Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-25
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
The Career of a Wife Murderer
Under Sentence Of Death---
scholar and Linguisl.
New York Herald, Is.


crime is commonplace enough, being
that of wife murder, but his career
has been most remarkable one.
DE BosNYS SHOCKING CRIME.
A year ago last summer he drifted
from New York city up the Hudson,
and thence along the western shore OF
Lake Ohamplain until he reached the
town of Essex, where he procured
employment as farm laborer. After
a brief cOurtship he married Elizabeth
Wells, widow much his senior in
years, who owned small property.
On the LIST Of August, 1882, Mr.. aud
Mrs. De Bosnys we're seen driving out
Of the village, and after a brief inter-
val De BosDys was seen continuing
the journey alone. The woman not
making her appearance, search was
made, which resulted in the finding Of
her mangled and lifeless body con.
cealed under a 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 @ife. The trial
took place last March, and the evil
denoe, though entirely Oircumstantial
in its character, was overwhelming as
to the respondents guilt. The jury
was out only ten minutes and returned
with verdict of guilty Of murder in
the first degree.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER.
De Bosnys was born nearly fifty
years ago, it appears, at Belem, Por-
tugal, two miles from Lisbon, on the
River Tagus, When he was very
young his parents removed to France
and he was educated at a communal
school, the seminary Of st. Brieux,
and the Normal Superior School at
Paris. His education was thorough
and extensive, and be can write and
speaks six different lauguages-Eng-
lish, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek
and PortugueSe-and can less per
feetly 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, ia
October, 1850. In 1854, with his
father and brother, he volunteered fol
the Crimean war, and served in the
French army in the Crimea for a
couple Of years. A few years Of peace
followed, in which De Bosnys COM
pleted his education, but on the
breaking out of the war with Austria,
in 1859, he joined MeMahon's army,
in which, however, he saw but few
months service, sailing in the autumn
TO China with the French contingent.
Returning to France, he Joined the
French expedition to Mexico in 1861,
and after a few months Joined the
Mexican side. becoming a captain of
guerillas under Eopez. In this SER
vice he was severely wounded in an
engagement, and, conceiving a distaste
for the Mexican system of warfare. he
came North, and, being cured of his
wound, enlisted in the Fourth Penn
sylvania 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 hand. His iniu-
ries procured his discharge from the
army, and in 1854 Che wentss back to
France. where, IN two months, he
married Mile. Desmarias. Matri
mony, 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 Indian Territory. The
outbreak Of the Franco. Prussian war
called him from his aboriginal retire
ment, and he crossed the sea and en-
tered the French army, rising by sues
cessive promotions until he became
Colonel under General Bourbaki. He
served all through the war with vary
ing fortunes, at its close escaping to
Marseilles, whence he shipped for
America. On this side the ocean his
career was much less brilliant. He
fell by degrees until he became a
tramp, wandering about the country
and doing odd jobs of work as q
painter and farm labOrer; and finally
came the crime which will put AMEND
to his restless career.
MYSTERY AS TO HIS IDENTITY.
Besides the extraordinary facts OIL
his life there is a good deal of mys,
terry 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
reticent about his personal ante.
oedents, his family and his friends
Since his arrest he has only communi
Gated with the French Consul at New
York, but OF course that official coulc
do nothing to shield him from tht
consequences Of his crime. At the
time Of the trial De Bosnys was very
sick and had to be taken into court
He listened to all the proceeding
with an air of the most complete in
diference-an indifference which dis,
appeared only at the passing of the
death sentence, when the wretcheC
man broke down and wept and sobbec
aloud. He subsequently attempted t
starVe himself to death, but the iai
authorities frustrated the attempt. o
late he has manifested toward jailers
and visitors the most ferocious saw
agery, and no one can do anything
with him. His time ne spends il
writing his autobiography, and a sin
gular document it must prove to be
Altogether, it is a most extraordinar