The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-08-06
Scenes In France.
The following letter from Paris, dated July Ia, was re-
ceived by the editor Of the New York Herald


PARIS July Ii, 1917.
Since the despatch of my last letter. curious drama
has been enacted before the Court of Peers told you
how the most important OF the accused parties M Pei
apra, had absconded | say the most important not be-
he was the greatest offender but that he the
individual who could alone supply the information
sary to clear up this most mysterious affair M Pela
pra, formerly receiver general, had retired fortune
the amount of which is estimated at hundred and
fifty thousand dollars per His age seven
ty-fve. His alleged motive for Withdrawing was his IN,
ability owing his great age to bear the fatgues of
such protracted and painful inquiry as the present
promised to be- No one OF course credited ms as le
real motive for extraordinary measure and the pub
c in general believed he had absconded because he was
guilty, and desired to avoid punishment Well, in this
situation the other three accused were brought to trial.
and the investigation had not proceeded very far, when II
became apparent that the case was reduced to this diem
ma-eher M Teste the exminster of state, and actual
Judge in high tribunal was guilty Of being shameiuly
corrupt in the discharge OF his public Official functions,
system of the most scandaous fraud and esoequerie
practsed by the absent NJ Pellapa in conjunction,
as seemed with General Cuberes another exminster
of state. NJ Cubieres, finding himself reduced to this
position, still refused TO excupae himself in the only
possible way, by becoming the normer against his CO.
accused However, his family caused certain letters and
documents TO be produced which made apparent that ne
exempt from the graver charge Of eseoeque,1e and
subject only to the less OF being party to the
presentation of bride to minister of state, to induce
him to grant charter to jontsock company OF which
the general was large shareholder
Thus the charge of fraud fell only upon Pelapra, and
the alternative was either his guilt Of escroe9us1e or M
Teste's guilt OF accepting bribe Now, M Pellapra as
daughter is the wife OF the Prince de Chmay The fam
lily were, OF course INDIGNANT beyond measure at The
odious light in which he placed by his flight and his
obstinate silence 1t appears, however, that, leaving
Paris, he gave packet 10 Madame Pellapra with lei
Ter addressed TO that lady saving that he relied on he
contents of the packet until it should appear to her IN
dspensaby necessary to her name and his, and that
of their family, from lnfamy. Madame Pellapra using
this discretion, did accordingly withhold these documents
until Sunday last. On that day, however she wrote
letter 10 the chancellor who is president of the Court of
nd hprh DIS
Monday
in consequence Of the contents of these several fresh
witnesses were examined, and the general effect Of the
evidence to clear up many of the doubts and difficult
ties which existed previously and to show that the only
that M Peapra did actually give the bbe of twenty thou
sand dollars to M Tese, which the latter accepted and
that Pellapra had withdrawn from Paris not as he pre-
tended from the fear of the fatigue OF the trial. but from
his repugnanca to declare the TRUTH which must convict
M. Teste Such was the impression produced at the
close of the proceedings on Monday.
On the evening OF that day. at half past eight o'clock
the report of firearms heard from the rooms
I The accused in the prison attached the
officers in charge OF the palace rushed to the spot and on
entering the room occupied BY NJ Teste they found him
placed one of them in his mouth, and snapped it but il
missed fire. He then pressed the muzze Of the other
against his breast and dischagedit The ball. strange to
say did acquire sufficient force enter his body and
no effect produced except black spot left on the
flannel Of his waistcoa and the skin of his breast
chancellor The grand referendary and the members of
the committee appointed to conduct the prosecution
assembled. The project and commissary OF police were
also summoned, and the prisoner placed under the
strictest surveillance and deprived OF all means OF sell
destruction.
The catastrophe brought The proceedings of the High
Court of Peers sudden and unooked-for close The
public demanded judgment against the accused
on the 18Th giving up the charge Of fraud but hiring
sentence and punishment for corruption BY the code,
this fine equal to double the amount Of the bride, TO
be levied as well on those who offered those who
received it, deprivation of his rights dismissal from all
public employment, ncapacity to serve the state
and for any period not exceeding five years.
at the will of the court
The court is sitting in secret session to-day, and il is
not expected that the sentence will be delivered before
Friday, Q6th)
the sailing Of the French transatlantic steamers The
days Of sailing to be the 18th and the last days of
each month Now, this is most perverse arrangement
adding nothing whatever to the facilities of correspond
The Cunard steamers sail, as you know, on the
4th and 10Th of each month. Our letters by them
posted here the 5th, and the last day of the month";
the very day of the French packets sailing send this
by the French ship but OF course cannot avail myself
OF the Cunard steamer
The French steamers ought to have adopted the 18th
and 22d for their days In that letters could be sent
from all parts of Europe to the United States once
week.
The temperature of the weather here is unusual The
thermometer, for several days. has ranged between so
and 90 degrees Shocks Of earthquake have been felt
on the western coast, of which have received the fol-
lowing account from persons the spot
An earthquake has been felt in part Of the Seine In
ereufe Un the night OF the 10Th to the 1lth july at
Fecamp, at about IL o'clock, just after the whole OF the
population had retired to rest they suddenly awaken
ed by very violent shock. The panic became general
but it that no danger but that OF
fright, the breaking of crockery, and the dispacng Of
some pieces of furniture
The movement of oscillation, which lasted about fifteen
seconds felt from north 10 south. The inhabitants
in the neighborhood of Fecamp felt the shock likewise.
AT Bondevllle, at the time, two shocks felt in
the valley OF Maromme, and particularly in the valley of
Bondevile. These shocks have occasiOneu no mlsfor
fortune, though sensible enough to have displaced sundy
pieces OF furniture
The oscillations were more considerable at Graville
and had created general terror but after few seconds
the movement which had been felt from north to south
ceased completely without having caused the least acct
An eyewitness states that the oscillations so
violent Fecamp, to overthrow all the crockery
in china shop. The shock felt at the same
hour at Yervile and Goderville.
From London Times, July
We have recevedby express the Paris papers of Saur
day, with letters from several of foreign correspond
ents
The Court OF Peers pronounced its Judgment the case
OF MN. Iese, Cubieres, and Parmenter on Saturday
The three prisoners convicted of corruption, and
senteneed-M. Ieste 10 restore the 50 ,00O he had
ceived from General Cuberes which were to be conis
Gated for the benef, of the hospitals TO three years i'm
prisonment, to deprivation OF his civil rights and to a
fine OF 9d,o00f M. Cubieres TO deprivation of his civil
rights and 10000. fine; and NJ Parmenter 10 depriya-
ton OF civil rights and 100000 fine, and all the costs
The Paris journals thus received are unusually void of
news, but their contents not without interest With
a pertInacty not easily understood, Journal des De-
bats returns the reforms the