The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-30
FRENCH JUSTICE.

trates the manner in which justice is ad-
ministered in that blessed country. Moy-
aux, "the assassin of Bagneux,' as he is
called from the scene of his crime, was
tried two weeks ago. He was some thirty
years of age and, from being carter, had
graduated at an institution, peculiarly
French, where goods are sold on credit,
Customers paid by installments, one-half of
the price of goods they wished to pur-
chase, and were then furnished an order
which enabled them to obtain the goods of
any house connected with the institution,
receiving long credit for the balance.
Moyaux had been connected Herewith but
short time when he conceived plan by
which he might better his condition and
by long practice succeeded in producing
tolerabe forgeries OF these orders which he
compelled his wife, unwillingly it is said,
to dispose Of TO customers. After forging
some seven thousand dollars worth of these
orders, only a small amount of which,
however, be had succeeded In negotiating,
his wife, by his consent, comes to the
United States to attend the centennial ex-
position, accompanying man by the name
of Ciespn, ostensibly as a servant, and re-
ceiving from her husband an "authoriza-
ton to travel" as required by the French
law.
During her absence in the United States
he determined never to live with her again,
and on her return, and gong to see their
child, threatened to kill her If she at
tempted to interfere with it. The mother
thereupon threatened TO denounce him for
forgery, and he fed the country, forming
an intimacy while abroad, with girl
named Decrucq, who returned with him,
and whom he endeavored 10 persuade TO
take care of the child, but she refused and
soon after returned to her own country.
He then seems 10 have determined to MUIR
der the cbild,-a little girl of four years
either to rid himself of it, or to revenge
himself on her mother Accordingly lit
tie before midnight he took the child, while
sleeping, from the house of an acquain-
lance, where he had passed the evening
in playing billiards-carried the child some
distance, being occupied two hours in the
journey, and dropped the infant, still fast
asleep, down dry AID nused well usome
thirty metres deep.
The child was not killed by the fall, and
was not even rendered unconscious, al
though one of the legs was broken and
other terrible injuries were received. For
three hours the unnatural father remained
over the brink of the we'll listening to the
child's cries of agony-her "bellowing," as
he expressed it-until daylight coming on
he made his escape. For nearly twenty
four hours more the child remained suffer-
ing the most horrible agony, until its pite-
Gus groans attracted the attention of
passer by, and it was rescued, unconscious
at last, taken to hospital where 1t died
shortly after. The child was recognized
by the grandfather, who denounced Moy-
aux as the murderer, and for ten days the
police were after him, but he succeeded in
eluding them, seeking out his wife, and
making desperate attempt to murder her,
and then by brandshing and firing his re-
volver terrifying the crowd which had
gathered to arrest him, and again making
his escape.
A month after the murder be was ar
rested, his trial commencing May IA. Upon
the trial, the facts which we have mention
ed were all brought out, not only by his
own confession, but by other competent
testimony, and the only defense ventured
was that the misconduct of his wife had
ruined his happiness and made him 80 deg
perate that he was no longer fully respon-
sible for his actions-the old plea of enc
tional insanity over again-and the jury,
after two hours elaboration, found him
guilty with extenusting circumstances"
and SO he escaped the guillotine, and was
sentenced to penal servitude for life, with
the chance, of course-and most excel
lent one it would be in this country-of
being pardoned after five or ten years, if
he does not escape before.
French justice, in its result, is after all
very much like Vermont justice-the only
difference being that there courts and jurors
find the extenuating circumstance"
whether they exist or not, while here courts
and jurors generally do their duty, and the
"extenuating circumstances" are in nearly
every case found to exist by governors and
Legislatures without the least regard to
facts.