The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-06-23
A Remarkable Crime.

A recent criminal trial i'll France has
attracted considerable attention, on &C
count of the atrocity of the deed COM
mitted and the singular incidents con-
nected with the crime Three bad fell
lows, by the names Of Aublin, Crochon,
and Bernard, were imprisoned at Loos,
near Lille, and while there the latter
told his companions of the location and
residence of Francis Meurant, the Col
lector of the Town of Sivry. On the
Goth of June, 1876, a person having bus
mess with Meurant went to his house,
and, upon entering, found in the kitchen
the body of Rosalie Brognez, who had
been stabbed in eighteen places, and in
the dining-room the unfortunate Collec-
tor, who was fearfully mangled, lying
dead. There was no clue to the perpe-
traitors of the crime, and for a time it
was a great mystery. Two strangers
were seen by few village, but the de-
scription of them was so imperfect that
the police were at loss for even the
DRY to start upon. The safe of the Col
lector was not robbed, and it was sup
posed at that time that the faithful SER
want was killed for refusing to yield the
secret of the lock.
In few days Bernard, who had sug-
gested the feasibility of the robbery, was
arrested, and he gave the names of the
two murderers, and shortly after hung
himself in prison. When they had dis
patched the two unfortunates, Aublin
and Crochon went to Brussels, and at
once laid their plans to escape to the
United States, though their deed had
been without pecuniary recompense.
Crochon sailed for Havre, but Aublin
was arrested at Liverpool, and while
travelling from Ostend to Brussels he
jumped from the cars and escaped. The
officer who had him in charge also
jumped while the cars were in rapid mo-
ton, and was killed. Aublin went at
once to Lille, where he was again ar
rested He denied the crime, and, as
there was no living witness of the deed,
it appeared impossible to convict him.
Fortunately, Crochon, after visiting the
United States, obtained a passport I'M
der the name Of Durante and returned
| to Havre, where he was arrested. The
police gave him to understand that
| Aublin had confessed, and he was soon
induced to give information, and, as is
| usual in such eases when the two were
confronted, they sought to make the
greater responsibility rest upon the
shoulders of the other. That one killed
the servant and the other the master,
was most probable.
The trial took place last month, and
Aublin was found guilty as the principal
and and sentenced to death, and Crochon
was sentenced to Imprisonment for life,
the jury having found some extenuating
circumstances. During the trial the
prosecuting officer gave great offense to
the jury by demanding of them the
heads of "these two murderers," and
possibly the jury resented this exhibit of
bad taste by giving him only one. The
two murderers were astonished during
the trial to hear the evidence given
which connected them with the crime,
but they were evidently somewhat in
censed when they heard that the safe
which they endeavored to break open
was not locked after all, and by the
opening of the door some hundred thou
sand francs could have been obtained.