Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-03-02

confidence, and the brightest prospects were
before him. His business was 6ourisbing
when, 10 l7I5, be formed the acquaintance ol
gentleman, St. Fauet do Lamotte, who
wished to dispose Of bis country estate
This property seemed to Desrues very sdvan.
tageous for speculating with, go he determined
to get possession Of it. He bought it for
10000 livres, the payment Of which was to
be completed the following year. Twelve
months passed, however, without payment
there were unforeseen hindrances. 10 the
MEANWHILE. however, Desrues was threatened
with arrest by his former creditors. and had
the impudence to seek refuge at Lsmotte's
house, who received him as friend. In No.
vember, l77G, he proceeded privately to
Paris, under the pretext Of receiving an
inheritance which would enable him to pay
for the estate. Still he made no payment
and Lamotte at length lost patience, and
wrote him either to pay or annul the contract
Lamottee was too much engaged on his estate
to 60 TO Paris, and therefore sent his wife
with full authority to settle the affair in some
way. Madame Lamotte started with her son
seventeen years Of age, for the capital, and
the father never saw them again.
Desrues, who had been advised Of their
coming, met them, and offered them lodgings
in his own house. The lady declined but
he became so pressing, that she at length
consented. She, perhaps, had an instinct Of
what hung over. Mother and son had been
but few days 10 Paris, when both com.
planned Of Illness. The son recovered, and
bis mother sent him to a school in the
Marais. Desrues employed the absence OF
this important witness for his systematic
operations. The mother must die slowly.
that there might be valid reason for her
decease. But the worse she grew, the more
she urged him to come to q settlement. His
excuses no longer avAiled, and the lady
seemed to be growing suspicious. At length,
as she daily grew worse, she decided on re-.
turning to the country. As this would have
completely ruined Desrues' plans. and be had
no time TO lose, be gave her powerful dose
Of poison in her medicine, from which she
died the samo evening in frightfui convul.
sous. He naturally kept the death secret /:
the son did not hear Of it, and Desrues had
now merely to dispose of the body. A few
days before Madame Lamotte's arrival, be
bad hired. in the nsmo OF Ducoudrai, q cellar
in the Rue de Ia Mortelierie. The next
morning he packed the corpse in chest he
had bought for the purpose. and had it car.
ried to a cabinet.maker's, q friend Of his,
where it remained several days. Thence be
took it to the cellar, in order 10 bury it under
the stairs.
As be could not perform bis task alone, be
had brought Il mason with him. He ordered
him to dig hole FIVE feet deep, under the
prete3t OF burying in it quantity Of bottled
wine be had in the chest, 10 improve its qua.
lty. The mason shook his head the wine
would do as we'll two feet under ground as
700 Ia ,ka, k,,s
ordered il to be done, and the mason went TO
work, with shaking head. When the hole
was sufficiently deep, Desrues begged the
mason to help him in dragging the box to
the edge OF the pit, that he might take the
such pestilerous smell assailed him that be
started back. Desrues seeing that decep.
tion would no longer avail, .hrew himself at
the masons feet and told him that he was q
tradesman from the provinces, who had come
to Paris with friends wife, She had sud-
denly fallen dead OF an apoplectic stroke, and
in fear of being regarded as her murderer, he
wished to bury her in the cellar. To cou.
vince the man. be himself opened the chest,
and showed him the body. asking him if be
could see any wounds she was swollen blac k
aud bue--could there be better proof that
she died OF spoplexy? Fresh tears and vic.
lent sobbing convinced the mason Of the
truth Of his statements, and be did all that
Desruos wished; promised silence, and went
of perfectly content with tue fable and two
louis dor.
The mother having been removed. the re
still remained two victims. lie mus. first
get rid Of the son, and then the fathers turn
would come. On the llth of February he
xyiai aA ha .,,l
asked him TO come for a walk he wished to
take him next day to Versailles, where his
mother was. The following morning they
left Paris, after drinking chocolate, the young
mans cup having been poisoned. On reach.
ing Versailles, he was taken dangerously Ill,
and Desrues took lodgings in the name O..
Beaupre. representing himself as the lad s
uncle. He did not recover. and yet did not
die (; hence Desrues gave him two more doses,
which at length produced the effect. 1t was
heart.rending to see with what sorrow the
uncle stood by his uepbew's dying bed. lie
burst into tears, wrong his hands, aud, kneel.
Jog by the bed, uttered prayer after prayer.
The people Of the house were themselves
moved to tears; and the next day Desrues
had the body buried, leaving u considerable
som Of money for masses for his soul. When
be returned 10 Paris. he dined With some
ultimate friends; be told them he had just
returned from a visit to bis native town, and
all remembered, later, never to have seen
this generally serious man so merry and
cheerful. They suspected that he must have
done an excellent stroke Of business.
While these events were occurring in
Paris and Versailles, Lamotte wac in the
greatest state OF anxiety, as he received no
news from wife or son. Desruss arrived TO
ease bis mind, and seemed at first surprised
that LsmOtte had received no letters from
his wife but soon found en explanation
Madame Lamotte aud her sou were both al
Versailles, aud very happy, for the lady had
prospect OF obtaining a court appointment
and wished TO surprise her husband by the
news.
For all this. though, and the mysteriou:
letters that arrived from Paris, Lamotte did
not conceal his suspicious from Desrues
though he does not seem to have suspected
him. Probably the means failed to poison
Lamotte in bis own house, or Desrues became
alarmed, for the latter proceeded to Paris
aud thence under an assumed name, tC
lyons. From this city he sent Lamotte al
authority, signed by his wife, to receive the
10000 livres s,ill owing on account of the
estate. This document completed the fathers
alarm, and he hurried to Paris, where, by Q
curious dspeusation Of Providence, he lodged
in hotel next door to the cellar in which hi.
wife was buried.
All his inquiries proved Intellectual. Hs
at length determined to proceed criminally
against Desrues. On being questioned abou
Madame Lsmotte, the latter stated as fol
lows:
"Wbile this lady was at Versailles, sh'
wrote me to send her son to her. l wen
there with the young man, and met the lad