Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-04-20
4 REMARKABLE CAREER.
That of De Bosnys the Murderer,

| AT Elizabethtown, N. y, the hancman
VIII, on Friday of next week, April 81, bring
to summary close the career of one of the
most extraordinary criminals that ever lived
Ills name is Henry DeBosnys and his crime
Is commonplace enough, being that of wife
murder. year ago last summer he drifted
from New York city up the Hudson, and
thence along the western shore of Lake
Champlain, until he reached the town of
Essex, where he procured employment as
farm laborer. After II brief courtship
he married Elizabeth Wells, widow,
much his senior in years, who owned a small
property. On the 1st of August, 1882, Mr.
and Mrs. DeBosnys were seen driving out Of
the village, aud, after brief interval, De
Dosnys was seen continuing the journey
aIouc. The woman not appearing, search
was made, which resulted III the finding of
her mangled and lfcless body concealed
under mass of leaves and rubbish near
the side of the road. Circumstances plainly
pointed to the husband as the murderer He
was arrested, and upon his person was found
a quantity Of articles of personal property
which were identified as having belonged to
his wife. The trial took place last March.
aud the evidence, though entirely circum.
stanllal in its Character, WAS overwhelming
as to the respondents guilt. The jury was
out only ten minutes and returned with Il
verdict OF guilty of murder in the first dc.
gree; and the judge sentenced DeBosnys to
be hanged at EliznbethtOwu, on Friday.
April 81
50 much for the crime 4 more interest
ing chapter is that which deals with the
criminal. De Bosnys was born nearly fifty
years ago, 1t appears, ut Belem, Portugal,
Two miles from Lislon on the river Tagus
When he was very young his parents remOv-
Cd to France, and he was educated at COM
munal school, the seminary of St. Bricux
and the Normal Superior School at Paris.
His education was thorough and extensive,
and he can write and speak several languages
-Engllsh, French, Italian Spanish, Greek
and Portugcse-and can less perfectly speak
and understand several other languages If
his own story can be believed, his career has
been as follows; While yet mere lad he
sailed with north pjlar expedition under
Leclaire, and was gone nearly two years
February, l94S, to October 1850. In 1854,
he volunteered for the Crimean war, and
served in the French army in the Ciimea for
couple OF years. \ few years of peace
followed in which DeBosuys completed his
education but on the breaking out of the
war with Austria in 1859 he iIined McMa-
hons army, in which, however, he saw but
lew months service, sailing IN the autumn
to China with the French contingent. Re-
turning to France, he joined the French
expedition to Mexico in 1861, and
alter a few years joined the Mexi-
can side, becoming IL captain of
gucrillas under Lopez In this SER
vice he was severely wounded in an Gu
sasement, and, couceiving disaste for the
Mexican system of warfare, he came North,
and, being cured OF his wound. enlisted in
tue Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers in
1868. y short tine after the battle of
Gettysburg was fought, aud in it Deb snys
was severely wounded in the head and left
hand. His injuries procured his discharge
from the army. and in 1864 he went back to
France, where in two months he married a
Nile Desmarais. M4trimony, however
failed to eradicate his love of adventure, and
after a honeymoon of only two months he
sailed on another Arctic expedition. and was
absent in the polar regions nearly three
years-from July, 1864, to February, 1867.
Returning, he went to Rome thence to Paris,
thence to New York, and thence to the Indi-
an Territory. The outbreak of tn. Franco
Prussian war called him from his aboriginal
retirement. and he crossed the sea aud en-.
tered the French army, rising by successive
promotions until lie became colonel under
General Dourbiki. lie served all through
the war with varying fortunes, at its close
escaping to Marsellcs, whence he shipped
for America. On tins side the ocean his ca
recr was much less brilliant. He fell by de
grees until he became tramp, wandering
about the country and doing odd Jobs of
works us Il painter and a farm aborcr and
finally came to the crime which will put an
end - his rostl,as career
Besides the extraordinary facts o. his life
there is good deal Of mystery about the
man. De BOsnys is merely an assumed
name, and what his real name is No one
knows, nor, from the present outlook, ever
will know, The murderer is extremely re-
ticcnt about his personal antccedents. his
family and his friends.