The southern press., 1851-06-27
Interesting Trial.

In November last an extraordinary sensation
was created in Belgium by the announcement
that Count Hppoyte Visart de Bocarme and
his lady. both residing at Bury, in the province of
Hainant had been arrested on the charge of hav-
ing murdered the brother of the latter by means
of poison, forciby administered to him after din
ner, at their chateau, on the Goth of last month
The Investigations of justice ended in both the
accused being committed for trial. Since then
the interest felt in the cause has risen to the
highest pitch in Belgium, and has even extended
to France. The rank of the parties, and the
very extraordinary manner in which the murder
is alleged to have been committed continue, in
fact, to make the case worthy Of admission
amongst the most remarkable of the Causes
Celebres.
The trial commenced before the Court of
Assizes of Mons, on Tuesday, May 9th and
was continued on the following days. The
court was crowded to excess, and the excite
ment caused by the trial amongst all classes of
the population was strikingIy great
The Countess de Bocarme was first placed in
the dock she was dressed in black, and is
handsome woman. Her husband was next
placed near her; he is tall, good looking, and of
arisiocratic bearing. His voice, il was noticed,
resembled that of boy of I5 Both the a.
cused, in answer to the president, stated their
names; said their age was 32, and their station
In life that of proprieiaires.
The Indictment was then read II set forth
that the principal accused belongs TO ore of
the first families in the province of Hainaut,
and that in 1912 he married, at Perewelze, Mad
emoiselle Fougnies daughter of retired gro
Ger. The female had brother, named Gustave,
of weak health; and from the first the Count,
it appeared, had formed the hope of inheritlng
the fortune 10 which he was entitled and CON
suited n physician as to his chances of living
On the goth of November last, Gustave went
TO dine with his sister and brother-in law, in
their chateau of Btremont, and after dinner he
was found dead in the dnng-room.
A project had been on foot for his marriage
with Mde. de Dudzeele, and after his body
was discovered, the Countess ordered q domes-
tic to go and inform those two coquines, Mad.
anne dc Dudzeele and her daughter, that he had
died suddenly of apoplexy. But on examina-
tion of the body, contusions and scratches
were found on the cheek and nose and on the
cheek, the tongue, in the throat, and the stom
ach, traces of corrosive liquid were discovered.
The Count having been subjected to an exam-
nation, twas ascertaned that one of his fingers
bore the mark Of having been bitten, and that
his nails had slight stain of red, as if of blood
caused by a scratch on the flesh. An analysis
OF the contents of the deceased's stomach proved
that he had been poisoned by means Of nico-
tine. 1t was further ascertaned that the Count,
during six months, had spent much time in
studying the qualities of this poison. and that,
few DAYS before the death of Gustave, he had
been in possession Of two phials Of it, which
could not afterwards be found The Countess,
on being questioned, formally accused her hus-
band of having caused the death o her brother,
and after while the Count hin self admitted
having distilled the nicotine.
The Indictment went on to show that in
marrying Mdle. Fougnies, the Count had not
obtained the fortune he had expected, as he
only received with her 2OOOf n year from her
father; his own income was 240Of But, not
withstanding their resources were so small, they
lived in grand style, and the Count kept mis-
tres'. He borrowed about 100000 from his
notary, which have not yet been paid. In ls45
the father of his wife died, and left her 50OOf
year; but their expenses continued to increase
and they were obliged to make sales of the por-
perty from which the wife's income was de-
rived They, however, still remained consid-
erably in debt, aud were reduced to such ex-
tremity that the Count was obliged to pledge
some of his wifes jewels for i00f in the Mont
dc Piete at Brussels. Their only hope of saliva
ton from ruin was the early death of the
brother without heirs, but this was destroyed
by his avowod intention Of marrying. They
attempted to prevent the marriage, and the
Countess wrote two letters TO her brother, ca
Illuminating his intended wife. Their efforts
however failed. 1t was then that the Count be-
gan TO study the qualities Of poisonous plants
and especially of nicotine He made attempts
to produce the latter, but, not having immediate
y succeeded, sought the advice Of professor
of chemistry. After ten days and two nights
labor he, in November last, succeeded in making
for himself two phisls of nicotine few day
later he, in answer to his wifc's questions, nd
mtted that he had been making that poison,
and said that he would take care not to fail " to