The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-24 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.
The chief point of interest in the Paris papers to-
day relates to the alleged abdication of the Emperor
Maximilian. Several of them express strong doubts
of the truth of the news. In the news from Mexico,
which I noticed yesterday, no mention is made of
the departure of the Emperor, but the despatches
are dated nine days previously to the time when his
alleged departure from Mexico took place. I am
told that the Government has not yet received any
official confirmation of the news. The Gazette de
France only says that "if the news in the English
papers be correct, and it is far from improbable, the
departure of the Emperor Maximilian is explained
and justified." It adds, however, that if such im-
portant events had taken place in Mexico, it is diffi-
cult to believe that no official account of them has
reached the Government.
The Journal du Havre, after giving an analysis
of all the news received there by the last packet
from Mexico, says--" According to all the news,
ambiguous as it may be, one fact is evident, that
.the Emperor Maximilian is no longer in his capital,
and though in the official reports not a word is said
of the Regency of Marshal Bazaine or General
Castelnau, it is very possible that the Emperor may
be already on his way to Europe."
A commercial society, at Charleroi, has been dis-
solved for a curious reason. One of the members
died suddenly from cholera, and, as is usual, he was
not only interred without delay, but he was buried in
his clothes. It has since been discovered that the
deed authorising the society was in the watch-
pocket of the deceased, and it not being now pos-
sible to produce it, there is an end to the company.
An alleged case of poisoning, similar to those
which have occurred both in England and France,
now occupies public attention at Dresden. The
accused is a barrister of eminence, and the prose-
cution is instituted by the Germania Insurance
Company of Stettin. The prisoner, it appears,
effected insurances on the life of his wife with that
and other companies to the amount of 90,000 f.
A short time afterwards the wife, MadameM., died
very suddenly. In conformity with one of the
clauses of the policy the body was dissected and the
interment took place, there being no suspicion at
the time. Some circumstances, however, transpired
which induced one of the companies to demand the
exhumation of the body. A second examination
took place and a portion of the intestines was sent
to a Berlin chemist to be analysed. Traces of
acetate of morphine were then discovered, and the
accused was arrested. It appears that he had pos-
sessed a large fortune, but from speculations or
extravagance it was almost all dissipated, and he
had paid to the creditors the money he received
from the insurance offices.

A woman named Marguerite Moreau, the wife of
a small farmer at Ligny des Charolles, has just
drowned her little girl, two years old, under cir-
cumstances which inspire horror. She left her house
with the child, and the next day was seen wander-
ing about the fields alone. When questioned she
admitted that she had drowned it. She said she
plunged into a pond head foremost and held it there
for a quarter of an hour. Being afraid to return
home she strolled about the country, not knowing
what to do. She said they were in very great dis-
tress, and the husband compelled her to take the
child into the fields every day where she went to
work, and she drowned it " that it might not take
cold."

A most extraordinary instance of a sudden change
in the colour of the hair is said by the Semaine Re-
ligieuse to have taken place at Nevers. In reference
to such a change Dr. Bossu, a French surgeon, says
that great grief sometimes causes the hair even of
young persons to turn grey. This was the case with
Queen Marie Antoinette. The present instance has
some very peculiar characteristics. On All Saints'
Day, M. X., curate of Nevers, without experienc-
ing any violent emotion or feeling at all ill, found
that his hair suddenly changed colour. It was
white, but on the fore part of his head it became of
blood colour. The boys of the choir first remarked
the change. A lady who came to visit him also saw
it, and spoke to him about it. He did not pay any
attention to the circumstance, thinking that itmight
be dust. By the evening, however, the phenomenon
was completely effected, and the whole head of hair
had become the colour of blood. One of his rela-
tives asked him in alarm what he had been doing.
He replied that he did not feel anything the matter
with him. However, a sister of charity who attended
upon the sick was sent for. She came with several
other sisters, and they turned pale with fright on
entering the room. The curate himself had most
presence of mind. He asked for some water, and
washed his head successively with six basins of
water, which were brought. A doctor was sent for,
who prescribed some cooling medicine. The pa-
tient, if so he may be called, said he did not want
any medicine, but he would take some out of com-
plaisance. He then went to bed and slept as usual.
The next day his hair was of another colour. The
red had disappeared, and it had a beautiful violet
tinge. Some pressing business called him from
home, and as he did not feel ill he set out on his
journey; but, not wishing to excite curiosity from the
colour of his hair, he had his head shaved. The hair
already begun to grow again. On the top of the
head it is of light violet colour. The curate con-
tinues in good health, but says that for the last few
days he has felt as if his head were entirely empty.
The Tribunal de Commerce of the Seine has
given an interesting decision in reference to railway
liability. Three travellers from Paris to Chatillon
took tickets by a train leaving Paris at 7 o'clock in
the morning, which ought to have reached its desti-
nation at 37 minutes past three in the afternoon.
In consequence of an accident to the engine, how-
ever, the train did not reach the point of junction
in time to reach the train, which would have com-
pleted the journey. They, therefore, took a special
train, which cost 201 f. Theysued the company for
that sum, and also for 100 f. damages. The com-
pany pleaded that the delay arose from an accident
over which they had no control. The Court, how-
ever, decided that as the cause of delay was escape
of steam, which had arisen from want of sufficient
watchfulness, the Paris and Lyons Railway was
liable for any prejudice caused to the travellers,
and therefore it ordered payment for the amount
which they claimed.
A splendid establishment in the Rue Scribe was
opened on Wednesday evening, and the inaugura-
tion was attended by fashionable ladies, men of
literature, art, and finance. It is called the Athe-
nxum—L'Athenee--and the cost of its construc-
tion has been almost wholly borne by M. Bischoff-
sheim, a rich banker, born at Mayence, whose
daughter is married to a nephew of Meyerbeer.
The establishment is intended for concerts, balls,
literary meetings, and, perhaps, theatrical enter-
tainments.

Mdlle. Catherine de Lyon, a beautiful Russian
young lady of 18, has been married to M. J.
Tolstoy, a Russian gentleman, at the Russian
church in the Faubourg St. Honore. The bride
has a dowry of ten millions of francs, a fino palace
at St. Petersburg, and a splendid hotel in Paris.
The value of the wedding present is estimated at a
million of francs. Tolstoy is said to possess im-
mense riches.

It results from official records that no less than
150 persons died during 1865 in France aged up-
wards of 100 years.
A Frenchman, named Maufroy, has been con-
victed and sentenced to death by the Court of
Assize of Brabant, Belgium, for the murder of a
Frenchman named Jonneau. The trial was under
the authority of a special treaty between France
and Belgium, giving power to Belgium to judge
French subjects, and to France to try Belgian sub-
jects, for certain crimes. The deceased was a com-
mercial traveller who was strangled by the prisoner
on the high road between Marie and Laon, France,
on the 7th of January last.. The prisoner robbed
the deceased of sonic articles of mercery and all the
money he had about him.

The death of a centenarian who took part in the
capture of tho Bastille is announced by the Etoile de
l'Ariege, which states that M. Jean Jalabert, who served in
the armies of the First Republic, has just died at Besset,
at the age of 107 years.

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE AUSTRALASIAN.

The Royal Mail Steamship Australasian, from
New York on the 14th inst., arrived at Queenstown
at 7.45 a.m. to-day, with 58 passengers and
$160,500 in specie. She landed all the mails, con-
sisting of 127 sacks, and two passengers, and pro-
ceeded at 8 a.m. for Liverpool. All welll

NEW YORK, Nov. 14 (Morning).

Washington despatches report that the Secretary
of the Treasury will urge upon Congress the early
resumption of specie payments.
Judge Bartol has sustained the Governor of
Maryland in his removal of the old and appoint-
ment of the new police commissioners. The new
commissioners have made fresh demands for the
surrender of the police-stations, but no reply has as
yet been received from the old commissioners.
Baltimore remains quiet.

General Sherman, accompanied by Minister
Campbell, left New York on Saturday for Vera
Cruz, in the steamer Susquehannah.

The Federal authorities arrested Ortega and his
suite . upon their arrival at Brazos de Santiago.
Ortega has issued a protest, as President of the
Mexican 'Republic, attributing to the Federal Go-
vernment indirect armed interference in Mexican
local affairs, and protesting against any acts of the
United States tending directly or indirectly to force
the Juarez Government upon Mexico.
The Fenian William Hoydon has been sentenced
to be hanged at Toronto on December 13.