The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-11-25
CRIME II SWITZERLAND.
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Terrible Domestic Tragedy in BeFne.

public O. Switzerland is just now in a
trsmor Of excitement over the Judicial
deaouement of one Of the darkest and
mcst appalling tragedies of domestic
life which has ever c1me to light, even
in this age Of startling sensations"
Herman D-mme is young man not.
thirty years Of age His father is a dis
tinguished professor at the University
Of BerHe, and the son, early introduced
by him 70 the study of science, has for
several years been looked upon as one
of the future elories of the republic
lie was sent at the expense of the Con
federation into Italy IN 1859, to study
the French system of ambulanees, and
the whole hospital service Of the French
armies He has published work on
military surgery, which had made for
him name in Germany as well as in
Switzerland, and which secured him an
invitation 10 act as a collaboration on
one Of the most important medical
journals of Germany OF late be had
devoted his attention particularly to
toxicology; and a recent treatise of his
on the effects Of st7ychliine and cltrare
was quoted but the other day. with com
mendstion, in the Paris Revue Des
Deux Mondes.
Hermann Demme wears in bis phys
iognomy all the evidences Of his intel~
lectual rank He has high open fore
head short brown curling hair. His
face is pale, and It's most mar ked char
acteristics are energy and thoughtful-
ness.
Two years ago DR. Demme was sum-
moned to attend certain Madame
Trumpy then a woman thirty,eight
years OF sge, still handsome, but of a
singulsrly nervous and excitable char
acter In quarrel with her husband
the latter had hJLg lamp at her
which struck her in the face and de
strOyed one Of her eyes. DR. Demme
saved her life, but could not save her
eye, and at the earnest entreaty both OF
husband and the wife he suppressed
the circumstances of this misfortune.
Mir Tlumpy, the husband who took
such liberties, was tanker Of Berne,
living in charming house called Wa
bern, situated on the Aar at the foot of
the mountain opposite Btrne. He was
still in the prime Of hie, and was well
known in the city as a financial opera
tor snd daring speculator DIR. Demme
FIRST became a regular guest at the Wa
bern dinner-table, and then had q
chamber set spsrt for him IN the house
When the frumpys were travelling,
Demme joined them, aud in this way
they visited together, during the first
year of their acquaintance, Jerusalem
and the East; aud, during the second,
Italy.
On the 18th of February last, Gaspard
TrUmpy, whose affairs were at that time
in a particularly embarrassing condi-
ton, thanks 10 his connection with
certain Spectator named Hewling, was
taken very i'll during the night
Demme had for some days been at
tending him for painful disorder un-
der which he was suffering, in conse-
quence of certain excuses in his way
of living he insisted that Demme
should cit up with him, and that NOBODY
else should The next morning be
did Shortly aftefward Dr. Demme
was betrolhed TO the only daughter OF
the deceased, young lady Of seven
teen.
Down to this time the death of
TrUmpy had been regarded as natural.
and the whole matter had passed qaite
out OF the mind of all except those
immediately concerned, when Berne
WIS electrified by Madame Trunipy's
deuunciston of her intended son In
law as the assassin of her husband. and
as her own guilty lover This extra
ordinary denunciation was made in a
letter of which the following is an ex-
tract:
AS have told you have too much
upon my heart : suffer Ny CON
science gives me no rest Yes / am
an accused woman. have been gull
~ OF every vice, of every excess
have been guilty of falsehood, theft,
adultery, and have ended by becom
IDg the assassin of my husband. Ii is
by my fault, and through my example,
that my husband and my child have
become wicked have sown evil
around me have fallen myself and
IN my fall have dragged down my near.
est family. l have passed part of NV
life alternate y as victim and as a
seducer. a man came into my house
as friend, became my lover, and the
assassin OF nay husband All, deserve
all possible chastisementR Whatever
penalties you may inlet upon me, l
deserve them all They are an expia-
ton. l resign myself to everything
submit 70 nay destiny a 80
Upon this denUnciF ion of Madame
Irumpy, she herself and DE-. Demme
were arrested, and the remains of Mr
Trumpy were subjected 10 a chemical
examinstion. Aud here we are intro.
duced 10 new and most striking fea-
ture in THIS exFa3rd nary case. For
some time 70 traces o POISON could be
found in the body;- nor ~ere any of the
effects of the beet known poisons ohs
servabie in it. DR.. Schwarzenhaob
one of the examiners, after testing in
vain Tor mo pine and euinine,suddeny
thought, by accident Of s,rychnine, ap
plied tne test, and when lie saw the
violet tlnge appear, which revealed the
deadly presence, started, as he himself
says, horror struck" But the stryeh.
nine Tina Qyats.cted Hal ,,.stbo. -.