, 1874-02-08
CRIME IN FRANCE.


The n7urtlcrcrs of I4imotfra.
Tho Criminal Court ut nanbouillet, in France,
is endeavoriug to solve the mystery which hangs
nroung the pcrpotrcton Of @ series Of seven
murders. Ill committed within tho past year in
the vicinity Of Angervililers village in tho Dis-
trict Of Limours, about half way between Paris
aad Orleans.
Early in January, 1873. an old game-keepcr
named Tupin and his wifo were murdered in
their little dwelling ct about o'clock in the
evening. by bright moonlight. The opinion of
the magistrate and tho surgeon, who we're BOON
called to the spot, WAS that Madame Tlpia was
struck first by tho assassina with q largo wooden
stake, which was afterward found; and that the
husband, coming in soon after, was stunned in
the same way by 4 blow On the skull. Their
throats wero then cut, tho head being almost
severed from the body. Tho house was then
ransacked, and the ashcs OF papers just burned
were found in the Fireplace,
Eight months passed, and Eaugr'gncnso,
ncighboring y1la &c. WIS tho theatre Of the ne1t
cri,no. On Sept. "a, at about o'clock IN the
evening, thu curate, who. owing to sudden In
disposition, had retired early, was suddenly
aroused by the cry Of "He1p, they aro murder
ing mel" Ho found his waitress lying insensi-
ble on the threHhold OF ono of the outer doors
bleeding from large wound in the head For
long time her life WAS dcsraired OF, but she
finally recovered She had been struck with d
hatchet as she was closing the house for tho
night by some ono from without. She has never
been able to give an accurate description Of the
man who attacked her.
Two days a1terward. at Marals q tailor, some
GO years Of ago, was killed by blows on the head
nurdcr was again in tho early part Of the even
ing. The house was plundered, aud what money
or SECURITIES he bad were stolen. Footprints
could be seen on the following morning in tho
direction Of Vaugrgneuse. and a silver watch
belonging to linn was found on tlle roaa.
Still tha nlllrdcrars were undiscovered, and on
Nov. 13 another tragedy occurred. Auguste Du-
val man OF property, was murdered on his
own threshold about S III the afternoon. After
he had been killed his body lad been carried to
his room. The furniture vas knocked about and
tho enGrnyings were torn down from the wallis
In the first murder OF tho serl>. some 400
francs had been overlooked in tho pocket Of tho
dead woman. This Vas talked OF by the country
people, and when tho ncxt victims body was
found it was noticed that the pockets had been
carefully searched In the saIne way when the
tailor was killed., tho assassins failed to find
some bonds concealed behind the engrayings on
the wall. To avoid q second mistake of tho
snns n.ture they removed ali Of N. Dnyals pic
tuTcs. ..--.
4 fow days aftor this N. Duyals eon was ar
rested. On his promises they found $ hatchot
and shoe, both blooti-stained. The Bpots, the
accused said, camc from rabbit. He VAS taken
to the prison Of Ra1nbouillct but WIS restored to
liberty another murder having bcca added to tho
list on the eve of Christmas. in which the earao
method had been followed. Two old maiden
ladies who lived in isolated farm house in tho
hamlet OF Chalalgnlers were killed in their home
about Q o'clock in the evening, One Of then,
WAS struck With q wooden stake at the threshold,
aud the other was crushed BY m iron bar in her
bed Some pieces of cciu concealed in jar and
some packages OF bank notes escaped the atton-
ton OF tho robbers.
We are told that the people in the surround
ing country arc terror-stricken. Tho doo1s e1e
barricaded at nightfall, and 10 ono knows whose
turn will come next. The hour selected for tho
commission of tho crime, and the manner IN
which death is inflicted in each instance, would
Indicate thai tie same individuals are guilty in
all these cases. It is to be hoped that detection
is not fardistant. That it is possible, however,
for 1nurderers to escape TOR years Is shown oy
the RouEson case, which has been revived in
France to confirm the theory that intimidation
,s now preventing the discovery Of the AnGcrIu-
licls criminals.
In the year 1851 Francois Rousson, his wife, .
Young son, and IN aged grandmother wero all
country little child, years Of age. had been
stunned by blow at the hands Of tho murderer,
but she did not die. He7 intellect, howeTor, was
affected, and she could only be induced to say
TINT the asaassin WAS d tall, handsome man, with
1inc beard.
The magistrate who conducted the inquiry was
assisted in his labors by Michael Rousson, a
mild, beardless youth Of eablued manuers;
The Investigation was in vain. }cars passed
away, and another horrible fivo-fold murder was
attempted. A man named Chabo: and lis wife
and child wcro killed with a hatchct in much the
6a1ne way rs the l,oueson famiy had been.
But tho murderer vas not thorough in his
work. The older children Of the chabots
were not killed. although badly wounded. They
lived. und recoEniznd Michael Nousson as tie
criminal. It then came ont that for years ser-
eral persons had known tia. Michael was tho
murderer Of the Rous5on family. His parents
aud afterwards his betTothcd knew it, and two
servant girls were also posaessors OF the secret.
They had washed his blood stained SHIRT and the
I,atche: with which lc had slain Lis victims. Yet
they we're afraid to expose him, for they thought
their evidence would not be sufficient to convict
hi:,, and feared lost in the event Of his acqnitta
they should bo Killed by him on the first oppo1-
tunity.
Michael Rougson was tried and condemned to
death. lie waa executed in 1856. Tho fine beard
spoken of by tho child was mask which he woro
on tho occasion OF the former tragedy.