The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-08-17
EXTRAORDINARY CRIME.

There is proceeding at one Of the De-
partment Assizes in the heart OF France
q trial for murder which reveals one Oh
the most remarkable crimes OF our day.
In village high up in the mountains
where the Loire takes its rise Is an old
church of the twelfth century, with a
neighboring parsonage of one story. At
seven o'clock on the evening OF Janua-
~ Sd, man of fOrbidding appearance
rang the bell of the parsonage, and on
the door being opened by the priests
sister, he entered, and told the priest,
who was finishing his dinner, that he
was wanted 70 administer the last sac
raments to one of his parishiOners, who
had been seriously wounded by cow.
The priest, Able Garraud, felt some
doubt about his visitor, but prepared the
sacred elements, and then took a revol-
yer from his dressing case.
"YOu don't need that" said the man;
'we shall meet no one. Thieves tind
nothing to do here"
To show his acquaintance with the
neighbOrhood, the man said he had been
an acOlyte in a church at the foot OF the
mountain. They set out upon the WIN
try walk, along mountain paths so mar
row in places that two men can not pass
each other. The able walked In front,
but he turned so frequently that his eye
was almost continually upon his strange
companion.
They arrived at a particularly wild
spot, and NJ. Garraud was about to step
upon 3 bridge over precipice, when,
on looking back, he saw his companion
in the act of leaping upon him. To
draw and fire his revolver WIS the work
of moment, and the mountains reVer-
berated with the echo of its discharge.
Cff
saying:
''Excuse me, l will go first to see how
the sick woman is" he fled.
Able Garraud, pOndering upon the
strange occurrence, returned home.
Scarcely an hour after this man out
of breath ran up the street of the Will
age in the valley, stopped at the priests
house, and, on being admitted by the
old hOusekeeper, exclaimed to the cure:
Bring the host quickly Nj. Martin,
of ROgnac, has been gOTed by his bull,
and is dying"
The Able Rivet offered his visitor a
glass of wine, while he prepared to ac-
company him. As they left together the
old woman expressed the hope that her
master would not attempt to return
home that night, as it was showing,
and the stranger said arrangements
would be made for the cure to sleep at
ROgnac.
About ten o'clock there was knock
ing at Able Rivet's door, and the wO-
man, who had got a friend to stay the
night with her, hesitated to open the
door. So cOllOquy was carried on
from the window. The man at the door
said it was he who had summoned NJ.
RiVes to ROgnac, and that he was stop
ping there; the wounded farmer was
better. The woman asked him if he
would like to come in and warm him
self, and the man replied that his feet
were very cold, as it was freezing hard.
The key was turning in the lock, when I
some neighbors who had heard the con-
yersatiOn approached, and the man took
to fight,
Next morning, about couple of miles
from the village, where the path winds
among precipices, the body of the un
fortunate cure was found, horribly mu-
tilated. His watch, snuff-bOX and sa-
cred vessels had disappeared. The
murder had been committed by blow
of hammer from behind. Suspicion
at once fell upon the strange visitor,
who had returned to the parsonage in
order, by killing the hOusekeeper, to re-
move one who would be witness
against him. He was tracked from
place to place, and was found to have
been dealing with some of the stolen
property.
For two months the murderer eluded |
the pursuit, and lived like wild beast |
IN the woods. At length, on March 1st,
the gensdarmes arrested him near Dun
leres, and he still had his victims watch |
in his possession. He proved to be a
man of thirty-six years, named Mallet.
His record is one of almost continuous
'rime, and for the past seven years he
has sworn hatred against the priests.
The terror he has spread through the
Department of the Haute-Loire will
prevent extenuating circum-
stances being found by the jury in his