The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-03-29


ing, and that he sauntered in the direc
tion of Madeleine's house; this was al
nine o'clock. Twenty minutes later, he
called on friend who lived but short
distance from her residence. Here the
evidence utterly failed, and left a blank
for four hours and half.
At two in the morning, LAngele,
was found at his own door writhing and
speechless; and in few hours he was
dead. The autopsy betrayed large
quantity Of arsenic in his body. But,
between twenty minutes past nine and
two, no human being could depose to
having laid eyes on him. Madeleine
herself denied that she saw him at all
that night; nor Was the slightest proof
forthcoming that she did. She was put
on trial for the murder Of L'Angelier;
and, although her desire to get rid OF
him-that is, motive; her purchase OF
arsenic-that is, possession of an instru-
ment similar to that which was found
to have been fatal; and her notes of
invitation-that is, fact from which a
strong probability of meeting between
them that night was established-were
fully proved, the absence of all proof of
actual opportunity to commit the
deed availed to save the prisoners life.
She said, in effect: "I was at my
house, and can prove it; he was aot
there, for I defy you to prove it; there
fore I have an alibi. D." The Scottish
verdict of "not proven set her free,
but did not clear her of the stain of
deep suspicion.
The story of the Danish pastor, Soren
Qvist, is one of the most touchingly
tragic in judicial records; and once more
exemplifes Paul Feval's complaint that
Justice is sometimes too quick to seize
upon appearances, and neglect the sup
position OF fabricated evidence. Soren
was clergyman of middle age, settled
over small, primitive parish in Jut-
land. Pure and irreproachable in char
acter, genial, generous, and devout, he
was cursed with a fiery and ungovern-
able temper; yet he was universally re-
vered; and varied his pastoral cares, as
is not unfrequent in Scandinavian coun-
tries, by cultivating a modest farm. he
had daughter, gentle and comely. A
farmer in neighboring village, one
Morten Bruins, well off but of bad repu-
tation, sought this daughterin marriage,
but was rejected both by her and by the
pastor. -.
Soon after brother of his, Niels
Bruins, entered the pastors service as a
farm hand. Niels was lazy, impudent,
and quarrelsome, and frequent alterca-
tions occurred between him and his mas
ter. One day Soren found the man
idling in the garden. A quarrel ensued,
when the pastor. his hot temper getting
the better OF him, struck Niels several
times with spade, saying: CT will
beat thee, dog, until thou iest dead at
my feet p The man then jumped up
and ran off into the woods, and was not
seen again. The rejected suitor Morten,
after his brother had thus mysteriously
disappeared, boldly charged the pastor
with the crime, and offered to produce
convincing proofs of the fact. Soren
was therefore arraigned, when the fol-
lowing evidence was arrayed against
him. A man testified that, on the night
after the quarrel, he saw the parson, in
his green dressing gown and white tenight-
cap, digging hard in the garden. 1t was
also proved that, search having been
made in the garden, q body had been un-
earthed, undoubtedly that of Niels, with
his clothes and earrings upon it. A
servant girl testified not only to having
heard Soren re- peatedly threaten to kill
Niels, but to having seen the parson go
out into the garden on the fatal night,
in bis green dressing gown and night
cap. Still stronger evidence was pro-
duced to the effect that the parson had
been seen, in his green dressing gown
and nightcap, carrying heavy sack
from the wood near by into the garden.
The chain of evidence was apparently
complete against Soren; and the poor
parson now sealed his own fate: by de-
claring that he believed he had killed
Niels, though unconsciously. He stated
that he was wont to walk in his sleep.
He had found texts, written sermons and
visited his church in state of somnam-
bulism. He must, therefore, have found
the man dead in the wood while thus un-
conscious, and have buried him while in
this condition. To be brief, Soren was
found guilty and executed. 49,
Twenty years after, Niels Bruins
turned up again, alive and well, grown
now old and gray. He recoun ed how
his brother Morten (now dead) had con-
cocted plot to fasten the crime of muir
der on the pastor, in revenge for the re-
lection of his suit. A body had been
disinterred and dressed in Niels' clothes;
the dressing gown and nightcaphad been
abstracted, used as we have seen, and re-
placed; Morten, dressed in them, had
brought the corpse in the sack, and
buried it in the garden; and then, his
plot carried out, he had given Niels q
purse and bid him begone, and not to re-
turn, or his life should answer for it.
Niels had kept out Of the way till Nor.
tens death, and had now returned
with this terrible tale.