The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-11 00:00:00

WHOLESALE POISONING IN FRANCE.

The history which the French papers present of
Martin Rdau, a rich peasant of Aunis, now about
to be tried for murder, forms a terrible list of
crimes, by each of which it appears he has contrived
to obtain considerable aceessions to his property.
Four near relatives have perished within a few years
of diseases unintelligible to the medical attendants,
and attended with horrible suffering, and it seems
that he has inherited the property of every one of
these persons. The first was his brother-in-law,
Peter Reau ; shortly. afterwards his wife, Mary Jane
Reau. Julia Bontemps, his second wife, was the
third victim ; and her son Abel Reati, a little child,
expired in January last, leaving to his father his
portion of his mother's estate.
The first crime being of the date of 1853, the ac-
cused enjoys with respect to it the benefit of the
prescription, but its story is briefly as follows :
Peter Reau was a bachelor of 32 years of age.
About the end of-Jan., 1853, he was seized with
sudden illness, leaving frightful inflammation from
the mouth to tho stomach. His thirst was insa-
tiable. His palate and throat were swollen, and
other alarming symptoms showed themselves. Mar-
tin Reau sent a woman named Jacquette to take
care of him, and in two days Peter Reau breathed
his last. Peter Reau had breakfasted with his
brother-in-law after a hunting party, and imme-
diately afterwards was seized with illness. It was
known that Martin Reau had obtained from his
brother-in-law a conveyance of his landed property
worth about I,ooof. per annum. But Peter Reau
shortly afterwards had accused his brother-in-law
of having robbed him, by obtaining his signature to
this deed when intoxicated. It was revoked, but
some months afterwards Martin Reau had contrived
to obtain some sort of possession of the property,
and a fierce quarrel between the two men sprung
up. Three years after the decease of Peter Reau,
Mary Jane Reau, the first wife of the accused, died
after a short illness. Curious to relate, her malady
closely resembled that which had carried off her
brother Peter. She experienced violent inflamma-
tion in the throat and the breast, and she diei at
the end of two days in fearful agony. This unhappy
Jane had been tyrannised over by her husband, who
inspired her with terror. She said she took medi-
cines to prevent conception. She had a presentiment
that her life would be short, and she told her hus-
band, whose attentions to a certain Julia Bon-
temps she had observed, " When I am dead thou
wilt marry her." By the death of his wife Martin
Reau inherited half of her means, for on the morn-
ing after her marriage he had taken her to a
notary, when she made a will in
,his favour. Martin
Reau shortly afterwards, a true Blue Beard, married_
Julia Bontemps. This woman is described on all
hands-as having been charming ; her sprightliness
was increased by the high spirits accompanyingper•
feet health, but she soon became sad and suffering.
Julia, like the unfortunate woman whom she had
succeeded, took by her husband's commands myste-
rious draughts. One day a servant saw her take
from her bosom a phial filled with a white liquid ;
he asked if she were ill, and she replied, ‘• It is for
peace sake—we are often compelled to do what we
do not like," and at the same moment burst into
tears. She poured out the phial on the earth, adding
" Since my husband is not here I will not take it to-
day." Some days afterwards Martin Reau said to
the same servant, " My wife will never have chil-
dren; I have besides the means of prevention under
my bolster." Despite these pretended preventives
Julia Bontemps became enciente towards the com-
mencement of the year 1864, and her husband did
not conceal his irritation at the circumstance. At
this time the young wife was exposed to several
severe injuries, which plainly were not the result of
accident, and which could have had but one object.
One day, among others, her husband suddenly flung
her violently on the ground. La. er, she had two
falls down the cellar steps ; wooden rollers had been
placed, as if by design, across these steep and slip-
pery steps. In one of these falls Julia dislocated
her arm. Notwithstanding all these machinations al
son was born Sept. 12, 1864; The child was in-
stantly taken from 'her and given to nurse to a
woman who had not sufficient nutriment to impart
to it. But before telling the history of the child it is
as well to relate how Martin Reau got rid of the
mother. Julia Bontemps became in her turn ill,
and soon was overpowered with alarming weakness.
Then followed retellings and spasms ; her dry lips
rattled like castanets. Her agonies were frightful.
For the last two dayS of her life she did nothing but
writhe and moan. After her death Martin Reau,
who till then had exhibited a revolting carelessness

