New-York daily tribune., 1858-06-28
Nem2lork DAILY Gibn,rs
THE WORK OF THE GALLONS.


EXECUTION OF WIDOW BELlSLE AND JEAN
BAPTISTE DESFORGES FOR THE MURDER
OF CATHERINE PROVOST.
From The Moasyeal Plot, June Is.
In order that the readers Of The Pilot may under
stand this thoroughly We give the following fscs
as elected at the trial. which took place at the last
term Of the Court of Queens Bench. In the small
and beautiful village OF St. jerome, situated about 80
miles from Montreal, there lived in January ast man
named Antoine Desforeee, and his wife, the deceased
Catharne Provost. They were people 10 humble HE,
but in their own way well to do in the world They
were chidess and lived alone. She ~ described, by
those who knew her well, as a womsn OF uublemished
character and vigorously devoted to her household
duties. In general, her husband who eesms to have
proved himsef rather weak than cruel mao, treaties
her with kindness. He spoke OF heT at tunes sven
with tenderness while at others his language showed
plainly that he tired Of her, and betrayed desire
to get rid Of In the came village, and at the as
taDce of few acres from the houee of Ant0ine Dee
forges rtsided his brotncr Jean Baptiste Desorges,
with bis family. About six miles from st. Jerome
lived Marie A. Belisle the widow OF farmer by that
psme who died about eighteen months ago. leaving
his wife with considerable property, and large fsm
iy II was Notorious that duriug three or four years
previous to and sirce her husbands DEATH great
intimacy had existed between Madame Belisle and
woman husband died suddenly, and in few weeks
after one of her children both under clrcu instances
which led to the belief that they had been poisoned
by Madame Belise, These suspicious however, died
ana were only dlOutou % 1iu W euo uo"ei Va
Catherine Provost, the wife of Antoine Desf9rges, In
January last In consequence of this event, and of
the Crowns having obtained evidence OF some cncum-
stances preceding and attending The death oil the arner
Belise his woow indicted at the last term fof
the muioer Of her husband, and Antoine Desi0rses
also as Oh accessory before the TACT. true Dill AZ
found against both by the Grand jury, ana antoine
Desforges having been acquitted on the charge oi nav
ipg been accessory TO tho murder oil hS VIE, awaits
his trial on the former accusation. o,,
On the 1stn January, Antoine Desforges left his
house alone early in the mornng with his horse ana
sleigh Intending to vsit a natural son OF Madame Bel
isle resdirg about 80 miles from st. Jerome, oy the
name of IsidOre Leesut The pretext gwen f1r the
journey TO invite Legault to the marriage oil MS
.i,ter Olive Belirle, which was TO take place week
subsequently. In setting out, Desorges Stopped 81 al
inn about seven miles from the village, and after telling
the inn keepers wife where he wss gong, Inquired II
they could accommodate him for the night on his re
turn ar he would probably sleep there lie vas tod
that lodgings would be provided for him. He LETT al
most Immediately, went to Isidore Legaults house,
but did not fLd Legsult at homs, he having oeen on
vist to his mother, Madame Belisle, the day pre-
yous. On his way home Desforges met Legault,
who invited him 10 return with nim' Deslolees ue
cliped assigning as a reason that his vile was alone
and unws and that he did not hke ieia1ns rem 40.
sent from home at night. They parted, ana Desofgs
reached n inn about 62 o'clock in the evening, IL
was proved at the trial by the inn Keeper that neither
Desfcrses nor his horse seemed the least tatigued;
the Gather and The roads beautiful, and Desorges
yss about three. quarters of an bous drive from MS
own house. where, as he ssid his wife was alone
and ILL., He passed the night at the Inn, spoke OF
his wife as Old and in i'll health, and addeo that sne
died, he wold marry a young woman so agitated
was he that during the night he slept but little, ahd
made considerable noise running about the room;
After breakfast the following day he left and IeachId
strangers, ana bis wife dead. His first exclamation,
when returning from the room where the eless BODY
of the deceased lay, was, III had been here, my
marked you know you asked me to come and pass the
light with your eife" At first be denied, but after
wards admitted, that be had done 3d. There is va
riety Of other circumstances in Antoine Desiorges
conduct calculated 70 strong impression tnat
he was aware Of what was going on 1T his house on
the fatal night. The above are the principal iscts'
The Jury however did not fnd in them sufficient evi.
dence Of HE participation IN the murder, 10 conve.
him of being an accessory before the fact. We must
now revert 10 Madame Belise and Jean Baptste Des-
forges. A.. ,;,,,
Of the murder, jean Bsptiste Desforges arrived al
Madame Belisles on foot, and passed the afternoon
with her at her house. Ii doee not appear thst ne
had spy ostensibe business there They LETT beIise
together, towards evening, In Madame DeIse s,7sni
and drove towards the village. They were alone, ana
arrived about dark at Anslpe Desorges house IN .he
village Jean Bap.ste Desforges Embarrassed tue
horse put him in his brothers stable, and aiei~aros
rsms,ned some time in the house with hs sis
Cstbs,ine Provost and Madame Belisie IL was
nroved that no relationship existed between the PES
fr,os. and sdsme Besie, and that she never sleP,
there in the husbands absence Aoou' eigat oeiocS
Dsxsd csrds with the mily till half past O'Clock.
lew minutes after Jean Bapt.ts DssfoIges came INTO
the pegbbor's, the woman OF the howe, . Mase =
T,bs;nt wishing to know the hour, went to Antoine
Desiorges's house, which was about .h.,s 'hir,y y
Ssr .s. great surprise as shs sad found Madame Bsse
seated by the stove in conversation vi the
Cs,hsr;.s Provost who seemed TO be cheerful and IN
her usual health 1t was then half pa: s,sns fSSa
,er 20 her own house, where Jean B. Desorges
was still playing cards with her anq .er sSe
.,d. o lean b. Desftr rges rose TO leave, ana tnen
Msdsne Urban who had not mentioned nee .a ,1s
p.S v;s;tors whsreupon Desforges ssid NO.; ms,
dame Urbsn then said, Yes, she has lssw hn
RsIsl. there short time ago." conversation Men Zen
.~.nad involving evasions and misstatements On 'Se
matt OF j. b. Desiorges, and in the course Oh IN
p,ss,ed mis- belief that his sister in-law Vey ~,
and that she would not live many days When ns 20
sim Snv Madame Urbaue ssked MIN If be was gong
lsavps II. sister in-lsws tust night He answered,
Madame s Bss j; t ,Ae' "Gsi% fl.nc: s'i for S't
ths ws,e 70 die sudeeply, people would De sure
o,u'peet that murder bad been committee Ou, M
VAO o