —YE StEr(l2.7, a man,
having- the appearance of a e;.,rrier, Lft a hamper, from
one end of which a few pheasant's fenthers!were sticking
out, at the Louie of n person in Nortl:-street, White-
chive', for which he received 31 carriage. hen
the parcel was opened it conLincd nothing but three o.d
bricks s,nd a quantity of straw.