Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-24
The Abhe Auriol's Crimes. rErnnn the Inndnn Daily Newa


 The trial at Perpignan of the Abbe Auriol, which has ilst resulted in the sentence of the accused to penal servituds for life, reveals an extraordinary picture of depravlty. At first the case assumed the form of simple charge of improprety of conduct, Auriol having been detected in certain familiarities with his misstess, Alexandria Nernet, with whom he WAS travelling by railway in the direction of the Spanish frontier. His sacerdotal func tions and identity having been discovered in spite of the false whiskers and the civil at tire which he had assumed an inquiry was instituted, and it was found that the inhabi- tants of the little parish of Nohedes, of which he was the Cure, had already commenced an investigation into graver matters in which he had been involved. AurioPs relations with the woman Vernet, who was the parish Cor rather communaI schoolmistress, had al- ready attracted some attention, insomuch that she had been induced to exchange her post for that of schoolmstress in village at some distance. Auriol had, however, still found means by the aid of his disguise to ob- tain clandestine interviews with her in the neighboring town of Trades, besides main taining a correspondence with her which was carried on in cipher. According to his own admissions before the Judges of the Criminal Court he had originally obtained ascendancy over Mile. Vernet by showing her a pretend ed canonical dispensanon for his marriage with her, which he had forged for the pur- pose but after the revelation of the fraud she appears to have consented to become his mistress. Having finally determined to elope with her, Auriol, according to his own con fession, conceived the idea of obtaining funds for the purpose by poisoning two un- married ladies. Marie and Rose Funda), iv- ing in Nohedes, described as ''pious persons" " over whom he possessed sufficient influence to induce them to bequsath to him the whole of their little property. Marie Funda, who was 43 years of age, and was the elder of the two, died on the 18th of July of last year very suddenly, about half an hour after talk ing a certain potion which Aurlol had pre- pared and administered to her, no medical man having been called in by him from first to last Though the circumstances of her death were something more than suspicious, they do not appear to have excited the least suspicion in the mind of her younger sister, who, being entirely under the influence of the Cure,' was induced by him shortly after ward to take up her abode at his house.
 Only one month after her sisters death Rose Funda, at the pressing instance of Au- riol, attended before a public notary at Per pignan, where she in like manner made a will constituting the Abbe her universal legatee. Only fortnight later, that is, on the 3Oth of August-ths second victim, having partaken of drink administered to her by Auriol, died also very suddenly, with all the symptoms of hritant poison. Notwithstanding these strange circumstances, however, no steps were taken toward an inquiry until three weeks after the last murder. Auriol when arrested was in the act of flight, having that same morning realized the whole of their property, which enabled him to take with him a sum of II, 2Glf. The accused, who is described as a tall, robust man, 2S years of age, with a round face, fresh color, and bright eyes, seems to have lost elf-possession under the preliminary private examinations, and, in despair the contradictions in which his re- plies had involved him, he made a voluntary confession of his crimes. He afterward stated that Marie Funda poisoned by him with white bellebore, prepared from tho herb common in that country, and her un- fortunate sister Rose with Prussic acid, a quantity of which found in bot tie in the portmanteau with which he was travelling when arrested. The post morton examination failed to discover traces of poi son in either of the bodies, which had been exhumed for the purpose but the medical testimony was to the effect that there was, ander the circumstances, nothing remarkable in the fact that the poisons mentioned left no trace. The accused, however, embolden- ed apparently by this circumstance, with drew his confession, and declared that he had accused himself of imaginary crimes by way of sort of expiation He also denied the al legged impropriety of his relations with Alex 1 andrine Vernet, and declared that he had | been the victim of the calumnies of Radical and Republican enemies in his neighborhood | The evidence of the witnesses, however, es tablished beyond doubt the fact of the mur- | ders and of the cruel deliberation with which they were carried out, besides which note { in cipher, in .Auriol's hand, was produced
 in which, addressing his mistress at the time
 of one of the murders, he wrote: My be loved: Will made. She has been taken 1T
 since All going we'll" Beyond this noth | ing transpired to show that his mistress wa. 1 oognizant of his crimes. Immediately after
 his arrest she disappeared, and is stated tC l have entered a convent Other accounts
 however, affirm that she Is now in Spain, ant l all that is really known is that, having signi | fled desire to enter 6 convent, she was hur
 riedly taken to Toulouse by the Abbe Daries | Cure of St Vincent, at Carcassone Thi
 witness sharply reproved by the presi | dent of the court for thus aiding young wo
 man to leave the pat ternal roof and abscon( l under such circumstances the president add
 ing that such incidents were ''of too common | occurrence"