Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-01-27

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A POACHER'S VENGEANCE.
A Crime that was set % tho Credit OF the
German Soldiers In France:
A Paris letter to the London Times
saws ;, At the Haute Marine assizes q
case has been tried, resulting in a CAPT
tai sentence, the circumstances OF which
deserve publicity. In 1850 man, still
youne and of Indifferent character,
named Rambouillet, who carried on
poaching with audacity and success, was
surprised by the gamekeeper OF forest
in the Haute Marne. An information
was laid against him, and he was
brought before the correctional tribunal,
condemned to the forfeiture OF his gun,
to a fine, and even, I believe, to i'm
prisonment. Rambouillet received the
sentence without protest, acknowledg-
ing the offense imputed to him, and re-
solving to turn over q new leaf. he
kept his pledge, and from 1850 to 1870
he laid himself open to no reproach.
He seemed bent on blotting out By bus
good conduct the stigma OF his con-
demnation. When he met the game
keeper he avoided looking at him, not
with the air of man harboring o grudge,
but Like a man prevented by shamefrom
elncounteIing the witness of bis fault.
If was observed, however, that he often
isolated himself from others, and fre-
ouently passed his, time in wandering
about the fields without its being known
whittier be directed his steps. This also
was attributed to regret for his delin-
ouency. he regained public esteem,
and his son married honorably.
Strange to say, Rambouillet was gov
erned for twenty years by single idea,
that of vengeance. His apparent con-
triton, the rectitude of his conduct, his
sadness, and his gestures, were all d.
rected toward one aim--vengeance. For
twenty wears, morning, noon, and night,
he lay wait for the gamekeeper against
whom he had vowed vengeance, and for
twenty years that vengeance escaped
him. 10 'r s.st -aes -! - .aIf'.
In 1870 the war broke out, tie Hante
Marne was invaded, the forest in which
the gamekeeper lived was occupied by
the German troops. One December
night. Rambouiilet, whom every one
supposed to be- at q distance from the
neiehborhood. took his gun, skunk from
tree to tree through the Germans occu-
pying the forest, and, at the risk OF be-
ing captured and shot, facing the great.
est perils, and rosortinge to the Saost
audacious stratagems, creeping almost
on level with the ground, he succeeded
in reaching the gamekeeper's lonely cot.
tage. There was q light in the window.
The garnekeeper and his wife, lost in
this solitude, amid hostile Troops, were
seated side by side. Rapbouillet
watched them some time through the
clearing surrounding the cottage. The
eamekeeper remained motionless by his
wife in. spite of the furious barking OF
his dogs, for since the enemy had occu-
pied the forest, the dogs had always
baiked every might. Rambouillet
raised his gun, took o careful aim, and
fred. Two despairing cries were
uttered inside the cottage, the dogs re-
doubled their noise, all around distant
calls of 90 JVoher do ~ were heard, and
Rambouillet hurried along the paths,
escaped, and disappeared m from the dis
The next day It was told how the Ger
mans had killed the gamekeeper g wife,
and all the neighborhood mustered at
her funeral. ,ea 5q4sl .1a 4-5E
Peace wagsigned ,Rambouillet re-
sumed his former life. The occupation
ceased, and then everybody ventured to
express the horror excited by 80 coward
ly q crime committed against woman
sitting peaceably at her hearth. Ram
bouillet had become more gloomy. A
gnawing despair had penetrated hls
heart. He had committed useless
crime. Not only had his vengeance
escaped him, but he felt that any at
tempt against the gamekeeper would
recall attention to the crime of 1870 and
would divert suspicion from the German
soldiers. His irritation increased every
dsy, and often, found vent In threats
against those around him. A few weeks
ago one of these scenes was repeated
between Rambouillet and his own
daughter. "Ah, yes" exclaimed the
latter, "you want to serve mo as you
served Tive gamekeeper's wife but
am not afraid Of you" Ramboulliet
finched. The conversation became
known and reached the ears OF Justice.
Rambouillet was arrested, convicted,
condemned to death. The jury answered
every question put to them Affirmative
ly, and without extenuatiDg circun,
stances. They felt that man who had
plotted revenge for twenty years must oI,
have acted with premeditatlon. Inc
prisoners counsel had, OF course, urged
as an e1tenuating circumstance that ne
mistook his victim.
y-s New York Cattle Market. a.i !