The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-04-27
Stranger than Fiction.
TuE REMARKABLE CAREER OF VERMONT
MURDERER

TlE REMARKABLE CAREER OF AvERMoNr
MURDERER.
Henry DeBosyns, one of the most
extraordinary criminals of the age, is
to be hanged TO day, April 27, at Eliz
abethtown, little village on Lake
Champlain His crime is commonplace
enough, being that of wife murder, but
his career has been most remarkable
one. A 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 en-
ployment as farm laborer After a
brief courtship he married Elizabeth
Wells, widow much his senior in
years, who owned a small property.
On the lst of August, 1882, Mr.. and
Mrs. DeBosyns were seen driving out
of the village, and after brief inter
val DeBosyns was seen continuing the
journey alone. The woman not max
ing her appearance search was made,
which resulted in the finding of her
mangled and lfeless body concealed
under mass of leaves and rubbish
near the side of the road. Circumstan-
ces 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 belonging to his wife.
The trial took place last March, and
the evidence, though entirely circum
stantial in its character, was overwhelm-
ing as to the respondents guilt. The
jury was out only ten minutes and re-
turned with verdict of murder in the
first degree,
AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER.
DeBosyns was born nearly fifty
years ago, it appears, at Belem, Portu-
gal two miles from Lisbon, on the River
Tagus. When be was very young his
parents moved to France, and he was
educated at communal school, the
seminary of st. Srieux, and the Normal
Superior school at Paris. His educa-
ton was thorough and extensive, and
he can write and speak six languages
English, French, Italian, Spanish,
Greek and Portugese--and can less
perfectly speak and understand several
other languages. While yet mere
lad he sailed with north polar expe-
dition under Leclaire, and was gone
nearly two years February, 1913 to
October 1850 In 1854, with his faith
er and brother, he volunteered for the
Crimean war, and served in the French
army in the Crimea for couple of
years. A few years of peace followed,
in which DeBosnys completed his edu-
cation, but on the breaking out of the
war with Austria, in 1859, he joined
MacMahon's army, in which, however,
he saw but a few months service, sail
ing in the autumn to China with the
French contingent Returning to
France, he joined the French expedi
tion to Mexico in 1861, and after few
months joined the Mexican side, be-
coming captain of guerillas under
Lopez. In this service he was severe
ly wounded in an engagement, and,
conceiving distaste for the Mexican
system of warfare, he came north and,
being cured of his wound, enlisted in
the Fourth Pennsylvania volunteers in
1868.
WOUNDED AT GETTYSBURG.
A short time afterward the battle of
Gettysburg was fought, and in it De
Bosnys was severely wounded in the
head and left hacd. His injuries pro-
cured his discharge from the army. and
in 1864 he went back to France, where,
in two months, he married Mile Des-
maris. Matrimony, however, failed to
eradicate his love of adventure, and af-
ter 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 Indian
territory. The outbreak of the Fran
co-Prussian war called him from his
aboriginal retirement, and he crossed
the sea and entered the French army,
rising by successive promotions until
he became colonel under General Bour-
baki. He served all through the war
with varying fortunes, at its close es-
Gaping to .Marseilles, whence he ship
ped for America On this side the
ocean his careeer was not so brilliant.
He fell by degree until he became a
tramp, wandering about the country
and doing odd jobs of work as paint
er and farm laborer and finally
came the crime which put an end to
his restless career.
MYSTERY AS TO HIS IDENTITY.
Besides the extraordinary facts of his
life there is good deal of mystery
about the man. DeBosnys is merely an
assumed name,and what his real name is
no one knows, or from the present out
look, ever will know. The murderer
is extremely reticent about his personal
antecedents, his family and his friends
Since his arrest he has communicated
with the French consul at New York
but of course that official could do moth
ing to shield HIM from the consequen
ces of his crime. At the trial DeBosny,
was very SICK and had to be taken int
court. He listered to all the proceed
ings with an air of the most complet
indifference-an indifference which dis
appeared onl ly at the passing of tn
death sentence, when the wretche,
man broke down and wept and sobbe,
aloud. He subsequently attempted t
starve himself to death, but the iai
authorities frustrated the attempt. o
late he has manifested toward iallor
and visitors the most ferocious savagery
and no one can do anything with him
He spends his time writing his autob
ography, and singular document
must prove to be. Altogether it is
most extraordinary case and DeBosny
is most extraordinary man,