The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-07-17
An Extraordinary Murder Trial.

All
One of the most interesting and rcmarka-
Bile murder eases of recent years interest
ing from the circumstances and the theatre
of the crime remarkable from the peculiar
manner in which the trial las been conducted
has just been concluded at Botzcn in the
Austrian Tyrol. Ii WAS the trial of HENRI DE
TouIvILLE, an English balr-ter Il native
Of France but naturalizcd in Great Britain,
for the murder of his wife, an English wo-
man. in an Alpine raVinc. He had been
brought from England under an cXtraditiun
warrant issued 10y the Austrian authorities.
The tragedy occurred near the StclNiO
pass, on the road from FranzonSh0he to
Trafoi, on July H. 1876. "A fine clear day. On
that afternoon DE- ToUkyILLH came alone
10 the inn at the lnst-nanei village. and
told the hostess that his wife had fallen and
injured herself ON the road. After some de-
lay he procured carriage and. acconpa-
MED by several mon, drove t. the scene of
the alleged accident. While at the inn hc
did not appear to be in any haste
10 return for his wife, and his Whole
manner bctokcned extreme Indifference.
ZoLLNER, Custom House officer, ON their
reaching the mountain side asked where hi,
wife was De TOuEvILLE replied " Beside
the red stones but when they came to them
hc said Higher up" Her body wa dis
covered some distance down the slope Of the
ravne When inform, | OF its discovery h"
leaned back in the carriage and displayed
no emotion. lie was arrested and taken to
Spending. On being examined the next
morning lac said his wife had always been
subject To giddincss, and on this occasion
had slipped and fallen some feet He lett her
leaning against tree, bleeding a little
from the forehead, when he started 10 Ira-
fol for the carriage.
A judicial Commission arrived from Bot
zen. and, taking De ToURvILLE along, went
10 inspect the place. The slope, which il
but gradual, was covered with large sharp
stones. Between the spot where her hat was
found AMI the tree pointed out 10y her hus-
band were traces Of blood One gold ear
ring was near the hat, the other by the tree,
Traces Of blood were to be- seen for 2lj feet
down to small level, and thence CA the lril
lo q little inclined grassy slope. The grass
was pressed down A. though heavy hrly
had been dragged ove. IL. The laudlr O.! hrl
parasol was found here. On tine dead Wo-
mans head wcre eight wounds, five ol them
being on the ion 'heid, while there wcr,
many bruises and abra-ions on the knees
shoulders and arms, and a displacement %
the joints Of both arms.
On his subsequent examination before 9
Commission, DE roUHvILLE changed hi- cN
planation of his wiir'7 death, asserting that
it was not the result of an accident, but thai
she had committed suicide, in order TO aNoi'
being compelled to give her evidence in
divorce suit then pending in England. ll'
stated in hi- deposition that hi, wife fl
dizzy AT the sharp winnings Of the road itn'
insisted ON walking. The road WA ~liupery
and hc urged her To get again into the car
rlagc She preferred to walk, and the couch
man was sent hNek There was no wall 4
prevent a person from falling over. lie saw
his wife suddenly fall down, head foremost
and roll down thc slope She fell from ahnu
the height of the iirot story OF It house II
cambcrcd down toher, and found Sine wa
only slightly injured, although thrre wa
blood on her forehead. They then walk"
on toward Trafoi for some twenty minute.
whon she complained Of feeling tired, am
leaned agansta stone post. While he WI
looking around for carriage he heard Tia
noise of rolling stones, ami on turning -p'
hls wife rolling down again, some 10 feet
until the stump OF a tree stopped her. Goln
b. her and hitting her up, lac saw she had ~
ociv"'l "a more serious wound on the fore
head and sine complained that her left arr
WAS hrok"n. A--Ac blrd plolusoly. he FINAL
concluded togo Z, rn'M for hrlp. Ecfr
leaving hor hra-,od merit, -,y,lr-hr.w oul
I.muu whor' st" W4 wfu he returned
Her only answer Wi, "Aoe" lie nevc