The Sun.
London, England, 1826-02-08 00:00:00

WAGER respecting the ESIVEROR NAYMEON.I

The American papers received lust night con-.
taro the follaning report of a curious law case,,
respecting the drub► of BUUNAPARTE

N TH.E DISTRICT COURT OIIPLIII4ADELPIIIA...

JOUN PUILLIPS v. STEPHEN IVES.

This was an action brought upon' a wager laid on the 14th of
May, 1821. The defendant "betted 100 to 40 dollars with the
plaintiff. that NAPOLEON BLONAPARTE would, before two
years from that day, be removed from, or escape from, the
island of St. Helena, and it was agreed that if he should 'd'ir
there within that period, the defendant should be considered AS
having lust the.bet." He died at St. Helena within the time.
'rho question was on the validity of this wager.
Judge 1114 KEAN was of opinion that wagers in general .were
recordable by law. He was for giving judgment in favour of
the plaintiff.
Judge BARNES,' was of opinion that all wagers were unlawl,
ful in Pennsylvania, and of course, this. could not be the subject
Of' an action—he considered the case much at large, and investi,
gated it with great ability; his voice was, therefore in favour
of giving judgment 'for the defendant.
Judge 1101.1.0 WELL was. of opinion, that the authoritfel,„
both in England and America, were too numerous and weighty
in support of the recovery of wagers in general to be overturned
'by any power but that of legislature, . but that this partieulsr
tenger was void.
The Counsel for the . plaintiff expressed an intention to take
this interesting case, by writ of error, to the Supreme Cowl foe
final adjudication.

PARRICIDE AND MURDER.

PARIt, J AN. 30.—A oillopmaker, namedCham,

pion, residing in the commune of Onnaing, and arrondissement
of Valenciennes,' was tried on the 24th inst. before the Court
of Assize of Douai, for the murder of his father and sister. Th.-,
following are the facto of this horrible case :—The father of
the prisoner had sometimes maltreated him, because he refused
to break oil' his connection with a girl by whom he had a
child. Ilis sister, it appears, enemiruged her father in his
harsh treatment of her brother, and the latter conceived the
diabolical project of murdering them both. On the ad of last
November, Champion supped with him father and sister. lm,
mediately after. the meal the two latter retired to hed, leaving
Champion at work. About eleven o'clock, Champion took a
heavy hammer and a small anvil, anti after putting out the
light, went to hipisister's room, state softly to the bedside, as-
certainedby passing his hand lightly over the pillow where her
head lay, - and then struck two such violent blows wick
the hammer on the skull, that the brains were scattered about

the room, and the unfortunate girl expired without a sigh.—
The murderer then went to the room where his hither slept, and
struck at his head with the hammer ; the blow took effect upon
the under jaw, which, it broke.. The old man threw himself
from the bed, and seized his son .by the collar, at the same time
crying out,'" Miserable man, what have you done ?" At the
votes of his father the wretch hesitated for a moment; but soon
recovering his ferocity, exclaimed " I have gone too far to-re-
him, I must.finish." A struggle then . took place between the
parricide and his victim, which ended by Champion getting his
father under him, when he got his knees upon his chest, and
continued striking him on the head till every sign of life had
disaptipared: He then took from his fether s pocket the key of
a cupboard, in which was a bag containing 1,000 francs. This
stun he took with him into a barn, where he slept, and conceded
it, together with his bloodstained clothes, under same bundle*
of hay. He then went to bed, and slept soundly until morn-
ing. On getting up ho went to one of the neighbours, and.
told him his father and sister had been rnnbed anal murdered

during, the night. The Commissary of Police was sent for, and
to him he very calmly related the same story. Some seratehek
being perceived upon his hands, the. Cotnmhsary ordered him
to be stripped and examined ; but no trace of blows was found
upon his body, only a few stains of blood upon one of his fin.
gers ; for this he accounted by saying, that he hall bled at the
nose the evening before. He was then taken into the room
where the bodies of his victims lay. The Commissary felt his
pulse at the time that be ordered the face of the father. to be
turned up. The parricide fixed his Ayes stetifastly UPdn the
fractured skull, broken jaw, and ribs of his ill.fitted father, with.
out she win g the sliFhtestsymptorns of emotion, either by change
-of countenance or Irregularity of pulse. In the row 1101 f, the
bag of money and bloodstained clothes were found in the barn,
and Champion was in consequence sent off' to the prison of Va.
lenciennes. Ott the way he acknowledged` being the murderer.
On his trial he repeated the same avowal with the most imper,
tumble tang froid, and heard his sentence without the slightett
apparent dismay. Ile merely expressed a desire to be allowed
to live for some time longer than the usual period allowed to
murderers, for the purpose, of repenting. lie was condemned
to be led xtre.footed, end his face covered with a black veil, to
the pUblic place of Volincionnce, and to have there his right
hand anti head cut off: