New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-24
SAVED FROM The GUILLOTINE,

"
Tropmann, 10 1854 in fact that the good
people of Guienne and Auver1ne were hor
rifed by the brutal and unaccOuntable muir.
der of Nine. Lucie Mounin by her husband,
NJ. Amedee Mounin. In Figeac, more par.
tlcularly, this terrible deed caused q great
sensation and many painful feelings. Mile.
Lucie BrOussac was the daughter of the
principal proprietaire of all that region, and
not less because of her beauty and amisbil-
ity than because she was the daughter of
Br0ussac of Cahors sur Tsrn, and mistress
of dot that was enviable in it's size, Lucie
had for several years been the toast and the
favorite of al that region. She was barely
(her mother being dead, she was not edu-
Gated at home, when NJ. Mounin bought the
chateau of Les Buttes- Cevennes, charm
ing property, but rather dismal house, ad-
joining the Cshors estate, from which it
was separated by q rocky ravine thickly
grown up with frs. MOunin was native
of Lson. who had enriched himself at the
BOurse OF Paris-a man forty years old, of
distinguished presence and some reserve of
manner, which he accounted for and OK.
cused on the plea of delicate health, which
made it necessary for him to give up bust.
ness and reside in the country. He became
at once an ardent sutton for Mile Brous-
sac's hand. She conceived an immediate
interest in the handsome, intelligent and
rather melancholy newcomer, and was mis-
tress Of Les Buttes Cevennes before the
year as out. Before her eighteenth birth
day, and when she had not been married
quite tour months, she was murdered.
A remarkable thing about this business
was that NJ. Mounin, while scarcely deny
ing the murder, and in no way trying to
mitigate the atr0city of it or explain it at
all, made no defense. The Procureur and
the AvOcat. General, in COL junction with
NJ. Broussac, left no stone unturned to as
sure MOunin's conviction; but Mounin,
hough perfectly rational on all other sub.
] els, peremptorily refused to employ coun-
=, prepare his defense, or talk about the
.'ase in any way. Finally, his business at
rnrney in Figeac, NJ. Andryane, after ascer-
timing that Mounin had no near relatives
except cousin living in Pernambuco, de-
termined to secure an advocate for him in |
spite Of his refusal to have one. He &C.
cCrdingly sent to Paris and retained the |
eminent Maitre x-Colmsche, then in |
the early spring of his reputation. Maitre |
Botlex, after four interviews with his re-
calcitrant c!ieLt, sent for M. Andryane and |
said to him.
IN. M0unin is undoubtedly insane, but |
he has cunning and self-control enough to |
conceal it. He may even keep it from his |
own consciousness. Unless We can cot the |
fact Of his insanity very plainly before the
court the people Of Figeac are 90 deeply ex- |
convicted and guiilotined. Try to find out
all you can about Mounin before the day of
trial"
M. Andryane went up to Paris with Maitre
Botlex COlmache, and called upon M.
Leulet, who was at that time Project of
Police. Leuret promised to look into the |
matter. This was on November %. The
day or two before this date, called to see tho
distinguished Doctor Max Parchappe, the
great neurological pathologist, at that time
consulting surgeon at Clarendon, one
Of the regular staff in the insane
department at Bicetre, and editor of the
Recue Medicale. Leuret asked NJ. Par
chappe whether he had not, some seven teen
years ago, been in charge of maison de
sdnte near SoissOne, where he had had q |
patient named Amedee Mounin. NJ Par
chappe answered Yes" What was the
nature of NJ. Mounin's disease!" '.Hallu-
cination." WAS he cured :" ''He was re-
lieved-" "But liable to a return of the
stfliction y Collaboration is always liable
to come back "Well, M. MOunin is about
nation has returned-he will certainly be
guillotined unless the fact can be proved"
'Ah, that must be.prevented," said M. Par
chappe; "in the cause of humanity, and
equally in the cause of science. 1t is a re- L
lection upon the faithfulness and sag acity
# my diagnosis to guillotine one of my q
atie1ts." =
The session of the co,tr in'pe,4alc at Figesc
egan on December 9, under circumstances
+ unusual interest. There was Q great Il
oncourse Of spectators, and the feeling
mong them was very intense against
1ounin. His trial began on the morning of :,
he tenth. and proceeded rapidly. The !.
who was quiet, composed, atten. U
i've and respectful, said that he was not
utility, but, if he had committed any crime, 81
Q was willing to be punished for it, and
OF willing to seek to escape under cover Of n
be technicalities of the law or the ingenu- | Q,
y of counsel. He denied that Maitre Bot.
x was advocate of his, and refused TO | "
with that gentleman. The
,urt, after demonstrating with HIM in vain, pl
titled the matter by appointing M. Botlex in
conduct the defense, and after brief til
insulation between that gentleman and sc
N. Leuret Andryane and Parchsppe the 81
SO was opened.
1t opened, proceeded and promised to NJ
i'd very badly for the prisoner. The wit M
sssee, besides the servants Of the chateau, ia
70 surgeons and NJ. Croussac, comprised az
good number of the neighbOrs of Cshors CO
ID Les Buttes Cevennes, who were ex- th
mined to prove not only the amiability of fe
3 murdered woman and her affection for vo
+ destroyer, but also his sanity and to
tirely rational condition ct the time of
J murder. The proof Of the act and that
,unin did it were conclusive. Nine. to
,unin had been stabbed in her sleep,
lie lying partly undressed upon the bed. i'm
was probable that she was inseneible
N the effects Of chloroform ct the instant va
The assassination. She was lying st the
q of the bed, partly upon her left side,
the fatal thrust-there was but one IN
been given with anatomical precision o.
. surgeons dexterity. Tho instru- en-
1t of death was . p0niard with IN uo
9 like razor and long, narrow blade. Ne
surgeon who made the autopsy hlled na
courtroom with thrill Of horror, and on