Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-06-28
L French Criminal Case.

AT the Criminal Court Of Charcntc. in
the province OF Angoslcmc. in France, \
singular ease Of attempted murder has late
ly been tried.
Jeanne Gdcon was the daughter Of rich
parents IN the village of Ia M;chcllr. 4
young Workman, named Sartlain. rather
smart, but with no money. had been en-
ploNed by Jeannc'S flthcr To work for him
Tor more than 4 Year. He became cnam-
oFcd OF the young girl then. and after
ward WISHED 10 marry her. influenced llSo
by The fortune She would inherit. Jeanne
refused him repeatedly. bur sometimes.
wcaricd by his aSSiluity. would return
tVdSlve answers To mis- pleading.
On the llth of last August. while visit
ing her sisters house, She excited the dis
pleasure of Sardain by dancing with some
other young men. of one of whom he was
particularly jealous. \ discussion arose.
and two days aftcrward Jeanne Informed
nun dcciSiVciy that She was not willing 10
marry him. He answered an~rilv.
" on don; wish to: We will see about
that"
\ witness wa> present at this interview,
and Jeanne Informed her sister what She
had told him. II is supposed from th.
time he cherished his plot to kill her.
| som" two weeks afIcrWard he sought To
! speak tO her NJ fair. but she avoided him.
On The following day he bought pistol
1t La RochctoucajIld. About a month
later, on the 21th OF September he sue
ccoded in speaking To her. but received
the same reply a. before to his earnest
cntreatieS. She wished 20 get rid of him.
and said she saw her brother coming.
lie hurried away. saying in IA threatening
voice. Il will lind you again"
On Sunday. the 29th. as Jeanne was re-
turning with her maid from mass. and
walking toward her home. the two women
met S!rdain. who was evidently waiting
for them. He Joined them and continued
talking 10 Jeanne. When near the village
he induced them to pass through
meadow. where they sat down.
The maid noticed that her mistress and
the young man We're quarrcling. and
started for home again. Her mistress was
about 10 follow, when Sardain stopped
her and said so its well understood.
then. you will not have me- No" she
answered. "you will never be ANYTHING To
me; | Will never marry You; it would he
Il meSaliance To which could never con-.
sent"
He responded: VERY well. lam going
10 Kill You and myself afterward. | have
bought Il SiX-barreled pistol--three bar
Itl> InT YOU anu tilftt IDf me.
The girl was not frightened, but. struck
with The singular expression of his coun-
tcnancc. she wished to GO home with her
servant. lie followed. and when they
We're a short distance from the dwelling
She turned and said. I'VE must part now" .
He answered that they should not part
thus, and since she would not marry him.
he should Kill her and himself AT the same
time. The ai1rightcd maid tried 10 drar
her mistress away. but Sarlain seized her
by the right ann and told the maid to 90
on. and that Je4nne would follow her.
The maid then fastened for assistance.
Meanwhile the wrctched man embraced .
Jeanne, crying. Il am abOuto Kill YOU"
"l on wouldn't dare to-" was the answer.
and At the same instant she fell To the
ground, wounded in the left side near the
heart. "lOu have not killed me-" she
said. attempting to rise, but two more
shots from his pistol then struck her.
The wouid-be assassin fled. His victim
walked homeward. but Was soon met by
her parents and the maid. On seeing her
hand over her LETT side they asked ii she
was wounded. She said no. in order not to
trighten them, and after she had staunched
the blood. which commenced to flow. she
came down stairs. and with wonderful
pluck busted herself about the ordinary
household duties. But on the following
she suffered terribly. and was
obliged 10 confide 10 her mother the story
OF the attempted murder. The surgeon
who was called discovered three balls in
the left side of the abdomen. but he was
not able to extract them. The danger
now is that at some time these balls may
paralyze the poor girl. and also
bring on some fearful disease.
On the trial of tine young man, his de-
fense was remarkable for lis fabricated in
senuity. lie said Jeanne had been dcs-
pcrately in love with him: that he pro-
posed to elope with her. but she said as
they could not marry, she preferred to
die with him; that he bought the pistol
at her request. and on the day of the
tragedy she told him to kill her and then
to kill himself.
- Iwish to Kill myself at La Perouse."
he answered.
mo. wish to kill myself at your side"
and seizing the pistol which he had in his
hand she shot herself twice; and that act
ing at her request he shot her the third
time.
Sardain contradicted himself afterward
and said she fired the first barrel only and
he the other two. No credence was given
to his defense, as the evidence against
him was overwhelming, clearly proving
all that we have recOunted.
The jury found him guilty with exten-
uating circumstances and he was CON-
lemned to eight years Imprisonment.
Poor as our juries are, it is doubtful
whether one Of them could find extenuat-
ing circumstances in case like this. ;
where most deliberate attempt is made
to kill young lady, and three pistol
balls are cOOlly shot into her bosom ard
eft side. Twenty years at hard labor I
would not have been too severe a punish ;
ment for so brutal wretch.