The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-11-16
n Strange Story.

When the criminal, Pierre Granger, es-
corted by four gendarmes, was placed in
the dock of the court Of assize there was
a general stir amongst the crowd which
had assembled from every quarter to be
present at his trial.
Pierre Granger was not an ordinary cul-
prit-not one of those poor wrctchcs whom
the court, as a matter of form, furnishes
with an advocate, judges III the presence
Of needless auditory, and sends to obli-
won in the convict prisons of the State.
lie had figured at Augtil in the columns
of the newspapers; and while NJ. Leper-
vicr had undertaken his defence, NJ. LOU
raugain, the attorney general, was to. con-
duct the prosecution. Now, at the time
of which l write, these two men stood
at the head of their profession. When
ever it was known that they were to be
pitted against each other in any cause,
crowds immediately Hooked to enjoy
their eloquent sentences, sonorous periods,
and phrases as round and as polished as so
many billiard balls. 1t was perfect riot
of tropes and figures, delicious confusion
of pariphrases and metaphors. All the
figures Of rhetoric defled before the
charmed auditory, and sported, TESTED,
and struggled with each other like Virgips
playful shepherds. There was q luxury of
epithets passing even that of Able Delille.
Every individual substantive was as regu-
I larly followed by its attendant adjective as
the great lady of the last century by her
train bearing page. In this pompous die
ton man became q mortal, horse
courSer, the moon was styled pale
Dian. My father and mother were never
called 80, but invariably "the authors Of
my being; and dream was vision, q
glass crystal vase, Q knife q sword, q
car chariot, and breeze became Q
: whirlwind; all Of which, no doubt, tended
to produce style Of exceeding sublimity
and beauty. #~
Pierre Granger was clumsily. built fell
low, five feet ten In height, thirty eight
years old, with foxy hair, q high color, and
small, cunning gray eyes. He was accused
body into pieces, end then, in order to
conceal his crime, set fire to the house,
wherein his three children persisted. Such
ah accumulation OF horrors had shed quite
romantic halo round their perpetrator.
= ha1ies OF rank and fashion f1ocked to the
! gaoi 70 look at him; and his autograph was
~ wonderful request as soon as it became
M no~n that Madame Cesarine Langelot, the
apnsS o. the district. possessed some
WORDS Of his writing In her album, nlsced
= ~ "s1a pauad by . professor Of rhetoric
and problem By The enginser.iu ,.ehisS, ~
d tna department. neishAr eentIernan ~ ~,
Il ne truth, being muck catered bv .n~l
ciosc juxtaPoaition with the iuterest}nr NJ,
- prisoner. When Pierre Granger WIZ H.
lowering brow and air Of stolid cunnins ,s re
placed In tho dock, the names OF twelve I'M m
rors were drawn BY lot, and the president
demanded 81 the counsel on ilher side whs-
sDer they wished 70 exercise their right 81
. challenge. Both declined offering any okjec.
tleN . tweiye such honorable names; bnt
~ afeoyneJ- eeaeral added that hs would
.s4uise 80 drawing Of . supplementary
Mseyky4g - done; ana on the paper APP
peased ~ name Of Major Vernon. Attic