The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-04-13

this was at nine o'clock. twenty mn.
utes later, he called on friend who hYeo
but short distance from her residence.
Here the evidence utterly failed, and lett
blank for four hours and half
At two in the morning, IAngeber
was found at his own door writhing and
speechless; and in a few hours ne was
dead. The autopsy betrayed a large
ouantitv 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 the trial for the murder of LAngelier;
and. although her desire to get rid OF
him-that is, a 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
invftation-that is, a fact from which a
strong probability of a 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: ~ was at my house, and
can prove it; he was not there, for l
defy you to prove it; therefore l have
an alibi." The Scottish verdict Of mot
rroven" set her free, but did not clear
her of the stain of deep suspicion.
The story of the Danish pastor, Soren
Ouist, is one of the most touchingIy
tragic in judicial records; and once more
exemplifes Paul Fevals complaint that
Justice is sometimes too quick to seize
upon appearances, and neglect the sup
position of fabricated evidence. Soren
was a clergyman of middle age, settled
over a small, primitive parish in Jut-
land. Pure and irreproachable in char
acter, genial, generous, and deVout, he
was cursed with 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 modest farm. He
had daughter, gentle and comedy. A
farmer in a neighboring village, one
Morten Bruins, we'll off but of bad repu-
tation, sought this daughter in marriage,
but was rejected both by her and by the
pastor.
Soon after a brother of his, Niels
Bruins, entered the pastors service as a
farm hand. Niels was lazy, impudent,
and quarrelseme, 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: II will beat thee,
log, until thou lest dead at my feet!"
The man then jumped up and ran off
INTO the woods, and was not seen again,
The rejected sutton, Morten, after mis-
brother had thus mysteriOusly disap-
peared, boldly charged the pastor with
the crime, and offered to produce con-
vincing proofs of the fact. Soren was
therefore arraigned, when the following
evidence was arrayed against him. A
man testified that, on the night after the
quarrel, he saw the parson, in his green
lressing-gown and white night-cap, dig
ging hard in the garden. 1t was also
proved that, search having been made
in the garden, a body had been unearth-
ed, undoubtedly that of Niels, with his
earrings upon it. A servant
girl testified not only to having heard
Soren repeatedly threaten to kill Niels,
but to having seen the parson go out into
the garden on the fatal night, in his
green dressing-gown and night-cap. Still
stronger evidence was produced to the
effect that the parson had been seen, in
his green dressing-gown and night.cap,
carrying a 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 declaring that he be-
lieved he had killed Niels, though I'M
consciously. He stated that he was wont
to talk in his sleep. He had found texts,
written sermons and visited his church
in state of sOmnambulism. He must,