The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-26 00:00:00

MURDER IN FRANCE.

The Court of Assizes of the Loir-et-Cher was oc-
cupied on the 15th, 16th, and 17th inst. with the trial
of a man named Rougier, aged 29, a shoemaker, at
Vendome, and a woman named Hogu, aged 38, wife
of a person who kept a public-house in the same
place, for the murder of the wife of the former pri-
soner and the husband of the latter. The act of ac-
cusation declared that a criminal intercourse had com-
menced between the prisoners about a year back.
Rougier's wife was a pretty woman, and of a cheer-
ful pleasant disposition, and he had been exceedingly
attached to her before he had got acquainted with the
female prisoner. This woman was of a decided cha-
racter, and exercised a remarkable fascination
over the men who became intimate with
her. She had spent a dissipated youth, and
had been spoken of in the town more than
once for the criminal irregularity of her conduct.
Rougier's wire, it appeared, was completely ignor-
ant of the intercourse between the prisoners, and the
husband of the female prisoner had never, as far as
was known, reproached his wife with her conduct.
On April 7, Ilogu suddenly died, in the midst of
dreadful convulsions and vomitings, and on May 21
similar symptoms attended the death of Rougier's
wife. This second death excited suspicion, and on
an application to the authorities, the body being sub-
jected to chemical analysis, a large quantity of
arsenic was found in the stomach and intestines. In
consequence of this discovery, Hogu's body was taken
up, and a similar inquiry into the matter, that
Rougier, after having invited some persons to coma
to Hogu's house to eat brioches, had gone to a baker's
and procured some dough, of which he made a cake
himself, marking it with a cross, to distinguish
it from some others, which he purchased ready made.
He gave the marked cake to Hogu, and distributed
the rest to the guests. It was after this repast that
Hogu was seized with the illness which put an end to
his life. On the trial, after the medical men had
proved that a great quantity of arsenic had been found
in both the bodies, Rougier's counsel stated that his
client wished to make a statement to the Court, and
that he had to request the temporary removal of the
female prisoner. This being effected, Rougier, amidst
marks of the greatest interest, declared that his con-
science tormented him so cruelly, that he had come to
the determination to avow the whole truth. " I com-
mitted the crime alleged against me," pursued he, " in
conjunction with the woman Hogu. She has been
my destruction, but I was unable to resist
her energetic language. She at first made me
give her husband verdigris mixed in a dish of
potatoes, but when it only made him sick, she
persuaded me to purchase arsenic. We divided it,
and it was agreed between us that I should put my
share into a brioche, and she her's into some soup. It
was in that way that Ilogu was poisoned. My ac-
complice also insisted on my poisoning my poor wife.
I refused at first, but she threatened to turn king's
evidence, and inform against me, if I did not conform
to her directions. I still refused, and she then con-
trived to drop the poison one day into a cup of coffee
which my wife was on the point of taking. My
conscience is now easier; do with me what you
please !" This avowal produced a great agitation in
the Court, and the sitting was suspended for some
time. When the woman Hogu was brought back,
Rougier's confession was communicated to her,
but she denied with great vehemence the truth
of the whole allegation. "He has spoken no-
thing but a tissue of lies," cried she. "Rougier
never communicated his designs to me. I never •
had any arsenic in my possession, and most
certainly I should never have thought of using it to
get rid of my husband, who was so kind to me.
Had I known Rougier's plans, I would have done
all I could to prevent them. Rougier was con-
stantly following me about, and persecuting me with
his attentions. I never wanted him, and frequently
prayed him to return to his work, as M. Joubert can
testify." This Joubert was Rougier's most intimate
friend, and his examination was expected with great
impatience, from the fact of Rougier's having been in
the habit of keeping nothing concealed from him.
His testimony told against both the prisoners. He
stated that, previously to Rougier's becoming acquaint-
ed with the woman Hogu, he had been a laborious
steady workman, but he afterwards was like a madman.
Rougier had confessed to him his improper intercourse
with the other prisoner, and on witness remonstrating
with him on his conduct, he replied, "Ah here's
something that will put an end to all !" showing a
paper marked " arsenic." Witness had been present
at the party given to eat the brioches, and had seen
Rougier give Hogu one marked with a cross, those
distributed to the rest being plain. The witness
concluded by declaring, that nothing would induce
him to believe that Rougier had ever poisoned his
wife, to whom he had always behaved most kindly,
and to whom he was much attached before his
acquaintance with the woman Hogu. The purchase
of the arsenic by Rougier was clearly proved, he
having procured an authorisation to obtain some, on
the ground that the rats were destroying his leather.
A number of witnesses testified as to significant and
suspicious words which fell from both prisoners rela-
tive to the deaths of the two persons who had been
poisoned. On the third day, when the jury retired to
consider their verdict, the excitement of the crowd out-
side the sJurt was so great, that fears were enter-
tained of the doors being burst in, and 200 soldiers
were obliged to be sent for to keep them back from
the building. After an hour's delay, the jury re-
turned into court with a verdict of "Guilty against
both prisoners—against the woman Hogu, for the
murder of her husband and of Rougier's wife, and
against Rougier, for the murder of Hogu only. The
Court passed sentence of death on both, and ordered
the execution to take place at Vendome. Rougier
appeared thunderstruck at the sentence, but the
woman did not evince the slightest emotion.

