Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-02-12
1lyGgl 3 A II lOUS.
VERGER, THE FRENCH ASSAS.
SIN.

The steamer Baltic brings The parlicu-
lars of the trial Of Ferger, the assassin of
the Archbishop of Paris. When he was
led into the court by the gendarmes, he
exhibited perfect self-possession, and look
ed about on the crowd before and under
him with the utmost caImness. The dcfe
accusation, containing the particulars of
his crime, showed that he was ordained a
priest at %, and that he was even then re-
! marked for the restlessness, vanity and
| ambition which form the principal traits i'll
his character. After giving rise TO much
scandal he was, in August, 1855, deprived
OF his powers as a clergy man, and he spent
some months in Paris, wearying the Arch
bishop and the Judicial authorities with his
complaints and accusations. At this time
he contemplated some terrible act OF ven
geance, and even medi ated the death of
the Archbishop; but The Bishop of Meaux
having, out of consideration for the Arch
bishop, recalled him, he gave up his pro-
ects. New scandals however soon brought
on him further severilieS. At the COM
| mencement Of December, 1856, the BSh-
op of Meaux pronounced sentence of in
terdicllon on him for the following causes:
/. The publication Of libel on a decree
of The Court of Assizes at Meun. 2. Ser
mons preached by Ferger III the parish
confided to his care against the dogma of
the immaculate Conception. 3. The dis
covery OF written pamphlet entitled
'' Testament" filled with violent attacks
on the dogmas of religion and against the
! dignity of ecclesiastical discipline.
Verger, having been informed that the
Archbishop Of Paris would not remove the
lnterdlct, again entertained the plan of an
atrocious revenge, and armed himself with
| long Catalan knife, of which he made
so fatal a use. On the day of his crime,
and with perfect knowledge of its con-
sequences, Verger wrote a WILL in which
ne left everything to his brother, giving
him the full power of receiving anything
that might be sent TO him during the month
of January, 1857. When, during the
reading of the act of accusation, Verger
heard the passage quoted containing the
expression "a 6as la DeeSSe," he showed
signs Of emotion and assent. The reading
| VI hiC IuhiOtuSht uCiIS oNeEs Lue pfISOneE
then began in solemn and emphatic tone
to say-"lt is now nineteen centuries since
a serious word was pronounced by man
more than a man--it was Christ, the
man God. He said, 'Par Uo6is, par ON
ni6uS.' Another man whom you love,
whom you all venerate, whom love and
venerate, has said, 'L'Empire, c'est la
pair.' What are we to understand by
these words ?" Here the President inter
rupted the prisoner, observing all liberty of
speech would be allowed, but only after
the witnesses had given their evidence
Verger however delivered himself of an
insolent speech, in which, among ether
things, he said-"The empire OF the sword
IS war; the moral empire is peace and
similar absurdities of this kind, which the
President eventually would not allow TO
be continued. The prisoner then demand
ed to be produced list of witnesses in
his favor, but the Attorney General objec-
ted, on the ground that they knew nothing
OF the present charge. Read, read the
! names" said Verger, and striking the rail
by which he stood, he exclaimed, al pro.
test against this irregularity," and he