Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-10-13
THE DE PRASLIN MURDER.

The N. Y. Express contains "A full
report Of the proceedings Of the French
Court OF Peers in relation to the murder
Of the Duchess De Praslin, accompanied
by a plan Of the chateau in which the
crime was committed. Some Of the pro-
ceedngs appear to be ofqui,e as extra
ordinary character as the murder itself.
That the Duke De Prasln was the as
sassin Of his wife, is placed beyond ull
reasonable doubt by his suicide, by his
partial confession, and by a mass Of
strong circumstantial evidence; but the
species Of moral torture TO which he was
subjected after he had taken poison and
was s5inSnear contemplation of5sdealh,s is
legQltilg 10 alE e FRI hmm e e. q
jurisprudence. lie cllancelto interros
gated him before the, Chambersof'P P eers
and assumingh guilt, charged him di.
'rec,ly with The crime. He told him ''il
was impossible for him TO deny it-ll,al
lie did not dare deny it," and notwitll>
standing the evasions and partial denials
of the miserable man, he pertinaciously
insisted upon categorical answer of
yes or no TO the question of his guilt.
According to the principle. Of our crin,-
inal law, no one is bound to accuse or
condemn himself; and confession 10 be
of any value, must be perfectly FIRE and
voluntarily. Besides, there was evidence
enough, apart from the confession to
satisfy any rational mind of the crimi,
nality of The accused; and he application
ofthis sorl ofezpcrimentum erusis to drag
out an acknowledgment Of guilt from a
dying man, was unnecessary in point of
fact, as we'll as dangerous and unsOuud
in principle.
We append the partial confession
finally made to the Duke Decaz"s, G'and
Referendarv Of the Chamber Of Peers,
and by him communicated to the Court
Of Peers.
Tile Murdsrers' Contsssion.-"On
Tuesday morning." said the Duke
Decazes, SAT the request Of the family
and to accomplish what considered a
duty, | waited on The accused in his
prison. The Duke de PrasIin having
complained Of excruciating sul1erings, |
observed to him that hesmust have ants
cipa,ed those sufferings, since they were
the result of The poison he had taken,
and that the physicians, being ignorant
Of the nature ofthe poison, had hes itated
to prescribe for him, when they we're
informed that Two phials of landanum
nearly empty had been discovered in
his desk. Tile prisoner replied that
'he had not taken laudanlm.' In answer
to a second question, he said he had
swallowed arsenic, which the small bot
tie found in his robe de chambre on Fri
day had contained then asked him
how he procured the poison. He as.
sured me that nobody had given il TO
him. and he brought il, on The eve ot
the crime, from Praslin.-He moreover
protested with warmth against the sup.
position that he had intended i, 10 poison
the Duchess.
"He added, that. 'he had swallowed
that poison on the day Of the crime, al
the moment when he perceived, by the
measures adopted with regard TO him,
that he was seriously suspected Ills
suicide, IN the face of such an actusa,
,ion, was confession. Having remarked
this to him, he remained silent, but he
'dtnied a0ith considerable piuacits
hauing confded to any person til,
project ofhis crime and, as his expla'
nations were interrupted by moan.
caused by pains lie experienced. ! ask
ed him if the suf1eriugs ofhis mind were