The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-31
TIE CRIME OF COURTADE

The Court Of AsslzeS OF Gers, In the south
OF Franco has Just held a murder trial of extra
ordinary interest.
In the village OF Plaisancc dwclt NJ. Duhn,
occupying the ground floor Of his house. whose
first story above he let TO a tenant named Cour
tadc. man Of violent temper. an ugly neigh
Dor. and bad pay. Courtado was always in
hot water with ". Dulln. who at last gave
him warming. Courtadc refused to obey
this notice TO quit. brought suit instead against
his landlord. and persuaded the Justice of the
Peace. tho bailifT. Burgan, and the Recorder
Lasserrc. to visit the house TO make n per-
sonal examination of his grounds Of complaint.
The party of five. consisting OF the tenant. tho
landlord. and the three court officers repaired
to the house, under the leadership OF the for
NOR. who leaving them in the yard on some
excuse, went into the house. from which he i'm
mediately reappeared, armed with q couple OF
guns and n revolver.
We are on the battlefield" he shouted and
here we must die These two. pointing to the
guns. are for you. and this other for me-
Sec herer said the Justice. putting his
hand on Courtade's shoulder. you're not q
child. Put down those thingsl" Courtade
tucked one OF the guns under his arm. brought
down the other TO an aim and stretched dead
M. Duln and the Justicee Dropping that gun,
he then fired one barrel OF the other at the un-
lucky bailiff. the charge taking effect in the
shoulder, while he emptied the second barrel
into the ribs OF the Recorder Lasserrc, who had
run some yards away. With his revolver Cour-
tade next finished Burgan. who was begging
mercy on his knees. BY this time the Recorder.
fatally hurt as he was. had crawlcd behind
tree on the road.
80 you're hiding. -" cried Courtade. az
he walked up and gave his shrinking victim n
shot from each eide OF the tree. Then. holding
his revolver up. he said; You're all dead
Rest In peacel I've got n gun left for myself"
With that he coolly walked back to the house.
Tho hapless widow OF Duin saw him coming.
and locked her door. Courtado approached
with friendly gesture Il don't want to kill
you. he said: and with those words. resting
his revolver on the window SILL took aim at the
covering woman, striking her In the left hip
She fell to the floor upon her baby. whom she
had been holding in her arms and whose wrap
pings were torn by the discharge. Courtade
then entered by the window. and finding that
the woman did not stir. said: Good enough
You've got your pay; now. I'll take minem
With that he rushed up stairs to his chamber
All this had happened in far less time than it
takes TO record, so that the noise OF the firing
had already brought the police to the house. A
last shot was heard from Courtade's chamber
as the gendarmes, breaking in his door found
him stretched. horribly mangled and drenchcd
In blood. on his bed, having blown of a part Of
his skull with a gun so arranged that he could
pull the trigger with his foot.
The victims below were hurriedy examined
Tho landlord the Justice. and the bailifr were
dead; the Recorder almost at his last gasp-he
survived quarter Of an hour. muttering few
unintelligible words. But Nine. Dulin, saved
by her sclf-control. was alive-she and her babe,
who was unframed. erwounds at last healed.
and 1t was she who described this terrible scene
OF carnage. when Courtade-who also. to the
wonder Of everybody recovered-was tried for
murder at Auch.
On the 18th Of tho present month this trial
began. before a vast audience. The Procureur-
General. Diflre. came over from Agen to per-
sonally conduct the prosecution. A distinguish
ed advocate. Corrcnt de Labadie. was engaged
to aid the defence. Tho prosecution accounted
FOR the awful crime by showing that Courtadc
had had from boyhood an ungovernable temper
He served in the army. and ON his discharge
took position A. gamckceper. in which his life
was one Of illoncss and disorder. His way
wardness. inability To brook contradiction, and
iright'ul lapscs into rage terrified everybody.
His half solitary life In the woods increased his
Ill humor and his misanthrOpy. He was always
talking of killing somebody, and turned his
apartments into a sort Of arsenal, whore he was
forever furnishing and practising with his
weapons. Once. in q III Of anger. he took aim
at his own mother. but spared her. II he
missed a shot at an animal. he would fire the
other barrel at tree or into his hound Still
he seems 10 have had a domoniac coolnoss in
tho massacre at piaisance for Nine. Dulin
described him rs being perfectly calm while
killing his victims.
II further appeared in evidence that Courtadc
had often threatened Duln that he would "nx
him. and that he would settle the court
officers. lie said on one occasion that there
would soon bc something for tho plaisancc poo
lie 20 talk about. the like IL which hadn't been
seen since the crucifNion; and il he couldn't
got Justice from the court he would have it c,s-
where.
The defence accepted most Of tho prosocu-
tons theory. bat pushed il into ono OF rrotec-
ton. Couriadcs rage they said. was the rage
of n madman-hc was the victim Of uneon-
trollahle fury. not n responsible being. II was
also shown that Courtadc had been subject to
cpirptic nts, which presumably had affected
his mind. Courtadc himself was examined in
court, according to the French custom in muir
der trials. but with his horrible mutilation
which had carried away part Of his jaw. he spoke
SO unintelligibly that one Of the ailers. who had
made a special study of his broken language
was forced 10 act as interpreter.
At G O'Clock on the evening OF the 18th Of July
the Jury brought IN their verdict OF guilty. and
Courtade WAS condemned to death.
Grant 60 he the Republican Candidate.
Non az hsfrioe rh Ea''g 4. Sor,sl, NE o,o,r m.
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