The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-09-20 00:00:00

ASSIZE COURT OF LA HAUTE VIENNE.

CRUEL ATTEMPT TO MURDER AT A MARRIAGE FEAST, AND
EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE OF THE INTENDED VICTIM.
Guillaume Bourbon was charged with having attempted
the life of Jean Laborie. The crime with which the pri-
soner stood charged was committed under extraordinary
circumstances.
Jean Laborie, a farmer, aged 25, resided at Nigrelat, in
the commune of Cussae, with Catherine Laborie, his sister,
and the prisoner, his brother-in-law. Bourbon managed the
affairs, and received the monies. He had also acted as tutor
to his brother-in-law. For the last two years Jean Laborie
had been paying his addresses to a young woman named
Marguerite Merle ; and it was believed that the union would
combine all the eonvenances of both age and fortune. The
prisoner, however, did everything in his power to prevent, or
at least to retard the match, and employed a person to en-
deavour to turn Laborie from his project. in this feeling of
opposition it appeared that he had two motives—one of
hatred, and the other of cupidity. He had, in fact, an
inimical feeling towards Merle, the girl's father, by whom
he fancied he had been wronged ; and he feared that after
the marriage Laborie would be induced by his father-in-law
to ask for a division of property. He had been heard to say,
in reference to the affair, " If that bete marries the girl
Merle I shall have to sell two cows ; and if he does so he
shall pay for it."
The opposiCon of the prisoner was, however, futile. The
projected marriage was almost concluded, and on the sth of
May the two families, accompanied by some mutual friends,
repaired to Cussac for the purpose of concluding the contract.
Bourbon went also, but took no part in the business of the
day, keeping by himself and confining his remarks to expres-
sions of discontent. In a fit of excitement at a public-house,
he dashed a glass down upon the table—" They will marry,
will they ? Well, I will give them nothing ; I will go to law
first."
The contract was, however, completed ; the two families
returned home to the village, and assembled at a friend's
house for the purpose of passing the evening with a dance.
During the time the lovers and their friends were thus en-
joying themselves, a repast was being prepared at the house
of Merle, the father of the intended bride. Ten o'clock was
the hour fixed for sitting down to supper- Bourbon, how-
ever, had not arrived, although he had been invited. He had,
in fact, said to some person that if he came it should not be
for nothing. In order to overcome his unpleasant feeling a
friend named Morange was sent again to ask him to come,
but could get no answer at the house, and returned to the
party, thinking that Bourbon must have retired to bed. He
then found that the repast was served upon a large bin or
trough in place of a table. This was placed near the fireplace
in a large room, which communicated by a secret door with
an adjacent barn. The guests, seven in number, sat down.
Four sat on the side towards the stove—namely, the intended
bride and her affianced husband, her father and brother.
Opposite them, a little to the right, was the door which com-
municated with the barn ; on the other side of the table and
immediately opposite the lovers sat Morange, another friend
named Barriere, and the musician, having their backs turned
towards the door. The party had scarcely taken• their seats
when it opened. They thought that Bourbon was coming,
and turned their faces that way ; no one was to be seen, but
the next moment the report of a gun was heard, and the right
side of poor Laborie's head received nearly the whole charge
of the weapon. He fell forward upon the table, bathing the
cloth with his blood.
Two shots out of the whole charge only appeared to have
escaped him ; one of these struck Marguerite Merle, and the
other Morange, the friend who had gone out to invite the
assassin to the feast.. Tile latter, although
only slightly
wounded, received such a shock that he fell upon the floor.
Taking avantage of the scene of confusion which followed his
act, the assassin ; but he had been seen and recognized by
two witnesses in his flight.
A third witness had seen the prisoner enter his house the
instant after the murderous act had been committed.
Poor Laborie, it was thought, must have sunk under the
effects of the wound, had he not had a very fine constitution,
which enabled him to recover the shock. As it is, he has
lost his right eye, and has received other injuries, which he
will suffer from as long as he lives.
The jury found a verdict of Guilty against the prisoner,
but without premeditation ; and the Court sentenced him to
hard labour for life.
The prisoner, upon hearing his sentence, burst into tears,
and manifested a most pusillanio3ous spirit.