Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1847-10-22

aA
husband. The following summary of the af-
fair in an editorial article of the London Times
may interest those who have not met with a
detailed account of this most horrible event.
-Hdrbinger.
The story of the Duke de Praslin is finish
ed. The murder and the suicide have fol-
lowed closely upon each other, and a single
week has seen the commencement and the
end Of The most a~irocious crime of the centu-
ry. The indirect consequences of this horri-
BILE exposure are yet to come; but as far as
the public is concerned in the tale itself, il
is now over, and any much more accurate
knowledge Of the facts is now beyond the
reach of man. The suspense, the %conjec-
lures, and the conclusions-the various re-
ports and the successive disclosures-the
Frightening obscurity, the unravelled plot,
and the final catastrophe which gives such
character and attraction to a judicial and for
NAL investigation, trial, and defence, have
been all now superseded by the commission
of another crime, which at once convicts and
crowns the original guilt. The only two wit
nesses who could have spoken TO the deed are
now gone, and what has been already ascer-
tanned Is all that will probably ever be known
respecting The murder of the Duchess de Pras-
lin. In a future chronicle of the Orleans dy-
nasty-a period but too comparable with
the famous Regency of the same house-the
fatal episode will read somewhat as follows:
On the 18th of August, in the year 1877,
the Duke de Praslin, a peer of France, of the
highest station, and of large possessions, re-
turned to his Hotel in Paris, accompanied by
the Duchess and other members of his fami-
ly. On entering the city, before proceeding
TO his Hotel, he drove, with two of his daugh-
tiers, TO the apartments of a young woman
who had previously been a governess in his
family, but who had been dismissed at the
instance of the duchess on account of her init
macy with the duke. On his repairing sub
sequently to his own house, high words pass
ed between himself and his wife concerning
the visit he had thought proper to make, but
no great deal was observed to come of the
matter, and the family retired to rest at the
usual hour. The duke and duchess slept in
separate apartments, which were on the first
floor at the back of the Hotel, looking into a
small garden, the dukes room c~ommunicat-
ing by a short passage with that Of his wife,
who thus lay alone in her chamber, although
a waitlng-maid usually slept in an ante-room
adjoining. About three o'clock on the morn
ing of the 18th, this maid was awakened by
a sudden and violent pull of the Duchess's
bell; she Immediately ran to the door, found
it bolted, and was startled at hearing some
thing like faint groans within.
On her procuring assistance the door was
forced open, when they discovered the duch-
esS on the floor weltering in her blood, with
no less than fifty wounds on different parts
of her person. Everything betokened that a
desperate struggle had taken place in the
chamber. The wounds of the unfortunate
lady were such as TO show that many of them
baA hnan rocoiuaJ yrbiI, loc,nl;.- L.-s.lr
from the assassin. Small articles of furniture
were overturned on the floor. The marks of
a bloody hand were visible on the walls and
doors in several places. Portions of hair
were found adhering TO the bed, and a lock
of the same color and texture was clutched
in the dying lady's hand. Though life was
not actually extinct when she was discovered
by her attendants, yet she was quite sense
less, and expired after a very few minutes.
Immediately on the alarm being given, the
duke rushed into the room, and threw him
self on the body Of his wife in a state of great
emotion. AS soon as attention could be giyen
TO the evidence around, it was observed that
no robbery had been committed, and that
murder alone could have been the object oil
the criminal. There was a window open
leading to the garden behind, but the watch.
man usually stationed below was not there,
and it was ascertained that he had received
instructions which caused his absence. Al.
though the assassin, if he had made his es.
cape through the window, could hardly have
got clear of the premises when the alarm was
given, yet nothing had been observed with,
out. The police arrived in a few minutes OIL
the scene of the crime, and the first person
on whom suspicion was thrown by the evi
dence discovered, was no other than the Oak,
himself.
The sudden and involuntary exclamation
of a domestic had first directed attention Il
this quarter, and every hour confirmed thu
unnatural surRise. The duke, il was obsery
ed, was dressed when the alarm was frs
given, though it was shown that he had pon
to bed for the night. His dressing gown wa
stained with blood, and though this was, il
part, accounted for by his contact with III,
corpse, yet il was proved that he had beeI
washing portions of his dress, as well as hi
hands, in some water sGll remaining in a ba
sin. A bloody cambrie handkerchief wa.
also discovered, and some fragments of blood
stained linen and papers were found half burn
in the fire place. Wounds looking like bite.
were detected on his hands, and bruises OF
other parts of his person. The hair in the
hand OF the murdered lady correspondent ex.
aclly with that of the duke. In a drawer If
MS roon' was a broken poniard, the blade o.
whlch was stained with blood. Such evil
dence as this could not be overlooked. II
those days a peer of France could not be ar
rested, even under a criminal charge, excep
by an order of the Court of Peers, but m,
duke was put under close Surveillance on IN
evening OF the 18th, and the police never uuit
ted him night or day. On the 10Th and fol
lowing days he was subjected to strict exam
nations, which he was scarcely able to er
dure. Instead of the energetic, hastv. AN
lrrascible character for which he had prev
ously been remarkable, a total detection
physical and mental strength was apparen
His swe TO the interrOgatOries were VAC u