The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-26 00:00:00

THE MYSTERIOUS MURDEIiS IN
_BRUSSELS.

This mystery nas not yet been solved, though it is now
quite certain that the motive for the crimes was plunder.
A few days ago Madame Vandepoel went to her notary,
complaining of the little interest she received from her in-
vestment in the public funds. She instructed him to sell
out, which he did, and only the day before the murder he
paid her 11,000 f. in notes. These are missing, although a
sum of 500 francs in gold and silver is left behind in a
drawer in the very room where the murders were com-
mitted. The police have arrested a man on suspicion,whose
face i 3 ismiked with scratches and clothes with blood
stains. He fails to give a good account of himself cn the
night of the murder. It is stated that he was employed by
the deceased in repairing her property, and thus acquired
a knowledge of the habits of the ladies. Much excitement
prevails in Brussels.

FOUR MORE MURDERS DISCOVERED IN

BELGIUM.

It is often said that murders come in battalions, and the
saying seems to be verified just now in Bclgirm. For many
years the country has not witnessed an execution, and the
absence of carital crimes has been remarkable. Now, how-
ever, immediately fcllowing the sad murder of two ladies in
Brussels, we have intelligence of the discovery of four
murders c m nitted by one man, in a village called Hornu,
near Mons, and about 30 miles from Brussels. The murderer
for about three years has been a small farmer and sheep
dealer. His name is Dessous-le-Moustier, and he is 23 years
of age. About three years ago ho was married to a neigh-
bouring farmer's daughter. He was acquainted with three
brothers named Thirion, who were extensive dealers in sheep
in the forest of Ardennes. The eldest brother, Pierre Josh.
Thirion, aged 62 years, was on friendly terms with the
prisoner, and, it is said, aided him in stocking his farm. Ho
also had considerable business transactions with him, and
in March 1868 called upon him, but was never afterwards
heard cf. He had then 3,000 f. in his possession. About
a month afterwards his brother Nicholas Thirion, aged 58,
visited the prisoner's place to make inquiries respecting his
missing brother, and he never returned to his forest home.
A month later the youngest brother, Gustave Thirion,
went on the same errand and shared the same fate. These
disappearances of course created suspicion and inquiry.
The prisoner was summoned before tho authorities &nd
interrogated, but succeeded in throwing off the inquiry
by some plausible explanation, and he was discharged.
A few days ago his wife was suddenly seized with sickness.
The doctor suspected poisoning, and the wife's statements
confirmed his opinion. The woman died, and the police,
acting en the doctor's information, at once arrested the
husband. The old suspicions were revived, and, directed by
the woman's dying disclosures, they proceeded to examine.,
an old pit in the prisoner's garden that had been filled VII.
and there, at different depths, they found the bodies of the,
3 murdered brothers, of course considerably decomposed. Int
poisoning his wife the wretch appears to have had a double
motive. He has for some time cohabited with another
woman, who ii enceinte. To bring this paramour into his
house, and at the same time to rid himself of a dangerous
witness of his previous crimes, he determined to compass
the death of hiz wife. When arrested and charged with
murdering his wife, he, with great coolness, remarked,
"Oh, is that all!" Ho was on Saturday confronted with the
remains of his victim, but denied all knowledge of the
matter. He has, however, since confessed his guilt, and
inculpated an old man, who has been arrested as an accom-
plice. He pleads for a speedy execution. The stomach,
&c., of his wite have been sent to an eminent chemist in
Brussels for analysis. The remains of the three brothers
were interred on Sunday in the village cemetery, in the
presence of thousands of spectators.