The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-11-28

statement could only he accepted on the sup
position that he was so excited at the time as
moi to be able to remember the exact posi-.
ton of his servant at the instant he fred
!; 1t vas also Shu wn that the muzzie of The pis-
rol trrm which the ball had been fired which
killed his wife must have been held quite
close to her, as her dress had been set on
fire.
| found the excitement III the department
respecting the approaching trial intense
The opinion with respect to Boiteler's guilt
or innocence seemed pretty evenly balanced
and ny uncle told me that he was rather in
clined to believe him innocent, but he thought
the jury would find him guilty, with extenu-
ating circumstances. My aunt, who had
known Boiteler we'll from her intimacy with
his wife, had very decided opinion of his
guilt.
The reason my uncle had sent for me was,
that might be there 10 act as interpreter at
the trial, if one was required, and that might
make inquiries among the English servants,
whose knowledge of the French language was
too imperfect to allow them to detail many
little circumstances perhaps calculated to
throw light on the affair. 1t wanted but five
days to the trial when arrived, and it was
no: till the next morning that my uncle took
me to the Office of the commissaire of police,
to request that one of his agents might be
sent with me to Boiteler's house. We found
here the carriage in which the murder had
been committed, which had been brought
down for the jury to inspect. We were told
that the prosecution relied on the effect which
the examination of this vehicle would pro-
duce to procure a conviction. TO show US
the Importance of the evidence which his
acuteness had obtained, the commissaire sent
for woman and directed her to seat herself,
in the carriage in the position occupied by
Madame Boiteler. He then seated himself
beside ner, and one of his agents stood be-
side the carriage, and pointed the pistol at
the woman, and it certainly appeared to be
impossible that the ball could have struck the
: deceased on the wounded spot; the inference
he drew was, that Boiteler had fired the pis-
tol which killed her with his left hand and
had then instantly risen behind the coach
man, and shot him, holding the pistol. as he
imagined, perpendicu!arlv, but in reality with
the muzzle slightly inclined, 50 as to give the
ball direction towards the front of the body
direction which it was proved the ball had
taken by the doctors evidence.
Our examination of the servants elected
nothing of any Importance. They agreed il
saying that their master and mistress lived or
!, very good terms, and that anything like {
:, dispute between them was very rare.
Inc day OF the trial, every place in cour
t had been secured b. private arrangement be
+ torehaud, ths audience consisting chiefly o
+ aides. The pgts ner entered the court witt
= polite and comprehensive bow. Withou
Dr,,ato. anG without any manifestation O
, ami t, as I" the result, he took his place il
-.- dock his hearing in fact. was remarka
! b., goo / and prepossessilg. and seemed Il
, impress the Jury in his favor. There was
= general shudGcr when one of the officials O
=, the court proceeded to spread out the differ
p ent articles Of dress which had been Stripe,
d from the bodies of the dead; and | notice,
e that the prisoner turned gi.astly pale wheI
II his wife $ dress was laid ont, with the blood
a stain ostentaiio!siv displayed. The case 70
Is The prosecution and the defense was, down +
&c certain point, substantially what have al
J., ready stated the position of the wound il
J. madame body being explained by the pris
l. oner saying, that the instant ne saw the pis
e tol pointed towards his body, he instnctiyel
II threw himself back i'll the carriage, and tha
his wife must at the same moment hay
,e thrown herself forward, because, after he ha
,e disabled her murderer, ne found her lyin
4. with her head against the fore-part of tn
# carriage; whereas, had she been sitting W
3 right, she must have fallen backward.
The excitement of the audience had bee
to raised to the highest point when the jury RI
,e tired to consider their verdict. Instead {
d. the low hum of conversation ensuing, whic
ot | have so often heard since in French cour,
,e on similar OCCASIONS the most profound S
ID lence was kept. Indeed, nearly everybod
ne must have been exhausted by the emotion
IS produced in the course of the trial. II
I'd murdered lady had been personally known
ID all present. so that when one of the mai,
of servants related some touching little circun
Is stances, showing the sweetness and amiabil
ty of her character, the proceedings of Il
nv court were for some minutes brought to ste
RI in consequence of the violent sobbins of II
o. women.
is While the jury were absent from court, Il
he prisoners advocate turned to my uncle, al
W. whispered: Ny man will be acquitted ! al
VII the latter nodded in apparent acquiescenc
ne With the restlessness natural to my age,
he could not long remain still under circul
ate stances of such excitement; and to occu]
es, myself. began to examine the various ar
Ter cles produced by the prosecution in the cour
at Of the trial, and among them the bulle
he which had been extracted fem the bodies