The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-31 00:00:00

The Court of Assizes of the department of the
Meurthe tried, a few days ago, a woman, named
Segard, on charges of robbery, forgery, and murder.
She had lived at Vacqueville and Nancy, where she
had carried on the embroidery business, but had stolen
and sold a vast namber of articles intrusted to her. She
had also perpetrated numerous robberies in shops,
and in the houses of private persons. She had,
moreover, committed a vast number of forgeries of bills
of exchange in the name of a woman, named Henry,
with whom she was connected in business. Some of
these bills were paid by her, and others were pro-
tested. At length her acts of dishonesty brought her
into such disrepute and danger that she was obliged to
quit the department, and seek refuge at Paris. There
she entered the service of a portrait-painter named
Chabut, but after a few days ran away, taking with
her different articles of clothing and numerous daguer-
reotype plates. These things she sold for sums much
below their value. A complaint was laid before
the police, and she was arrested. An investigation
having been made into the charges against her at
Nancy, proofs of different robberies, and of not fewer
than 17 forgeries were soon obtained. It was in the
course of the investigation that the more serious crime
of murder MS discovered. It appeared that in
1842 her first husband, named Marchal, died, leaving
a fortune of between 6,0001. and 7,000 f., one-fourth
of which he directed should go to her, and the re-
mainder to their daughter Florine. About this time,
it is supposed, she resolved to get rid of the poor
child, in order to come into possession of all the
money ; and it was specially noticed that she stated
to several persons that an eminent physician of the
neighbourhood had assured her that her daughter,
notwithstanding her apparent good health, would not
live long ; whereas the physician never said anything
of the kind. A few months after Marchal's death she
married Segard, and had by him two children, Arsene
and Constant. Her conduct was scandalously im-
moral, and led to frequent violent dissensions with her
husband ; and eventually sbe took a profound anti-
pathy against him. On the 27th of February, 1848,
her daughter Florine died ; on the 18th of March her
son Arsene died ; on the 28th of the same month
Constant, and on the 2d of May her husband
also died. All four were taken ill in the same
way, with violent votnitings, dreadful pains in
the bowels, and other symptoms of poisoning.
The children expired after a few days' suffering;
the husband lingered for three weeks. She
called in medical men to her children, but took care
to keep them in the dark as to the nature of the
malady. When her husband first became ill she also
sent tbr a doctor, but that gentleman having ex-
pressed himself in terms which led her to believe
that he suspected foul play, she would not allow
him or any other medical man to be again sum-
moned. Before the unfortunate man took to his
bed she managed to persude him, by demonstra-
tions of pretended affection, to make a will in her
favour. When he died she displayed most unseemly
joy—even the gravedigger who attended the funeral
repast was shocked at it. "I have been," said he
naively, "to a great many funeral repasts, but never
saw one so merry." The bodies of the deceased were
dug up, and ehymical analysis demonstrated that
poison existed in the bowels of each. After the
reading of the indictment the prisoner replied to the
interrogatories put to her with perfect calmness and
great lucidity. She pretended that she was totally,
unable to state the cause of the deaths of her hus-
band and children. The whole of the evidenc clearly
brought home to her the different charges of robbery,
forgery, and poisoning by means of arsenic. It was
further proved that during her married and widowed
life she had been guilty of most licentious conduct.
A notary's clerk stated that during her widowhood,
he, though a perfect stranger, having, in a call he had
made on business, jokingly observed that he would
rather pass the night with her than go home in the
rain, she at once invited him to stay, which he did.
Notwithstanding all this, she pretended to be piously
inclined, and when in prison awaiting her trial she
wrote to the magistrates to request the counsels of a
confessor, " that," as she expressed it, " she might not
lose her immortal soul, as well as her honour." With
respect to the accusation of having robbed the por-
trait-painter, she created some indignation by assert-
ing that she had left his house because he had made
immoral propositions to her. Profound horror and
indignation were also excited by the proof that she
had herself written and caused these epitaphs to be
placed on the graves of her victims :
" Here lies the body of Joseph Ariel() Segard, who
died the 15th of March, 1848, aged ten months."
" Here lies the body of Anne Marie Florine Marchal,
who died the 28th of February, 1848, aged eight years.
This child, notwithstanding her tender years, displayed
rare dualities of mind; her obedience and modesty cause
her to bo deeply regretted by her mother, who has
erected this monument to her memory."
"Here lies the body of Constant Segard, who died
the 31st of March, 1848, aged four years. This dear
little angel, whose only desire was to cause the joy of
his loving mother, has by his death left an immense void
in her heart."

" Here lies the body of Jean-Baptiste Segard, aged
37. He was a good husband, an affectionate father, and
a Christian devoted to the poor. To her dear and vir-
tuous husband his grateful wile erects this monument.
May he repose in pc ace."
After hearing counsel for the prosecution and the
defence, and the able summing up of the judge, the
jury returned a verdict of guilty, and the Court con-
demned the woman to death. She heard the verdict
and sentence unmoved, and walked away with a firm
step—she was, indeed, the only person in the court
who was not labouring under profound emotion.
During the whole trial also she displayed extraor-
dinary self-possession. She is represented to be
rather pretty, with a mild expression.

THE TRAINING MASTER AND THE CONSECRATED
PATH. Opposite Exeter hospital there is a foot-path, taken
from the abandoned burying-ground adjoining. It is re-
ported that the training master of the Episcopal school hath
forbidden his pupils to walk thereon, because a few hundred
years since the ground was consecrated! If this be a sample
of the clerical instruction imparted to the instruc:ors of the
next generation, what will the seculars have to say to it?
Western Times.