Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1847-10-15
3a G@Geg gI Mg0O98.


/ her husband ne f0IloWlng summary OF
the affair is taken from the London Times,
and may be interesting to those who have
not seen the detailed account of the horrid
event:
The story Of the Duke de P raslin is fin
ished. The murder and the suicide have
followed closely upon each other, and
single week has seen the commencement
and the end of the most attrocious crime
of the century. The indirect consequent
ces of this horrible exposure are yet to
come; but as far as the public is con-
cerned in the tale itself, it is now over,
and any much more accurate knowledge
&C the facts is now beyond the reach of
man. The suspense, the conjectures, and
the conclusion - the various reports and
the successive disclosures - the brighten
ing obscurity, the unravelled plot, and the
final catastrophe which give such charac-
ter and attraction to judicial and formal
investigation, trial and defence, have been
all now superseded by the commission Of
another crime, which at once conYicts
and crowns the original guilt. The only
two witnesses who could have spoken to
the deed are now gone, and what has
been already ascertained is ali that will
probably ever be known respecting the
murder of the Duchess de Praslin. In
future chronicle Of the Orleans dynasty
"a period but comparable with the IA
nous Regency of the same house = the
fatal episode Will read somewhat as fol-
lows:
On the 18th Ct August, IN the year
l847, the Duke de Praslin, a peer of
France, Of the highest station. and of very
large possessions, returned to his hotel in
Paris, accompanied by the Duchess and
other members Of his family. On enter
ing the city, before proceeding to his hotel,
he drove with two of his daughters, to the
apartments of Il young woman who had
previously been a governess in his family,
but who had been dismissed at the III
stance of the Duchess, on account Of her
intimacy with the Duke. On his repair
ing subsequently to his own house, high
words passed between himself and his
wife concerning the visit he had thought
proper to make, but no great deal was OBJ
served 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 fist aoor,
at the back Of the hotel, looking into
small garden, the Dukes room communi-
eating by a short passage with that of his
wife who thus lay alone in her chamber,
although a waiting maid usually slept in
the antc-room adjoining. About O'Clock
/ on the morning Of the 18th, this maid
was awakened By sudden and violent
pull Of the Duchess bell; she immediate
" ran to the door, found it bolted, and
was startled a. hearing something like
faint groans within.
On her procuring assistance the door
was forced open, when they discovered
the Duchess welttring in her blood, with
no less than fifty wounds on different
parts Of her person. Everything betoken-
ed 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 had been received
while defending herself from the assassin.
Small articles were overturned on the
floor. The marks of bloody hand were
visible on the walls and doors in several
places. Portions of hair were found ad-
herring to the bed, and a lock ofthe same
color and texture was clutched in the dv-
ING lady's hand. Though life was not
actually extinct when she was discovered
by her attendants, yet she was quite in
sensible, and expired after a very few
minutes. Immediately on the alarm being
given, the Duke rushed into the room and
threw himself on the body of his wife in
i state Of great emotion. As soon as at
tentIon could be given to the evidence a.
round, II was observed that no robbery
had been committed, and that murder a.
lone could have been the object of the
criminal. There was u window open
leading to the garden behind, but the po-
hccman usually stationed below was not
there and It was ascertainod that he had
received instructions which caused his
absence. Although the assassin, if he
made his escape through the window,
could hardly have made his escape from
the nremi>eS Nhnn the afarn VS. riNen