Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-10-16

ascertained that be had received instructions
which caused his absence. Although the
assassin, il he had made his escape through
the window, could hardly have got clear of
the premises when the alarm was given, yet
nothing had been observed without. The
police arrived IN few minutes on the scene
of the crime, and the first person on whom
suspicion Was thrown by the evidence dis
covered, was no other than the Duke him
self.
The sudden and involuntary exclamation
of q domestic had first directed attention to
this quarter, and every hour confirmed the
lunnaturai surmisc. The Duke, it was OBJ
served, was dressed when the alarm was
FIRST given, thought Il was sls,Asn tilaf he had
gone to bed for the night, His dressing
gown was stained with blood, and though
this was, in part, accounted for BY his con
tact with the corpse, YET il was proved that
he had been washing portions Of his dress,
as well as his hands, in some water still re-
manning IN basin. A bloody camhric hand
kercllief was also discovered, and some frag-
ments of hlood-Stained linen and papers
were found half burnt in the FIRE place.
/ Wounds, looking like bites, were detected
ON his hands, and bruises on other parts of
his person. The hair in the hand of the
murdered lady correspondent exactly with
that Of the Duke. In drawer in his room
was found q broken poniard, the blade of
which was stained with blood. Such cyi-
dence MS this could not be overlooked. In
those days a peer of France could not be
arrested, even under criminal charge, ey-
cept by an order Of the Court of Peers, but
the Duke was put under Surveillance on the
evening OF the 18th, and the police never
Quilted him night or day. On The 18th and
/ following days he was subjected TO the strict
examinations, which he was scarcely able
Il to endure. Instead of the energetic, hasty,
and iraseible character for which he had
previously been remarkable, total dejec-
ton of physical and mental strength was
apparent. His answers 60 the intcrroga-
tories We're vauge and incoherent, aud inn
piled no satisfactory account OF any suspi-
Icious circumstance.
On the first day Of the examination twas
surmised, from his weakness and prostra-
ton, that he had taken poison, and medical
aid was employed to neutralize is effects.
This so far succeeded that on the 2ist he
was removed TO the prison Of Luxembourg,
where ne still continued to improve till the
evening of the 23d, when violent symptoms
of fresh character supcrvened, and he ex-
lpired in his bed about five O'Clock on the
following afternoon.
+ The Court of Peers had been summoned
for his trial, and all preparations had been
made for the occasion, when they were thus
summary superseded. Great discomfort
! was shown in the country at such conclu-
sion Fof the affair; or il was remarked
that even in his own house the Duke could
scarcely have taken the poison without the
privity of his guards, unless IL had been his
habit TO keep il constantly about his person,
while in the Luxembourg he was under such
viailant superintendent that the taking
fresh dose Of SO active and violent a sub
stance rs was clearly employed, was alto
gcfhcr OUT Of the question, unless the means
of sclt-muider had been deliberately sup
Fplied to him, and be had been commanded,
like Athenian criminals, 60 poison himself in
prison.
The people were indignant at this foul
and secret removal of criminal from the
hands OF justice, which few had ever more
grieyiol,dy provoked; for twas indeed con-
cluded that for a mau 10 attack The mother
of his own children IN the dead Of the night,
to arm himself with pnignard and pistol
against "a home and delenceless woman, md
10 hack her in pieces after such savage
manner, was an cnormity too monstrous TO
be compromised. Besides this, they were
outraged al such an example IN 80 coaspicu-
Iousa station, and, coming as it did 50 onlin-
lously upon those exposures OF vice aud
corruption which had lately been made, il
brought 10 their minds the days proceeding
the great commissions when the prohigacy
and violence of the great had 50 heralded
public dissolution and ruin, and when
Madame Roland's early innocence won-
dered . chat such a state Of things did not
occasion the immediate fall Of the Empire,
or provoke the ayenging wrath Of Heav-
en-