The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-10-09

Yet here IN NO. was his travelling
cap!
Some one then bethought him of the
great trunk sent in the name of Morel
to the Office of the Messageries Generates
for transmission to Toulouse. The Pro-
cureur at once decided upon the seizure
of this trunk, which still remained at the
coach-office. Forcibly opened, the trunk
disclosed q dreadful sight. Mutilated
human remains, which could still be
identified as those of the missing BOis-
SELLER, were found closely wrapped in
the packing cloth purchased by M0ntely.
The Doctors Payen and Corbin proceed
ed to an examination of the BODY They
decided that death had resulted from a
wide, deep wound in the neck, so sud
denly inflicted that the sufferer had
probably been unable to articulate a
sound, although some movement of his
limbs still might have been possible to
him. The body had not been undressed :;
the limbs had been rudely hacked off
after death. The clothes were recog-
nized as those worn by Boissellier on
the morning of the 21st. The face had
been disfigured bywounds inflicted after
death, as though to prevent identifica-
ton. Upon the left arm appeared a
wOman's face tattoOed in red and blue
Boissellier was known to be tattoOed in
that fashion. And it appeared that
MOntely was similarly tattoOed.
In February, 1S43, Francois MOntely
was brought to trial for the murder of
Andre BOissellier, and for robbing the
Bank of Orleans of eight thousand three
hundred and ten francs.
The accused was 26 years of age, low
of stature, thick-set, of dark complexion
=" lie front deprime, l'eil dur ct
Oblique.' He was dressed in black, and
wore mustache.
He professed perfect innocence, and
met the statements of the witnesses with
positive denial. In the course of the
trial, however, he declared that he would
confess the whole truth. He had lent
money, he said, to Boissellier, three
hundred francs in all. Boissellier had
begged that his wife might not be told
of the transaction. He. the accused,
had iourneyed to Orleans to obtain pay
ment of the amount due to him. "When
BOissellier came to me at the Hotel de
PEurOpe, he brought no money. l had
been shaving, and had cut myself acci-
dentally with the razor; blood flowed
from the wound. Boissellier, having his
bills in his hand, said: l have no money,
but 1 have a cousin, bOok-binder, who
viii perhaps lend me some l said to
MN bllelO IlC AdlADCu 10 Dub 4llC OH, us ne
had put me off before, and / snatched
from him the bills; in this way two of
them were torn. / threatened him that
1 would tell his wife and the manager
of the bank. He took up my razor and
said, If you do, III kill myself l
moved away for a moment. He uttered
a cry. I turned, and saw he had cut
his throat. l struggled with him for the
razor, which he still held firmly in his
hand"
MOntely went on to state that he lost
his senses, that he knew not what he
did, when he found that Boissellier had
killed himself. He then took possession
of the dead mans bills, and purchased
the knife, not to commit a murder, for
BOissellier was already dead, but to cut
up the body, so that it might be packed
in the trunk. The cutler was mistaken,
he persisted. The carving-knife had
been purchased, not between 8 and 9 in
the morning, but at noon; not before
| but after the death of BOissellier
DR.. COrbin was called. Could the IA
tai wound have been inflicted by means
of razorP 1t was possible, he said;
but the knife seemed to him a more like
| ly instrument. In any case, he judged
the instrument had not been welded by
the deceased's own hand. Was it pos
sible, suppOsing that Boissellier had
committed suicide, that he could have
retained in his hand the instrument of
his crime? DIR. COrbin thought that was
impossible. Great loss of blood would
Immediately ensue from such wound,
and the mans strength would at once
fail him. He could not have retained
his hold of the razor. The Doctor held
the suicide of Boissellier to be impos-
sible.
Jean Baptiste Frimault gave evidence:
He was 80. He had known Montely
since 1880. They had been fellow-sol-
diers in the Goth regiment of the line.
They had been two years in Africa;
MOntely had been Sergeant of his com
pany. Witness and BoisseIlier had
been as brothers together. Witness did
not believe that BOissellier was in debt;
knew nothing of his borrowing money of
MOntely. Boissellier was not at all
likely man to commit suicide; he was
! cheerful and calm and strOng-minded.
g No more easily intimidated than l am
myself" said the witness, in a loud,
firm tone. He did not believe that Bois-
SELLER committed suicide, or that he was
pressed for money. eff he wanted
money, he would have come to me. l
would readily have lent him some.''
The advocates of the accused insisted
that his statement was reasonable and
credible enough. There was no direct
evidence of the commission of a muir
der. No witness had been present at
the death of Boissellier, or could say
positively how he died. His death by
suicide was possible. The evidence of
premeditation was imperfect. Monte
ly's proceedings had not been of a fur
tive character; he had appeared public
ly in Orleans, as though counting recog-
milton on all sides. Stress was laid upon
Motely's good character as a soldier.
He had conducted himself always with
great gallantry. At the risk of his own
life he had once cOurageously avenged
the death of a comrade. He had killed
a murderOus Arab, an enemy of France,
and carried away his poniard and yata-
CHAN. The pOniard was produced in
court, and exhibited to the jury. The
yataghan, it was stated, had been pre-
sented by Montely to NJ. Marcellary, his
commanding officer. Montely was a
man of an affectiOnate nature. He was
fondly loved by his second wife; he was
tenderly regarded, highly esteemed, bv
, the relations of his first wife. Let
ters, abounding in the kindest ex-
pressions, addressed to him in prison
by various members of his family, were
openly read in court, in order to demon
stTate his amiability and gentleness of
character. An impassiOned speech on
his behalf by NJ. Johannet of Paris, con-
cluded with an appeal to the jury, even
though they might believe the accused
guilty, to preserve his life, TO give him
f an opportunity for repentance in remit
ting him to penal servitude for the re-