The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-07-01
MARCHANDON'S CRIME.
Conviction of the Freedman Who Led a Dual
Existence.
He Would Engage Himself as Servant, Kill
His Employer, and Then Disappear,
Bobbing up in Another Place,
aud Leading Quiet Life.
Paris Cable to Chicago Tribune, June nj

death ut o clock yesterday. This is the end
of a trial which has excited the interest OF
the Partisan public more than any murder
since many years. Singularly, Marchandon's
life, and the absurd legend i'm circulation
that he was accomplished Adonis among
assassins, drew enormous crowds to the Palais
de Justice, most of whom were obliged to
remain outside. As denSely packed as the
courtroom was there was barely space for
half, even of those who had tickets of
admission. Three-fourths of the audience
were women. Marchandon, when brought
into court by the three municipal guards,
held q handkerchief before his face and ap-
peared to be Whispering He is twenty
years old and of middle height dark COM
pleXion, thick, Hat nose and large, coarse
hand. The women present observed him
closely with evident looks of surprise. In
deeh il is difficult To account for his success
with the fair sex and 10 see how any one I'M
less possessed of phenomenal eredulity could
ever seriously have taken MarchandOn for
gentleman. Among the witnesses
called was the Princess Poniatowski
who, after giving her evidence
vas warmly cOmplimentod by the
President of the court who said that IL her
advice had been followed Nine Cornet would
still be alive. The Princess had applied for
footman To registry in the Rue de la Borde
Marchandon'S name was given, but he being
asked by the Princess - bring certificates
from his former employer brought her such
a badly spelled and badly expressed letter
that her..suspcons were aroused and she
fastened To inform Mime. Chcvalier, the pro-
prietOr of the intelligence bureau, who told
her that MarchandOn in the meantime had
obtained II situation with Nine Cornet. The
Princess then begged Mime, Chevaier TO warn
Nine. COrnet, which She unfortunately neg
lected To do
Jeanne Bin, Marchandon's mistress, was
scanned with great curiosity rs she gave her
evidence. She is IA small slender rather
pretty, Smartly dressed girl of the griSet type
She told her tale in bold, brasSy manner.
and was slightly Missed as she Withdrew.
NJ. Jousselen de la Repailette testified that
he had known Marchandon intimately, and
had always thought him nice fellow, with
the quietest tastes imaginable.
THE CRIME.
Charles Marchandon, alias NJ de Granville,
alias Comte de Blainvile appeared for trial
for the murder of Nine. Cornct the 18th of
April in her apartment, No. Rue de Seze,
corner of the Boulevard Madeline. The de-
tails of the crime are well known. Marchan-
don obtained only the morning,
of an intelligence bureau Il situa-
ton footman To Mime. Cornet,
the wife of Il wealthy mil-owncr in the
French East Indies. Mime. COrnet had the
misfortune short time previously TO lose
her only daughter, and her husband being
detained by his business in Pondicherry. she
lived alone very quietly in Paris. She had but
two servants, a woman cook and fOotman
both of whom slept in the garrett, leaving
only Mime. Cornet in the apartment itself.
The night of the crime Narchandon pre-
tended To 20 upstairs al the same hour as
the cook, but quickly returning opened the
door with a p;l>s-key, hid himself behind the
door-curtains in the corridor, and waited
patiently until Nine. COrnet went to bed and
fell asleep He then entered her dressing
room, took a bunch of keys from the mantle
piece opened the wardrobe. and rumagcd
about tO fund some articles of value. Nine.
Cornet heard him and awokc.
''Qui est Ia she cried, and jumped out of
bed.
Marchand0n, fearing that She would alarm
the house rushed at her and cut her throat
from car To ear
These are in brief the facts that took
place. The trial offered but little interest in
itself, since this virtuoso in the art of assIS
inatiOn made, Il few days ago, n full comics
sion Of his guilt, leaving only the question of
generalization To be decided by the jury.
MARcHANDoN's DIAL LIFE.
What, however, is extremely interesting
i'm the case j. the study nf Marchandon'S
most extraordinary contradiction of Charac-
ter and the quality of life which he sue
ceeded long in leading. Marchandon,
since his arrest, has had one con
slant preOccupatiOn To pose a
man of elevated, even of poetical Senti-
ments and entirely out of the category "f or
binary criminals. From his prison cell in
MaZas he has written his former sweetheart
and mistress, Jeanne Bin, letter after let
| ter, breathing kind of mystic repentance,
| the whole interspersed with passionate pro-
testations of love. He has also addressed the
| President of the court i'm letter form and au-
| photography what he entitled From My
| Birth to NV Great Misfortune" OF course
his great misfortune" is his assassination of
| poor Nine. Cornet. From this edifying lit
| tie work and the Investigations of the police
one i able Ia form an idea of the nature of
| this singular man and his exploits, which
| read like 80 many pages of ParsOn du Terrail
MarchandOn commenced life as servant
| i'm a noble family residing i'm 4 chateau near
| Rambouilet. Ii was here thai he acquired
| his fondness for country pursuits and pas
! toral pleasures. but if la Vie de Chateau was
| 81 much tn his taste il happy pro-
| prictor and not a. valet that he wished To
| enjoy il. and he accordingly began 10 look
| about To see how he could best attain the oh
/ ject of his ambition. He proceeded Ia make
| love tn the daughter, pretty Young glrl ot
| IT, His idea was that if he could succeed in
| >euucllG her llcr lfifcnt> Noutu ne OnlN uop
| glad To give her Ia him in marriage. He did
not confess To the young woman that he was
| but IAN carthworm i'm love with star
| but he told her that he was the son of
| a wealthy manufactures of ElbTuf, and that
he had only assumed his livery
| for the sake of approaching her whom he
loved. and whose noble parents, he feared,
| might not al first smile on the idea of a
/ match with their daughter of a man, who,
| though of respectable and well-to-do family,
did not belong to the noblcsse. He seems Ia
have succeeded pretty well with the charm
| ing but susceptible young girl until one
| evening when, happening To be overseeil
| kissing her hand ON the staircase, he suddenly
| felt violent kick from behind and was sum
| marily elected from the chateau, and his
| dreams of love and wealth were over.
1 ROMANCE No. ,.
At the same time that this little romano,
was going on Narchandon had a second string
to his bow Not satisfied with engaging thu
| affections of one young woman, he began an
| intrigue with the daughter of gentleman al
| a neighboring chateau. Marchandon used tc
| put ON his masters clothes and steal out Of
| am evening to visit No. ,. Her first made hel
1 aeonoipfanco os ha oil IN bpl II tins