The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-11-13
A BELGIAN TRAGEDY.
Assassination OF Young Girl by her
Parents-MiraculOus Escape OF the
Intended victim-Discoveryo ola
Eiendfsh Pilot.


Fiendfsh Pilot.
On the night of the 18th of June there
took place near Brussels, the capital of
of Belgium, q tragedy, the shocking par
ticulars of which seem to have issued
from the fertile brain of French roman
cist. rather to have occurred in reality.
On tho proceeding day Christine Du-
quesnoy, young girl Of twenty-three,
who for several years had been servant
at the house of a wealthy widow lady in
Brussels, was Informed that her aged
mother, who lived at the village of
Quatre Bras. had. in consequence of an
accident, lost her syefight The dutiful
daughter resolved at once to leave her
situation and return to her native village
in order to take care of her poor blind
mother. While grieving greatly over
the misfortune which had befallen the
latter, Christine congratulated herself
upon having saved from her wages the
handsome sum of l 300 francs, which
she had deposited with a notary public,
and which she thought would enable her
to preserve her and her aged mother
from want Next morning she received
the money from the notary, and took the
train for home. Upon reaching the last
station, she found that she was unable to
procure carriage for Quatre Bras. which
was FIVE miles distant. She resolved to
proceed there on foot; but, after walking
about three miles, she hesitated. A
feeling of terror seized her. She had to
pass through forest, and there being a
house of an acquaintance of hers in the
neighborhood, she resolved to pass the
night there. She reached it in few
minutes, and found the proprietor. an
elderly farmer named Aubusse, and his
wife. Ellze. at home. Upon inquiring
where their only daughter, Franchise
was. Christine was told that she had gone
to Quatre- Bras, and would not return be-
fore morning. Christine then told them
that she was afraid to proceed with the
money she had in her pocket to her ma
tive village. and Aubusse and his wife
cordially invited her to sleep under their
roof. As she was verify tired. they told
her to retire Immediately, and Elize con-
| Quoted her to Francois bed in the small
back room. Christine Duquesnoy went
to bed without delay, but, as is often the
case With persons who arc very tired. she
did not sleep very soundly. She had moi
closed her eyes very long when she VIZ.
awakened by voices in the adjoining
room. 1t was Aubusse and his wife
Although they were conversing in an un
dertone, Christine could understand every
word they uttered. In her horror, sht
discovered that the two had resolved e
murder her for the money which she hac
III her possession.
FRANCHISE, said Aubusse's wicked
wife, will not come home to night; ST
nobody will know that Christine wa.
in our house. We will bury her corpse
in our garden, and who will ever find hel
grave there Pr
The two wretches then stepped int
the front room. Christine Daquesnoy
a prey to Understandable terror, sprang a.
once from her bed, and. although she
was but scantily dressed. climbed out o
the open rear widow, and sped across tn,
large garden into the open field. She rar
for fifteen minutes as fast as her fee
would carry her, without daring to lool
back. Then she stood still. and, afte
resting for a few minutes, she started
anew. In her terror she did not care i,
what direction she was going. At last
after she had been running for upwards
OF an hour, she reached the Brussels
! highway. and was soon aftervard espied
by two gendarmcs. They hailed her
and ordered her to stop, but she sped on
and finally sank down In utter exhaustion
behind shrub by the wayside Wher
the gendarmes overlook her. one of then
threw his cloak to her, and then she tolt
them all about the iendish plot of Au
busse and his wife. They asked her t,
accompany them to the house of the Au
buses, which they reached at an ad
Yanced hour Of the night. All WAS darl
and silent in the house, but, on goinf
around to the rear of the building, they
| discovered light in a distant part of tn,
garden. They went cautiously towards
it, and. on coming close Up to it. saw
Aubusse and his wife engaged in throw
| ing earth upon human body lying OF
| its face in hole that had been dug il
the ground. Suddenly the two gend
arms rushed toward them. When Au
bussee and his wife caught sight of tn,
young girl they uttered piercing cries O
terror.
"She is alive - yelled Aubusse, who's,
face had turned llvid.
The next moment one of the gend
! armes had collarsd him and his wife
while the other drew the corpse from tn,
hole IN the ground. When he held tn,
lantern, which stood by the side of tn,
hole. up to lie face of the victim, Am
busse and lis wife uttered still NOR,
heart rsnding cries.
1T is FRANCHISE II shrieked Ambus
se's wife.
Ambusss looked a moment at tn,
corpse. Then he suddenly broke loos,
from the gendarme. and before the latte
was able to seize him, stabbed himsel
with desperate energy, while his wifi
fell in deep swoon. The greedy coupl,
had murdered their own daughter, in
stead of their intended victim. Whil
they we're preparing the grave in th,
garden for Chrlstine Duquesnoy, thei
daughter, FRANCHISE, had returned from
Quatre Bras, and. being very tired, hat
at once gone to bed. When all wa
ready for the reception of the corpse
Aubusse and bis wife Elize, had STEALTH
ly re-enterod the house, and then uttorl,
unaware OF the change which had mean
k.fA Al