as to his wife's sufferings, had the interment per-
formed at an unusual hour, made a display of voci-
ferous grief, and immediately afterwards went to
the fair of Theneray, where his presence, after the
funeral, produced general surprise. This death fur-
ther increased the fortune of Martin 'Reau, for he
was also the legatee of Julia Bontemps. He had
even succeeded in bringing about a marriage be-
tween his first wife's mother and his second wife's
father, and the latter denuded himself of property
in favour of his daughter, so that the property of
the two families were by the last death added to
the fortune of Martin Reau. But the end is not
yet. Julia Bontemps left a child, Abel Reau, who
became in his turn the victim of his own father's
cupidity. Martin Roan, who had never troubled
himself about the child, went to see him at nurse
last January. The child was immediately seized
with violent convulsions and vomiting. It was
noticed that his limbs writhe' and his teeth were
gnashed together violently. This last crime was the
drop which overflowed the cup—public indignation
was aroused. The bodies of Peter Reau and Mary
Jane Reau were exhumed, and the results were
overwhelming. Chemical analysis also proved that
Abel Reau had been a victim to poison. In the
stomach, liver, and blood were found a poisonous
mercurial salt—bichloride of mercury or corrosive
sublimate. In the organs of Julia Bontemps also
were found traces of this poison. The grave of
Mary Jane Reau was opened, and corrosive subli-
mate was found in the earth about the head and in
the mould collected from each side of the vertelmil
column. The identity of the poison in each body
leads to the belief that it was administered by the
same hand. The sams description of poison has
been found in the possession of Martin Reau. Being
a dealer in mules, he had often purchased for his
diseased :animals mercurial medicaments. On the
other hand, it is said that he had studied the action
of poisons on the human frame—a strange study
for one iu his position of life. He had bought a
scientific work, which he had principally studied
under the head of mercurial poisons. Dreadful
sayings of this man are reported, as that
he said—" The more wives a man marries
the richer he gets." A remarkably interesting
trial will now take place, and accompanied by most
probably other startling revelations. It is said the
accused has seriously increased his own danger by
trying to throw the responsibility of the poisoning
of his second wife and his son upon her parents, and
concocting against them a tissue of false evidence.
He promised a witness I,ooof. if he would depose in
accordance with a paper which he sent him by a
prisoner ; but the man sent the paper to the police.

M. Lachaud will defend the accused, and more
than 60 witnesses will be examined in this tragedy,
one of the deepest that has ever been unravelled in
an assize court.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

:Nisi rrius sittings at Guildhall, before Mr. Justice
Mellor and a Common Jury.),
CHICHESTER V. WIFE V. COBB. _ _ _

Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and r. Lloyd appeared for the
plaintiff; and Mr. Huddlesto , Q.C., and Mr. Williams,
for the defendant.

This was an action by Mr. Chichester, grandson of the
Marquis of Donegal, and clerk of the peace for the county
of Belfast, io recover a sum of £3OO. Mr. Chichester pro-
posed to the female plaintiff, who is the daughter of the
defendant, a gentleman of small fortune, residing at
Kensington, in April, R. 65, which sho communicated
to her father. By arra igement the parties met
on the 10th July, at defendant's house, and the subject of
the proposed marriage was introduced. The defendant
said ho supposed Mr. Chichester expected him to do some-
thing for her, and that he would, but it must be by will.
He added, however, that he would give her £3OO. The
subject of a settlement made on her sisters was then
alluded to, and Mr. Chichester said ho would endeavour to
overthrow it, which her father advised him not to do. There
was also some conversation respecting the marriage being
solemnised in a Roman Catholic as well as Protestant place
of worship, she being a Roman Catholic. She denied most
positively that her husband made any promise in repect to
the latter. (It is necessary to state here that the defendant
pleaded that a distinct promise had been given by the
plaintiff on this point, and also that he would not attempt
to disturb the settlement already alluded to, and that it
was his breach of promise in both cases which induced him
to refuse the payment of the £300.)
Mr. Chichester was called, but
Mr. Justice Mellor interposed, and expressed a hope
that, as this was a family affair, some arrangement would
be made between the litigants.
This suggestion was ultimately adopted, and a verdict
for the plaintiff was taken by consent for £l5O.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.---This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

AN OLD GENTLEMANit. OUT or PLACE.— Emma James and
Harriett Jones, two unfortunates, were charged, before
Mr. Tyrwhitt, with feloniously stealing a silver watch, the
property of Mr. Garling, of George-street, Hampstead-
road.