DISTRESSING SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY.—OH
Friday this neighbourhood was shocked by a report
that Miss Jane Gulliver, daughter of Thomas Gulliver,
Esq., of Bloxham, and sister to Mrs. Fisher, of Grims-
bury House, with whom she bad been staying some time,
had drowned herself. She was about twenty-six years
of age, and had for a very long period been in indifferent
health, and latterly her spirits had been greatly affected,
so much so that her medical attendant had suggested
the propriety of her not being left alone. On the Friday
morning, she had, with one of her sisters, walked into
I3anbury. On their return, she went into the kitchen,
and then, as the family supposed, up stairs to change
her dress. This was about one o'clock. At half-past
two Mr. Robert Field, of Grimsbury Mill, saw a shawl
floating at the mill-head, against the bars which are
placed to prevent substances passing to the wheeL He
remarked that a shawl had blown away from somewhere,
and told his boy he had better get it out. The boy
got hold of the shawl, and then found that there was a
body under it. He gave an alarm, and Mr. Field
and some of his men came and raised the body, which
they found to be that of Miss Jane Gulliver, and took
it out into the house. It appears she must have left
Mrs. Fisher's, instead of going up stairs, immediately
after her sister's back was turned. She then went to
the back of Mr. Field's garden, a few hundred yards
from Mrs. Fisher's house, and there, having taken off
her pattens, and pinned her clothes tightly round her, she
threw herself into the stream, which was very rapid and
swollen by the profuse rains that had fallen for a few
preceding days. It is supposed that she must have been
very quickly carried to the spot where she was found,
which is about forty or fifty yards from where she threw
herself in. Her pattens were found on the bank by a
man who was wandering by the river some time before
the body was discovered. An inquest was held upon the
body of the young lady the following day. It came out
ii the course of the evidence that a report had prevailed
that deceased was enciente, but it was proved, on medical
testimony, that there was not the slightest foundation
for this aspersion upon the character of the unhappy
young lady. But to what cause the depression of spirits
from which she had been suffering was attributable there
was no evidence to show, and the jury returned a verdict
to the effect That the deceased drowned herself whilst
in a state of temporary insanity," at the same time all
expressing themselves satisfied that there was no founda •
tion for the report alluded to, but which, for the satis-
faction of her friends, the Coroner had thought proper
to investigate.—Abridged from the Banbury Guardian.
Cow, IMPUDENCE.—Rather more than seven years
ago, a light-fingered Irishman, named Sweeney, was
convicted of stealing a box of tinned plates from a ship
in one of the Liverpool docks. On his conviction he was
sentenced to seven years' transportation, which punish-
ment was duly inflicted. A few days ago he again made
his appearance in this town, and one of the first places
he visited was the office of the firm to whom the tinned
plates had belonged. Neither of the principals were
within, but he at once proceeded in the coolest manner
to introduce himself as Mr. Sweeney, the gentleman who
had suffered for appropriating the tinned plates. Ile
said that his visit to Australia had not been either dis-
agreeable or unprofitable ; that he had soon obtained a
good-conduct ticket, and a good place as a gardener, in
which he had saved money. Baying now fulfilled all
his obligations to the law, lie had returned home, and
determined to claim his rights, among which was the
box of tinned plates for which he had been sent to
Botany Bay ! This he considered clearly his 9_wr-n, and
sliceagregee(lly tslanlyt
v
threw the whole office into a roar. The c.er ts not ttel-
it mightthat Mr. Sb%evegeni:eyn's 'gory° ahniimd.ihis"reeqnl:Cetsit
in,r themselves competent to decide on so curious a claim
in t hea%b,soeunl tdecooll t
ahgeal n
whichrn l o y ehres ,
promisedbegged
f
toadt
ot,he
gen-
tleman
though
he has not yet fulfilled his promise.—Liverpool Chronicle.
CHARITABLE FUND AND DISPENSARY, FORE-
' STREET, CITY.—On Sunday two sermons, on behalf of
this Institution, were preached at the church of St. Law
•
rence and Mary Magdalene, morning and evening
respectively
; that in the morning, by the Rev. Charles
Marshall, M.A. ; and that in the evening, by the Rev.
A. M'Caull, D.D. In the course of an eloquent appeal,
it was stated that within the past year no less than
1,000 patients had been relieved and cured. The sum
collected amounted altogether to 20!. 13s. 4d.
The majority of the residents in the Tower of
London, belonging to the civil departments there, bar e
received notice from the Secretary to the Board of Ord-
nance to quit their respective dwellings by the end of
March next. It is understood that the tenements which
they occupy are to be pulled down, and that barracks
and store houses are to be erected on the site.—United
Set vice Gazette,