The Republican journal., 1874-10-01

A Series of Murders.
The Paris correspondent of the Loudu0
Echo writes The assiZes of the EWe-cf
Loire have just tried man for a series M
murders unsurpassed in cOOlne~s aud hru-
taltty. The prisoner was one Sylvan
POlrier, aged thlrty-one, farm laborer
From early youth he had been notorious
for has bad character In 1908. when only
fifteen years OF age, he was condemned L.
five Years in house of correction for theft
and swmdling. He then worked on yari-
Gus farms, and IN 1871 he got married
His first murder was committed a few
months after his wedding A widow
named Lecomte was on the point of leav-
ing the farm she occupied. She had sold
most of her goods and cattle and had
thereby amasSed about t+O Polrier who
assisted her in this task determined tu
possess himself OF the money. lie there
fore disgisued himself and lay ia wait till
everybody had lett the farm, and toward
nine in the evening broke into the house
The widow, alarmed, asked what he
wanted. Your money was the reply
Take it, then, said the woman you
will find it in the chest of drawers there
are 620 francs Having put the money in
his pocket, he was about to leave, Wheu
the widow cried out Il know YOU, yoG
are Poirier ~ Finding himself recognized,
he resolved to kill her, and selzing large
bar OF iron struck the widow on The head
Killing her on the spot At this moment
another woman, named Roilet, whom the
widow had asked to come and keep her
f8mpa9lEa tos sht TIE q&{h 4t92R3'a}fra a}fraeI
the sight before her, and rushed INTO an
other room to escape. PORTER dashed aI-
ter her, and with his rod OF iron knocked
her about the head till she was quite dead
He next returned to the widow LerCmte.
and finding her still breathing, gave hera
final blow, smashing her skull to pieces
He then shut the door and went home Ia
his wife. who lived in the neighboriug
commune as calm and unconcerued as II
he had been working innOcentlv In the
fields The bodies of the two victims
were found weltering in blood the follow
ing morning but the murderer was not
discovered Meantime Poirier spent the
fruit of MS crime at the wine shop. Hs
next exploit was committed two Years
later Ou the Sth OF January 1874. he
entered a small inn kept by a Mime, Be
zard, and called for 4 cup Of coffee The
woman was alone Having finished hi~
coffee, he rendered a twenty frame piece in
payment. euususpectin%h hostess opened
4 cupboard to get the change, and in 50
doing displayed several baukuotes and
other moneys The sight of them was
enough-Poirier was determined to have
them He first OF all tried to steal the
! money during the temporary absence t
the woman. but had not time enough H.
then decided ID XIII, and while Mmc Be-
zard was STOPPING to stir the fire, he
siezed hold Of a large lump ot wood and
dealt her 2 fearful blow or the bacE of the
head lie was about to repeat the blow
when he was disturbed by the sound uf
cart approaching Shutting the door and
putting the key in hi, pocket, Poniorrla
into a hedge close by and hid himself
The cart stopped in front Of the inu and
the dryer called for the hostess several
times The woman recovering a Ijtte
cried cut, "What do You want" but slr
did not attempt TO open The door Prot.
ably She thought 1t was her murderer
| The driver, however, being in q hurry,
moved on As soon as the cart was out
! of sight Poirier lett his hiding place, re-
entered the inn. and finished his victim III
dashing out her brains lie tuen took thr
money from the cupboard and departed
| HIS last exceeded the above in brutality
and horror; it was committed in Mgl
| last, at small place called Testu, where
farmer named Travers lived with his
VIE and two children-one boy Of sin
| teen and the other a girl of fourteen. The
pare lts had left home ON business PoirieI
| under preteXt OF buying some wood, en-
tered IL arm and got into conversation
with the tW children, who were alone ou
the premises. The boy invited him to e.
| into the stable to see the horses, ami
Poirier followed, hiding under his blouse
large iron hammer The boy HAVING
shown him the animals was about to leave
the stable, when Poirier knocked him
down with blow on the head with hi
deadly weapon. The poor little victim
tried to get up and defend himself, but in
vain. Five or six more blows followed in
quick succession, and he was all but dead
| Poirier thinking that he had finished the
boy forever shut the stable and returned
to the house The little girl went out to
meet him. Tie seized hold of her, dragged
her into the room, and with one blow
split her skull open; she fell to rise no
more, The monster then broke open the
drawers and cupboards, and, putting all
the money he could find into his pockets.
left the spot. Before going home to his
wife he washed his blood-stained clothes
in rivuIet and hid the hammer in 4
hedge. However, the boy Travers, al
though horribly mutilated, recovered grad
ually, and on being confronted with Porer
Immediately exclaimed, That's the mu1-
derern' For some time the prisoner pro
fessed his innocence, but on being recoc-
nized by the boy he confessed his guilt,
and gave a minute account of the differ
ent crimes he had committed He appear
ed to show little feeling in court The
jury returned verdict of guilty without
eXtenuating circumstances, and he wa
sentenced to death