The Sun.
London, England, 1823-10-17 00:00:00

SINGULAR FRENCH TRIALS.

Three most interesting trials are about to come
on before the Court of Assizes at Paris:- They
are all of them for murders of great atrocity, at-
tended with singular or striking circumstances.
The two most interesting,, from the station and
condition of the accused, are for assassinations by
poison; the third involves the fate of a wretched
mother and her son, who are accused of murder-
ing a beggar woman, in order to obtain possession
of a watch and a few francs, which she kept con-
-cealed in a bed of straw. The first that will be
heard is that of Dr. Castaing, who is accused of
two murders, committed at the interval of nearly
a year, on the persons of two of his most intimate
friends, the sons of a notary at Paris, to obtain
possession of an income of about 20,000 francs,
which belonged successively to both. The indict-I
meet charges him with three great crimes--.Ist,
with having administered poison to his young
friend Rippolyte Ballet, about the end of Oc.
tober last; 2dly, with having, in conjunction
with the surviving brother, Auguste Ballet, de-
stroyed the will of the deceased, to convert his
property to thr,irjoint use; and thirdly, with hav-
ing, in the end of May last, made his accom-
plice his victim. The death of Ilippolyte was
not so sudden or striking as to excite at the
time the suspicions of his family. Contrary to
the expectations of his brother Auguste, and of
his friend Castaing, he had made a will which in-
cluded neither. This will bequeathed 20,000
francs to a party out of the family. The sur-
viving brother leagued with the doctor to de-
stroy it, and the doctor poisoned his friend to
secure the spoil which he had previously induced
Auguste to make over to him by testamentary
deed. The poison employed in both cases was
of a vegetable kind, called acetate of Morphine,
and therefore more difficult of detection than the
usual mineral or metallic substances employed by,
the murderer. It was administered in the last
case in a tavern at St. Cloud, where Ballet and
Castaing had gone to pass some days of pleasure
or relaxation in the confidence of, friendship. '
The curious examinations of the ablest chy-
mists and physicians of Paris, and the general
detail of the circumstances extorted, as is
the case in France, from the mouth of the ac-
cused, or obtained from the deposition of the
witnessess, are expected with intense interest.
The trial which will follow this is that of a
Madame Boursier, for the murder of her hus-
band. This crime, likewise, has excited no com-
mon interest. Boursier WAS one of the richest
grocers in Paris. Having his large mtsea-
zines and shop in the rue de la Paix, most
of the English in that almost English quarter
were his customers. Ile died about two or
three months ago in terrible agonies, attended
with circumstances which, if the medical man who
attended him had done his duty, would have im-
mediately led to the detection of the crime and the
criminal, It was proposed, on his death, to open
the body. His disconsolate widow opposed the
proposal, on the ground that the operation would
harrow up her feelings. He was interred in the
cemetry of Pere La thaise. The widow's grief
dried up as soon as 'her husband's remains were
interred. No garlands, according to custom here,
were laid, on his grave—none of the flowers of
the cemetry were watered 'vvith the widow's tears.
She recovered immediately her wonted cheerful-
ness, and received the visits of favourites whom
her husband had forbidden the house. The sus-
picions of the husband's family could be no longer
suppressed. His brother procured an order from
the proper authorities to disinter the body, and to
iexamiee the servant. Madame Boursier had not
the knowledge, or could not employ the means of
Dr. Castaing. 'A greater quantity of arsenic
than is usual on such occasions was detected
in the contents of the stomach, and the proof
of death by poison was complete. Madame
Boursier was imediately arrested. To post-
pone the term of her trial, she dechired a preg-
nancy, which has since been found to be feign-
ed. tier father, a respectable man, who is
Receiver-General of an arrondisement of Nor-
mandy, who happened to be in town at the time
of the disinterment, is said to have become mad,
lin consequence of the conduct and arrest of his
daughter. This latter circumstance adds con-
siderably to the interest of the trial, and to the
impatience with which it is expected by the
public.

