Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-02-23
CIRCUNsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
How the Lady Mazel was Murdered o.
Sunday In pnris

woman of fashion called Lady Magel. Her
house was four stories nigh; on the ground
door was large servants hall, in which
was grand staircase and cupboard, where
the plate was locked up, of which one of
the chalnoermaids kept the key. In small
room pSrtitioned off from the ham sss,at the
valet ae chamber, whose name was Le Brun.
In The floor up ono pair of stairs was the
Iady's own chamber, which was in the front
of the house, and was the innermost of
three rooms from the grand staircase. The
key OF this chamber was usually taken out
of the taoor and laid on chair by the SER
Want who was last with her lady, and who,
paliing the door after her, shut it with q
spring, SO that it could not be opened from
without. In this chamber were two doors,
enc communicating with back staircase.
the other with a wardrobe, which opened
to the back stairs also,
The fourth story consisted of lofts and
granaries, whose doors were always open.
The cook and other servants slept below in
the stable.
On Sunday afternoon, the ~ Of Novem-
Der, LIE Brun, the valet, accompanied his
mistress to church, he himself going to an
other. Lady Mazel supped with the Able
Pouisra, who lived in the house, as usual,
and about eleven O'CLOCK went to her cham
Der, where she vas attended by her maids.
Before they left her LIE Brun came to the
door to receive his orders for the next day,
after Which one of the maids laid the kew of
the chamber door on the chair next to it:
they wentout. and LIE Brun, following them,
shut the door after him, and talked with
the maids few minutes, and then they
parted. he seenliag still very cheerful.
In the morning he went to market anil
was ]oeular and pleasant with everybody hn
met as was his usual manner. He Their
returned home and transacted his usual
business. At eight o'clock he expressed
surprise that his lady did not Sc! up, as size
usually arose att he went to his wife's
lodging, which was in the negh6orhood,
and told her that he was uneasy that his
3adys bell had notrung, and gave her sew
en- LOUIS 0ors and some crowns in gold,
which he dlsired her to lock up, and then
went home again and found the servants in
great consternatlon hearing nothing of
their lady, when one observed that he
feared she had been seized with apoplexy
or bleeding of the nose, to which she
was subject. lie Brun said: 1T must be
something worse; mymind misgives me,
for found the street door open last night
after AL she family were in bed but myself. i"
then sent for the lady's son, NJ. de Savon-
iert, who limited to LIE Bum his fear of an
apoplexy. LIE Brun said: 1T is certainly
worse, nay mind has been uneasy ever since
found the street door open last night after
the family were in bed" A smith being
now brought the door was broken open,
and LIE Brun entered first, nan to the bed.
and after calling several times, drew back
the curtains and said: "Oh, nv lady is
murdered" He then ran to the wardrobe
and took up the strong box, which being
heavy, he said: ''She has not been rob-
bed; how is this?"
A surgeon then examined the body, which
was covered with no less than ffty wounds
they found in the bed, which was full o.
blood, scrap of u cravat of coarse lace and
napkin made into q nightcap which was
bloody, and had the family mark on it; and
from the wounds in the lady's hands it ap-
peared she had struggled hard with the
murderer, which obliged him to cut the
muscles before he could disengage himself.
The bell strings were twisted around the
frame of the tester, so that they were out of
reach, and could rot ring. A claspknife
vas found in the ashes almost consumed
by the fire which had burned off all marks
of blood that might have been upon it; the
icy of the chamber was gone from the sea
by the door, but no marks Of violence hal
appeared on any of the doors, nor wele
there any signs of robbery, as large sum
OF money and all the iady's Jewels were
found in the strong box and other places,
Lie Brun being examined, said that after
ne left the maids on the stairs he went down
into the Kitchen; he laid his hat an the KEY
of the street door on the table, and sittina
down by the fire to warm himself fell
asleep; and he slept, as he thought, about
an hour, and going to lock the street door
he found 1t open; that he locked it. and
took the key with him to his chamber. Or
searching him they found in his pocket
key, the wards of which were newly filed
and made remarkably Large; and on trial il
was found to open the street door. the ante.
chamber, and both the doors in Lady Ma.
Eels chamber. On trying the bloody niaht.
cap on lie Bruins head it was found to Fl,
him exactly, whereupon he was committed
to prison.
On his trial it appeared as if the lady had
been murdered by some person who had
been let in by LIE Brun for that purpose Ind
had afterwards fled. It could not be 4 ,ne
by himself, because no blood was upon his
clothes, nor any scratch on his body vi icL
must have been on the murderer tNNn I've
lady's struggling; but that it was LIE Brun
who let him in, seemed very clear. Not
one OF the locks was forced, and his own
story of finding the street door open, the
circumstances of the key and the nightcap,
and also ladder of rope being found in
the house, which might be supposed to be
laid there by LIE Brun to take off the atten-
ton from himself, were all interpreted as
strong proofs Of his guilt; and that he had
an accomplice was inferred, because part Of
the cravat found in the bed was discovered
not to be like his; but the maids deposed
that they had washed such cravat for one
Berry, who had been footman to the lady,
and was turned away about four months be.
fore for robbing her. There was also found
in the loft at the top of the house, unde
some straw a shirt, very bloody, but which
would it fit him.
LIE Brun had nothing to oppose to these
strong circumstances but q uniformly good
character, which he hsd maintained dur1ns
the twenty nine years he had served
his lady: and that he was generally esteemed
a good husband, good father, and gooc
servant. 1t was therefore resolved to pu
him to the torture, in order to discover hi.
accomplices. This was done till he died
declaring his innocence.
About month after notice was sent from
the Provost of Sens thata dealer in horset
had lately set up there by the name of Joh1
Garlet, but his true name was found to bt
Berry, and that he had been footman ii
Paris. In consequence of this he was takel
up, and the suspicious of his guilt was in
creased by his attempt to bride the officers
On searching him a gold watch was Found
which proved to be Lady Mazel's. Bein
brought to Paris, a person swore to seeing
him go out of Lady Mazel's the night c.,
which she was murdered. Berry said that
he had been killing cat.
On these circumstances he was con-
demned to the torture and afterward to be
broken alive on the wheel. On being tor
tured he confessed that, by direction and
order of one Nine. de Savoniere-Lady
Mazel's daughter-he and LIE Brun had un-
dertaken to rob and murder Lady Mazel,
and that LIE Brun murdered her while he
stood at the door to prevent surprise.
In truth of this declaration he persisted
until he was brought to the place of exc
cution, when, begging to speak with one of
the judges, he ecanted what he had said
against LIE Brun aud Nine de Saw
oniere, and confessed that ne
came to Paris on the Wednesday before
h. L. l.