Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-06-22

nAnuut (so lar a appearsl Wishing 20 pms
the fesh or the blood TO his lips. In the
course or Heightened trial which brought
his career 10 an end. the truth came 10
light that he bad destroyed 500 children
in sevs. years. There was neither aceu.
satica nor confession about q wolf here
R VAS man afflicted with q morbid pro-
pensity Of dreadful kind. Sasaewhas
different was the case Of jean Grcnier. Ia
1908. He was . herd-bey. aged fearseea,
Who was brought before atribunal at Boz.
deaux on = most extraordinary chasca.--
Seyerai witnesses. chiefly yonns essasx -se~
cused him Of having attacked them under
the guise of a wolf The charge was
strange. but the confession was still ssrsnr-
er; for the boy declared that he h%i XII.
led and eaten several children, aud the
fathers OF those children asserted the samo
thiag. Grenier was sa'a Ia be half ~
idiot If SO. his id;ocy en- the Que hand.
and the superstitious ignorance Of tho
peasantry on the other, may perchaace sup
ply solution 10 the enigma.
One Of tho most extraordinary cases on
record occurred in Franco in lSi9. the
facts being brought to light before q court
martial. presided over by Colonel Manse-
lon. Many Of the cemeteries near Paris
we're found to have been entered in tho
night. graves opened. cofins disturbed.
and dead bodies strewed around the place
in torn and manglei condition.
This was SO often repeated. and in ~
many cemeteries. thai grea. anguish and
terror were spread among the people.
\ strict watch was kept. Some of the
patrols or police of the cemeteries though.
they saw figure several times fitting
about among the graves. but could never
quite satisfy themselves on the matter
Surgeons were examined, to ascertain
whether it was the work Of the class Of
men who used in England TO be called res.
urrectionist, or body-snatchers but thew
all declared that the wild. reckless mu-
tilation was quite Of another character.-
Again was strict watch kept; kind
Of man-trap was contrived at a part Of
the wall OF Pere Ia Chaise cemetery. which
appeared as Il it had been frequently
sealed. 4 sort of grenade connected with
the man-trap was heard to explode; tho
watch fired their guns: some ono was
seen to fee quickly; and then they found
traces of blood. aud few fragments q
military clothing, at one particular spot.
Next day i. became publicly known that
a non-commissioned officer Of the Seventy
fourth Regiment had returned wounded
to the barracks in the middle Of the night.
and had Scen conveyed to 4 military kcs-
pital. Further inquiry led to n rcve!a.
tion Of the fact that Sergeant Bertrand.
Of the regiment here named. was the un-
happy cause Of all tho turmoil. He was
in general dcmeanor kind aud gentle.
frank and gay; and nothing but mals-
dy of a special kind could have driven
him to the commission of such crimes a,
those with which he was charged. and
which his own confession helped to con-
firm Hc described the irrpulsc under
which he acted az being irresistible, al.
together beyond his own control: it came
upon him about once a fortnight. He
had a terrible consciousness while under
its influence, and yet he could not resist.
The minute details which he gave 70 tho
tribunal of his mode Of proceeding u. TIN
cemeteries might suit those who like TO
sup OF horrors, but may b. DISPENSE,
with here SrfEce i; to say that he aided
by his confession to corrobo-ate the charge.
that he was sentenced TO twelve mouths
imprisonment, and that eminent physician.
Of Paris endcavored 10 restore the balance
of his mind during his quiet incarcer a.iou