Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-02-24

fore visited the girl, and paid her small
sums of money on each occasion. Con.
victed thus of one direct falsehood, his
whole story was deemed fantastic and
improbable invention, and he was believ.
ed to be guilty Of the girls assassination.
The bloody knife he identified as his, and
his affirmation that It had been forcibly
wrenched from him by the murders who
robbed him was not at all credited.
But what motive could he have for
such crime p! lie was young man Of
good sense and excellent character. &C.
cording to public repute. It was i'm.
possible that he could have had any emo.
lions Of jealousy connected with this
woman of the town. He could mot have
intended to rob her, for in her purse,
loose pieces of gold and silver aud some
jewe]ry, were found lying about the room
when the police took possession. Be.
sides he was brave soldier, one Of the
bravest OF the intrepid 23d Demi.brigade,
and had won by gallantry and good
conduct his rank in the 3lst Regiment of
the Line, although he was but twenty.
seven years old. Surely he could not
have stopped to be the assas sin and rob.
Der of woman.
The little memorandum book seemed to
suggest motive for the hideous crime.
He was madly infatuated with gambling.
In five months he had lost 5,430 francs.
Altogether between the preceding June
and the date of the murder, he had lost
$500 francs, which were 5000 more than
his pay amounted to. So great had been
his infatnation, and so bad had been his
luck, that few days before this tragic
event he had been compelled to pawn his
watch.
In addition to his pay, the book showed
only that he had received two bills of ex.
change, for one 1000 francs each, and in
the unhappy light in which he now stood
it was promptly surmiscd by the author.
tiles that he had gained the rest Of the
money by crime-perhaps by such horrid
means as the murder Of the Holland girl.
1T was furthermore represented that she
had been economical, and was supposed
to have saved up considerable sum Of
money, which had mysteriously disap.
peared since her death, however. TAX.
ing everything into consideration. it
seemed exceedingly probable that he had
murdered the girl for her money, to make
good lis losses at play.
Captain st. Clair was brought to trial
before court. martial, composed Of Off.
GERS Of the First Division, Adjt Comm'r
Bigex presiding, and, in spite Of the able
endeavors of his attorney, NJ. Bracelet
Fcrriere, was found guilty Of premcditat.
ed homicide. 1t is believed the court was
prejudiced very seriously by some minor
facts, such as the captains treatment Of
his mother, whom he had neglected for a
long time.
"a bad son." said the President Of tho
Court very gravely, sis likely to become
An assassin if he ever has profitable op.
portunity thereof"
The execution of sentence upon the
man was delayed. His poor old mother
went to the king to intercede for her son,
but his majesty pronounced the motive
and association Of the crime so ignoble as
to be beyond his clemency.
Upon the plea of informalitics and ir.
Irregularities in the prosecution of the case,
the defendants council did succeed in
having . new trial ordered. and the coun.
Gil therefore assembled on February IL.
1926, under the Presidency OF Field
Marshal Batoille.
But, just at this time, Napoleon made
his brief and brilliant return to France,
and the case of Captain Saint Clair was,
perforce, laid aside for a season. In May,
however, it was reopened. It was now
shown that the beautiful Holland girl
had been in the habit of enticing men TO
places where they were robbed by her
sturdy accomplices. This lent some ele.
ment Of probability to the captains story
of the plot to which he became victim.
But on the other hand, all the old evi.
dence was revived, and with it the further
damaging fact, of which he was arrested
the back of his shirt WAS sprinkled with
blood = IS it would have been had he
stood leaning over his victim while her
blood spouted up against the mirror and
spattered over the bed. It was also dis
covered now that the girl, when she died
clutched in her stiffening fingers . frag
ment torn from Saint Glars shirt sleeve
This trial excited . great deal Of publ,
interest, vas very long, aud prosecuted
with careful scrutiny. When his judge!
were about retiring to consult upon theil
verdict, Saint Clair sprang up and ad
dressed to them touching appeal. HI
said: "Gentlemen your decision can re
store me to honor, but never could j
give me back peace Of mind and self.re
spect, if such . horrible crime as this ha,
banished them from me. Blu: am limo
cent. 1swear before Heaven that it wa
not who shed the blood Of that unhapp.
girl.
i After careful deliberation, the cour
found the accused 'guilty," and sen
fenced him to be degraded from his mill
tary rank, stricken from the Legion Q
Honor, and condemned to imprisonmen
for life.
j When this terrible sentence was pro
nounced against him, the young ma,
stood up again before his judges and erie,
out in tones Of despair:
"You condemn me to dishonor when
am innocent. I will not survive'th degre
dation you put upon me. Twill die
wretched man, but Is God sees me, q
innocent one
j With these words, he snatched from il
concealment long and keen poinari
. which he had hidden upon his person. an
] again and again stabbed himself in til
. breast. Great excitement prevailed j
] the court. The President Of the Cour