The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-15 00:00:00

MYSTERIOUS MURDERS IN FRANCE.

A wealthy inhabitant of Nantes, named Baudin, and
a young woman named Legendre, who lived with him
as servant, disappeared in December, 1851, and all at-
tempt' to discover what had become of them proved
unavailing. It was supposed that they had been mer-
dered, but the object of the crime did not clearly appear,
as no robbery had been committed in the house which
they occupied in the Rue Dobree. The affair naturally
created an immense sensation, and strange reports of every
kind in connection with it were in circulation. Amongst
other things, it was said that the bodies of the two per-
sons could be found buried in the garden of a respectable
man, named M. L---; the authorities deemed it ne-
cessary to Fearch the garden, but nothing was disco-
vered. In December last (as reported in the Messenger
at the time) a farmer named Lefudois was murdered in
the village of St. Nicolas de la raille, near Havre, and
his house was robbed and burned down. It turned out
that a man named Crochu had committed these crimes,
and he was brought to trial for them before the
Court of Assizes of Rouen in June last, was con-
victed, and condemned to death. As this man had
lived at Nantes, where he bad carried on the trade
of a dealer in second-hand clothes, as he was of
very bad character, and as he had had some transac-
tions with M. Baudin, it was thought likely that he
might have been concerned in the disappearance of
that gentleman and his servant. An application was
accordingly made to him to confess if he were
guilty ; but he said that though he knew a good
deal, be would not speak, until his wife and her
servant, a female named Maziere, who had been ar-
re-ted at Nantes on suspicion of having been con-
cerned in disposing of the goods which he had
stolen at Saint-Nicholas, and who were detained
in the prison of that city, were removed to Rouen.
This having been done, he said that M. Baudin and
his servant had been murdered on the 11th December,
1851, that he had taken part in the crime, that he knew
where the bodies were buried, but that he would say
nothing mere unless the heirs of M. Baudin would pay
30,000 fr. to his wife. The chap;ain of the prison and
other clergymen represented to him that a confession
made under conditions would have no moral value, and
exhorted him to tell the whole truth without any stipu-
lations. For some time he refused to do so • but on Sun-
day last he said that he would reveal all. 'He then re-
iated that a At L. formerly a pnbUc functionary,
living in the Route deßennee at Nantee, who is possessed
of some property, and who has for eome time past taken I
an active part in municipal affairs, had in December,
1851, premised him 10,000 f. to assist him in murdering
M. Bandit' and his domestic. On his accepting this

THE MEDITERR ANEAN SUBIIARINE TELEORA?I.-It
that the following despatch. sent on Tuesday'
afternoon by the engineers and agents of the Mediter-
ranean Submarine Telegraph Company in the island of
Sardinia, to their office in London, that the temporary'
check they have sustained in the accidental breaking of
the cable, which was announced by a message from the
English Consul at Cagliari, dated last Saturday, is not
likely to interfere seriously with the success of their
important operation :—" Bonifacio, Aug. 12, 2 45 pan.
—We are at Bajadi Chia, and have commenced raising
the cable, with the intention of continuing our route to
Algeria. The French officers share with us the hope of
a fortunate issue. Everything is ready."