Star.
London, England, 1825-12-28 00:00:00

HORRIBLE ACT OF ASSASSINATION.

The following particular account of what is most
truly termed " a horrible assassination," is copied from
The kentuaty Argus of the 9th of November :
66 Ab.lOt two o'clt ck on Sunday night la,►, Colonel
S. P. Sharp was awakened by a knocking at his door,
and, on enquiring who was there ? was answered, that
it was Covington. His wife observed it was not Co-
vington's voice, and advised him not to rise. He,
however, got up, and t! e strangkr informed him he
had come to town late, and could not get a bed at any
of the taverns, and solicited a lodging for the night.
Colonel Sharp told him he should have a bed, and
opened the door. The assassin entered, and passed
with Colonel Sharp by the door of Mrs. Sharp's room.
He then asked, Are you Colonel Sharp?' The Colo-
nel answered in the affirmative. The assassin then
said, 6My name is John A. Covington.' Colonel
Sharp replied, 'I do not know you.' The assassin
said, • Damn you, you soon shall know me,' and
plunged the fatal weapon in his body. Mrs. Sharp
heard her husband fall and groan, and springing from
her bed, alarmed the family. He was found lying
upon his face near the spot where the blow had been
struck, gasping for breath. Some of the nearest citi-
zens were immediately alarmed, and, on entering, wit-
' )essetl a scene which beggars description. Colonel
Sharp was expiring; his wife, prostrate upon his body,
was kissing him, and bathing him with her tears; their
infant child was crying at missing its parents ; end
Dr. Sharp, the Colonel's brother, was lying by his side,
exhausted and overcome by emotion. Colonel Sharpe
never spoke, and did not live more than ten minutes
after receiving the blow. The assassin's dirk or knife
penetrated the centre of his body about three inches
above the navel.
" The murderer e,caped by the door at which he
entered. A bloody neck-handkerchief was found near
the door, with ot.e corner cut off, and two holes
through it, evidently marked by the same instrument
which gave the fatal wound. Apparently the mur-
derer had strapped it round his hand and at m, and
stabbed through it, for the purpose of avoiding being
stained by the blood of his victim, and, as he passed
out, wiped his weapon upon it, and threw it down.
" The Governor of Kentucky, by authority of the
Legislature, has offered a reward of 3000 dollars for the
apprehension of a man, calling himself John A. Co•
vington ; a tall man, dressed in dark clot'!es, suspected
of the assassination of Colonel Solomon P. Sharp. An
addi.into reward of 1000 dollars has been offered by
the Trustees of the town of Frankfort, and the sum
raised by private subscription, it is supposed, will
amount to 1000 dollars more, making an aggregate of
5000 dollars."

A case of murder, presenting the most atrocious and
extraordinary circumstances, has just been tried before
the Court of Assize for the Department of Vosges.—
The following are the princiral facts: on the morning
of the Ist of December, 1824, a farmer, named Rsmy,
inhabiting a lone house in the commune of La Bresse,
on going out to work in the fields, perceived at some
distance from the house the body of a woman stretched
on the ground, and surrounded by a pool of blood.
Fright, and a horrible presentiment, seised him, he ran
back to his house, and rushing into his daughters' bed-
room. saw that only Mary, the youngest, was in bed.
He sent forth a cry of despair, which brought his wife
and family about him ; they proceeded to where the
body lay, and recognized the mangled remains of
Therese Remy, his eldest (Nue "W. The head had
been separated from the body. 'l•he physicians who
examired the body, declared that r•erese Remy had
been far advanced in a state of pregnancy. This cir-
cumstance, it Was naturally supposed, was the motive
that led to her murder, and her seducer was of course
str,pected to have been the perpetrator. Fruitless
researches were trade during fifteen days, when a rather'
singular circumstance fixed Kuspicion upon a man
named Laurent Pierre], an inhabitant of the same corn-
mune. The physicians who had examined the body of
the deceased, declared, that from the manner in which
the head was separated from the body, it was evident
that it must have been done by a hand familiar with
similar operations on animals. This opinion going
abroad, a woman in the neighbourhood came forward
to state, that on the evening of the night when the
murder was committed, she saw Pierrel, who is a
butcher, drinking in the same cabaret where was the
father of the deceased ; that Pierrel entered into con-
versation with Remy, and spoke to him of his daughter
Therese; that some time after she heard him boasting
of the excellent temper and edge of a large butcher's
knife which he carried about with him. From the tes-
timony of other witnesses, it appeared that Pierrel had
become acquainted with Therese Remy at a wedding ;
that he seemed greatly struck with her charms; that
he prevailed upon her to meet him several times in
secret, and that in the minds of the witnesses no doubt
remained of the intimate and criminal nature of their
connexion; that Pierrel was a man of an amorous dis-
position, and consequently very averse to marrying a
girl without any fortune, as was the case with the un-
fortunate Therese. Ninety witnesses for the prosecu-
tion, and three only for the defence, were examined.—
The presumptive proofs against the prisoner weighed
so strong with the Jury, that he was found guilty by a
majority of seven to five. The Court having adopted
the opinion of the majority, Laurent Pierrel was con-
demned to be beheaded on the public place of Labresse.
During the proceedings, which lasted three days, the
prisoner affected a calm and assured appearance, but
on hearing his sentence, he burst into tears, and declared
his intention of appealing.
humanism' Eviznycn.—A French journal, after
contradicting a statement which appeared in another
journal, announcing the death of a person whom it
'names; adds, " he himself came to assure us he is alive."t