The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-08 00:00:00

TRIAL IN CORSICA.
The Court of Assizes for Corsica. was engaged,
dtiriur the '):sth Prlll 26th February. in the trial of
man pained r.ir an attenipt to Cl,lll3Alit 111.1T-
dc:-, the cii,unistanees which are interesting,
they show the rude manners, customs, and charamer
of the wilder parts of the island. In the commune of
Levie, arrondissement of Sartene, is an extensive sweep
of country almost entirely covered with primitive
forest and brushwood, no part of which has been cul-
tivated by the hand of man, and where there are no
roads or even paths, except the tracks made by the
sheep and other cattle, and the herds and shepherds
who attend them. It is inhabited by a single family,
or tribe, called the Cucchi, who live in rude huts and
cabins, and whose existence would have been unknown
but for their acts of rapine and violence in the country
around them. In the same district was another family
or tribe, the Susini, and which had some alliances
with the Cucchi, but were of a character more mild
and pacific, carrying on a traffic with their cattle in
the neighbouring communes. This, by increasing
their means, excited the cupidity of the Cucchi, and
made them liable to repeated invasions from them,
not unfrequently attended by murders. This in time
called down upon the family of the Cucchi the ven-
geance of justice, and, in the course of a few years,
24 of the principal members of the family were an.
rested, tried, and condemned to the severest penalties
of the law. Some years ago, however, Mathieu
Moisetti formed a close intimacy with Sorba Cucchi,
and they lived together as man and wife; but at last
he left her, and joined the Susini. Moisetti was with-
out family or fortune; but from his ability, courage,
insinuating manners, and humanity, was superior to
those among whom he lived. A new-born child being
found deserted at the door of a church, and no one else
being willing to take charge of it, Moisetti adopted
it, and brought it up as his own. By this benevo-
lence he gained the general good-will of the Susini ;
but he soon abused their confidence, by seducing a
young girl of the family named Eugenie, who became
with child by him. This violation excited the ani-
mosity of the Susini, which, after a time, was appeased,
by Moisetti's promising to marry Eugenie. Still, it
appears, Moisetti kept up his intercourse with Sorba
Cucchi. Francois Susini, an uncle of Eugenie, was
one of the greatest advocates for the marriage of his
niece, and in October last was Locompanylng Moi-
setti to visit her at Ogliastrello, where she lived.
It was in the dark of the evening, and when
they arrived at a place called Rognoso, three
shots were fired at them, but without effect.
They both fled and escaped. Various conjec-
tures were formed as to the actors in this at -
tempt, the Cucchi endeavouring to persuade Moisetti
that he had been led into the snare by Francois Susini,
in order to gratify the vengeance of his brother Qui-
licus, the father of Eugenie. Under this impression,
Moisetti raised an accusation against the Susini, and a
feud between the two families was likely to ensue. M.
Peretti, a rich and influential landowner, of the com-
mune of Levie, interfered, and, to prevent the san-
guinary consequences, succeeded in prevailing upon
the contending tribes to observe a very ancient custom
which had existed in Corsica from the middle ages,
and enter into a truce, which both parties solemnly
swore to observe until the end of March, when they
were to meet again before their mediator that he
might, if possible, effect a permanent reconciliation.
In the interval the Susini endeavoured to exculpate
themselves in the mind of Moisetti,. who was induced
to renew his promise of marriage to Eugenie, on condi-
tion that the Susini would protect him against the re-
lations of Sorba Cucchi, who had delared their resolu-
tion to prevent or avenge the marriage. Affairs were
in this state, when about the middle of November,
as Moisetti was returning home from the moun-
tains, accompanied by a person named Caroletti,
and his son, a boy 10 years old, and carrying in
his own arms the child he had adopted, they had
arrived at a spot called the Carracuto, when a gun
was fired, and a ball broke the right wrist of the
child, and wounded Moisetti in the side. Every en-
deavour to discover the assassin was in vain. Moisetti,
calling to mind the threats of Sorba Cucchi and her
friends, suspected that the attack came from them.