The last of these assassinations to which I have
alluded, is not the least singular, and has been
followed by consequences even more striking than
any of the other two. The accused are two per.
sons, mother and son, of the name of Lacouffe.—
The murder was committed on the person of a
beggar, in the Faubourg du Rauie. The crime
was considered at first without motive, and there.
ford the more unnatural. It was at last, how-
ever, discovered, that the deceased had a watch,
which she concealed in the straw of her bed, and
it was supposed that that might be the object of
the criminals. The mother, Lecouffe, was first
arrested, under circumstances of strong swicion.
During the time that the Age dlizstruction was
examining witnesses and arranging evidence to
implicate the mother, the son appears on the
stage. The, account %Melt he gave, both of his
motives for committing the crime and his reasons
for confessing it, are of the most singular kind.
lle told the Judge of Instruction that he wanted
,
to marry, hut could not find money to pay
the expences of his nom, or wedding ; and that
having heard of the old beggar's possesing the

requisite Suns in property er coin, he had takes
away her life to get possession of it. He had then •
married, and had enjoyed a most exhilarating noce,,
when he began to repent of the assassination by
which it was procured. His first idea, he said,
was to expiate his crime by suicide ; and having
heard that brandy, taken in sufficient quantity',
would produce death, he had bought a bottle as
a certain poison. Having, however, drank two
glasses of this mortal liquor, he found that he was,
the less disposed to die, and therefore postponed
the consummation of :he process to the following
day. In the night time, the shade of his father,
his own guardian angel; and two other angels,
with whose physiognomy he was unacquainted,
appeared before him and enjoined him to cenfese
his crime. He therefore proceeded to the Judge•
of Instruction whom these messengers pointed
out, and who happened,to be the same person
who was drawing up the evidence against his
mother. The Judge very properly issued an or•
der for his arrest on the disclosure of facts stated
by himself, although he did not, of course, lend
implicit faith to the story of the angels. The"
young man now denies the crime, and declaret`
that he made a false confession to induce the.
Judge to release his mother. Additional evi.
dence has since been obtained against both, and
the trial is likely to be extremely interesting hr
more points of view than one. It is expected
that it will come on about the end of the current,
month.

PUBLIC DINNER AT STOCKPORT

TO LIEUTENANT BACK, R.N.

A most respectable party, consisting Of abont.A
fifty Gentlemen, assembled last week at the,
Warren Bulkeley Arms, at Stockport. Captain
flumennEys, R.N. was in the Chair, and on the.
right sat the heroic young man, so justly the',
pride of his fellow 'townsmen. When we con•';
sidered the unprecedented sufferings he had en-
dured, and the unheard-of privations which once
reduced his frame to the extremity of weakness,'
and brought him to the verge of 'dissolution, it
was impossible not to feel a high degree of plea-,
sure at beholding
him again in apparent posses-
sion of health and vigour.
J. Lt.wrn, Esq. Prothonotary of Chester, performed the
office. of croupier on this most gratifying occasion. Ths.e,e,
tertainment was fully equal to any that Mrs. Higginson has
ever prepared, gave high satisfaction, and was followeAl by
dessert, sumptuous and elegant.
At about half.past•six the cloth was removed, when " The
King" was drank with enthusiasm, and was followed, by 4,0(1.
save the King," in excellent style, by Mr. C. DURNICIL—..
The object of the Meeting was then stated in an eloquent
Address, by the gallant Officer and active Magistrate Willi.
presided. „ .
It will be recollected that Lieut. BACK accompanied Capt.
FRANKLIN' in his perilous and unprecedentedly daring journey
to the, Polar Seas, in 1819, 20, 21, and 22. The narrative ofi
that dangerous enterprise is one of the most interesting that
has issued from the press for a great number •of years., and,
,the repeated acts of self.:command, genuine courage, and in-.
trepidity, recorded of Lieutenant BACK, are in the hightst do-.
gree honourable to that Gentleman, and truly creditable to his
perseverance and telents'as'a British Naval Officer. A noble'
instance of self.clevotion is recorded of him; when the little
party which coiripOsed the expedition were at Fort Enterprise,
their winter stock of provisions fell short ; Mr. Baca, that!
volunteered to return to' Fort ProVidence, or to Chepywau,
and commenced his journey over an immense tract of country,
which the icy hand of winter had rendered dreary and deso-
late In the extreme, .of
the 19th of October. Ile fortunately
arrived safe at Chepeywan, and succeeded in returninM to
Fort Enterprise on the 17th of March following, performing a
journey of 1,104 miles in snow shoes, with no other covering
in the woods at night than a blanket and deer skin, and the
thermometer frequently at 40 deg and once at 75 deg. below
Zero;
,during -which frightful undertaking he was sometimes
two or three days without tasting
CAPTAIN PARRY.

In the course of an excellent Address front
Lieut. BACK, at this dinner, he took occasion to
speak of Captain PARRY, and stated his ungna•
lifted opinion, that that gallant Officer WM Oft*
and would eventual% accomplish the object of his
enterprising voyage.—(Stoclport Paper.)

ALIIRGATE, OCT. 14.--The following is the topic which
took the lead yesterda,y:—lnformation was suddenly received
from Dover, that on board one of the steam yachts was con-
cealed a quantity of contraband goods. The Custom HOOK
cutter put of from this port. Through some accident theboat
was run down. There was a child in It, whichono of the officers
preserved by holding it up with one arm whilst he swam with
the other. Fortunately the sea was not running high at the
time—all were preserved. The steam vessel proceeded t►
London.. .

ACCIIANT AT DRURY LAII£ TURATAL—Vit
Tuesda7 night as the one shilling gallery was
opened, a great rush being made by those that were
at a little distance from the door, a youth of the
name of Jones was pushed down by the pressure,
and those behind stepping upon him, injured
him so much 'as to leave him in a most deplor-
able condition. The blood gushed out of his
ears, eyes, and mouth ; he had some of his teeth
broken, and complained much of his arm, which
iris thought to be fractured. When down,
his cries of I;lurder were disregarded by those
who might have offorded him assistance, under
an impression that it was a scheme of some pick-
pockets. lie was carried to the nearest hospital.
A young lady, of the name of Smithers, Who
was on a visit at Mrs. Anson's, Quebec.place,
Edgeware.roaA, met with an accident on Wed-
nesday evening, %Ouch it is feared will prove fa-
tal. She wps dressing herself, to accompany s
party of friends to the theatre, when her clothes,
caught fire, and her shrieks brought the servant-
maid to the room, when the upper part of the un-
fortunate female's dress was in one blaze, and her
front hair was burnt from her head.

'BIRTHS.
On Wedner.day, at Mark's-hall, Essex, the Lady cif tV. 1'-
nonywood, Esq., M.P. for the county of Kent, of a son anti
heir.

• 1114-1 RR IED.
Thortlhay, at St. GeiNge's, Hanover square, by the Rev:.
Richard Powys, Henry Philip Powys, Esq., eldest Son °I
Philip Lybbe Powys, Esq., of Hardwick House, OttfordslOres
and Broomfield House, 3liddlesex, to Philippa ErninA Shawl'
of Upper Ilroak-street, youngest daughter of the lite William
Cunliffe Shawe, Esq.
.On the Itith instant, at Islington Church, the Rev. °cargo
lising, Minister. of Hampstead Chapel, to Miss Martha ChAP'
Man, eldest daughter of' Mr. Itichattl chiquoto of stnthan-
terrace, Islington.
On the;l6th instant, at St. John's, Hackney, Mr, Jasn'il
'Wright, jun.
, of Great .Marlow to 111,try Aim, third and
Hyoungest daughter of George IDyson, Etq.,
ackney.

On Tuesd the 14th instant, in her 34th year, Anna 115144'
wie of 3 ay, DIET).
the l
Ir. Itobert of flarleyfordllavet ,
nington.
(in the llth instant, aged 27, at his uncle's house, in —44 E-rt
Presobtt-strect, tioodulan's.tields, I)avid, the only son-of " Jacob Tryvea, of Kingston, Jan:ai ca.

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