Mr. Edwin Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, ap-
peared for the defence.

The prosecutor, on being asked his name, said (smiling),
" Garling. Its a very funny name, isn't it ?" He went on
to say that he mot the prisoner James the previous even-
ing, and treated her to as much beer and gin as she could
drink. He then went home with her, when more drink
was fetched by the prisoner Jones. He afterwards missed
his watch, and gave the prisoners into custody.
In cross-examination Mr. Lewis elicited that the prose-
cutor was intoxicated, a by no means uncommon occurrence
with him, and in answer to a further question the prose-
cutor created some laughter by saying that he missed his
watch " when it was gone."
Police-constable 134 E deposed that the prisoner James
said she gave the watch to the other prisoner to pay for
the drink sent for by the prosecutor, and also to finding the
watch.

Mr. E. Lewis addressed the magistrate for the prisoners,
contending that there was no case of felony substantiated.

Mr. Tyrwhitt concurred in this view. It did not ap-
pear that the prosecutor had paid any money even for the
drink which ho had himself ordered, but it was probable
the watch was taken with his knowledge and consent for
the purpose of payment. He should discharge the pri-
soners.

An obscene book (partly printed and partly manuscript:
taken from one of the prisoners, was ordered by the magi&
trate to be destroyed.

THAMES.
THE SHADWELL TIGRESS.—Mary Ann Mulcahy, a
stout, well-dressed, large-featured Irish woman, about 40
years of age, was brought before Mr. Paget, charged with
assaulting and wounding Mary Drummond.
The prisoner has boon frequently convicted of very
savage assaults, and has been imprisoned with hard
labour six or seven times. She is the wife of an Irishman,
named Michael Mulcahy, who is the proprietor of several
infamous houses in that horrible place, Bluegate-fields,
Shadwell, and he has been subjected more than once to his
wife's brutality. The complainant in this case, who is a
person of bad character and dissipated habits, came into the
witness-box in a very weakly condition, with her head
bandaged and her left arm in a sling, said she had
been acting as servant to the prisoner and working with
her in the day time. Last night Mr. and Mrs. Mulcahy
had words at supper time, and the prisoner wont out and
came in very drunk at a late hour, and said, " Are you
here ?" to which she replied, " Yes, I am ; where else
should Ibe ?" Mrs. Mulcahy immediately took up the
poker and struck her with it across the elbow of her right
arm. She called out, " You have broken my arm," and
Mrs. Mulcahy swore at her and said, "I'll break your head
too," and struck her on the head with the poker. She
went out and obtained the aid of a police-constable, and
was afterwards conveyed to the London Hospital, where
the wound on her head was dressed.

Mr. Paget—You said something about Mr. Mulcahy's
supper. What do you mean ?
Witness—Yes, he was having bread and milk for supper,
which I fetched for him, and I was seated alongside of
him at the fire place when Mrs. Mulcahy came in and beat
me with the poker.
Police-Sergeant Procter, of the K division, said be ap-
prehended the prisoner at 2 o'clock this morning, and
visited the room where the prosecutrix was wounded.
There was a good deal,of blood on the floor.
The prisoner, in defence, said that Mrs. Drummond was
drunk all day yesterday, and drinking brandy-and-water
with Mr. Mulcahy. When she came home she found her
husband taking his supper of bread and milk, and Mrs.
Drummond seated near him in a very improper position.
She remonstrated with her, and was assaulted and abused.
Mr. Paget said he would hear the evidence of the sur-
geon who dressed the wound before he disposed of the
case. lie remanded the prisoner.

THE JOURNEY OF THE FRECH EMPRESS TO
ROME.--The Inde'pendance Belge says : 6 c The
journey of the Empress of the French to Romo no longer
appears to be doubtful. The resistance the proposal met
with merely led to its adjournment, but its realisation is
approaching. A Marseilles paper announces that the
apartments of the Empress have boon engaged at the
Hotel de Rome, which the Empress of Mexico occupied,
her Majesty having refused the accommodation at the
Quirinal offered her by the Holy Father. According to
some accounts, the 18th of this month is fixed for the de-
parture of the impress from Paris."