They hastened to attend him in his wounded state,
which soon cured, and, at the same time, turned his
mistrust of them against the Susini, who grounded
their defence on the plea that they could have no
motive for seeking his life, as they wished him to
repair by marriage the injury done to their honour
through Eugenie. Through their representations
Moisetti laid an information against three of the Cucchi
as guilty of the attack. Warrants were issued against
them, and they fled, and concealed themselves in the
mountains. From this time Moisetti returned into
friendly intercourse with the Susini, except Quilicus,
the uncle of Eugenie, whom Moisetti still appeared to
be inclined to make his wife, but the necessary pre-
vious formalities were drawn out by delays which the
Susini attributed to Moisetti, until Jan. 6, when they
were complete, and nothing remained but to fix the
day of celebration. In the evening of that day Francois
Susini, a cousin of Eugenie's, to whom Moisetti im-
puted frequently the attempt made upon his life at
the Rognoso, was fired upon as he was returning
home to his own 'house at Monticello, and wounded in
the left thigh. Although an investigation was im-
mediately made by the Magistrate of the district,
no one was pointed out as the suspected person,
until after three days, when Francois Susini accused
Moisetti, who, on hearing of the charge, denied its truth,
and maintained that it was impossible as, at the time
of the attempt, he was a three hours' walk distant from
the spot where Francois Susini was struck. The
wounded man refused to give credit to this alibi, and
persisted in his charge. A month after, and not till
then, a warrant for the arrest of Moisetti was issued,
and he fled. Through friends, a communication was
kept up between him and the Susini, till the one party
engaged to fulfil his contract of marriage with Eugenie,
and her family promising to do all in their power
to obtain his acquittal on his trial, for the attempt to
murder their relative Francois. This mutual agree-
ment being settled the banns were published, and the
bandit Moisetti, though liable to the arrest, was mar.
ried to Eugenie in the presence of nearly all her
family, and the bride and bridegroom escorted by them
to the abode taken for them. After passing a few days
with his wife, the Assizes came on, and Moisetti stir=
rendered himself to take his trial. His appearance in
Court excited general interest. He is between 25 and
30 years of age, of middle size, with a light beard.
scarcely visible on his chin, contrasting strangely
with very black arid long hair falling over his face
from under his high-pointed cap, giving a power-
ful expression to his countenance, which at the same
time was agreeable. His attitude was firm and digni-
fied, meeting his Judges with respect but confidence,
and not noticing his enemies. The first witness
(the prosecutor) deposed that on account of dark-
ness and the concealment of the brushwood, from
behind which he was fired at, he could not see the
assassin. He, under the circumstances of the exist-
ence of the truce, and the contract between Moisetti
and the family for his marriage with Eugenie, had
no suspicion of the prisoner until evil advisers
insinuated that the attempt must have been made by
him, in order to avoid the proposed marriage. The
celebration of the marriage had convinced him that
these suspicions were false, for he never would have
forgiven a man who he believed had attempted his
life. The rest of the evidence was upon the facts
we have stated, and upon the alibi, which was
not distinctly made out. One circumstance also
weighed strongly against Moisetti. It was proved
that his own gun, which he usually carried with
him, was of small calibre, but on the day of the at-
tempt he was observed with one of a larger size,
must from the dimension of the ball have been that
with which the prosecutor was fired at. Moisetti, al-
though assisted by counsel, frequently examined the
witnesses, and addressed the Court with a propriety,
eloquence, and correctness of memory, which sur-
prised all present, and drew even from the President
an expression of admiration. The Jury, however,
after a very short deliberation, delivered a verdict .of
guilty of an attempt to murder, but found that the re
were extenuating circumstances. The Court sen-
tenced him to hard labour at the hulk 4 for eight years.
Moisetti has appealed to the Court of Cassation.

DUTCH FUNDS.—AMMTZRDADI, APRIL 5.
Actual Debt, 43f1 Money. Bills. per Cent
Jitto, ditto 5 per cent.
Ditto, ditto, 3y, per cent 76% 774,
Commercial Company, 4;9 per cent 156 15632
Ditto (1835 and 1837) 5 per cent. .......
Loan 1837, 5 per cent.
26% 9009 Exchange on London, One month
12 15 k
Two months ..... 12 05
Hansburgh, One month 35 50
Two m0nth5,,.,,,.,, 35 25
Dutch Papers, April 6.
lIELOI AN 1, UNAls—BaUssima, APRIL 5
Actual Debt, 236 per C0nt..,.,, ...... 53 Rothschild's Lean, 5 per Cent....... 102%
Loan of Thirty Millions, 4 per 23
3 per Cent............
Thirty.seven---- ......
.72%
—(I34O)tIG