Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-01
A NlUDERoUs VALET.
Trial and Conviction OF Charles Mar
chsndon, n Paristsn Assassin.


Trial and Conviction OF Charles Mar
chSndon, n Partisan Assassin.
From ne Ne,c York Hsyaid.
PARIS. June o. Charles Marchandon
was condemned 10 death at 40'clock 10.
day. This is the end of the trial which
has excited the interest OF the Pausian
public more than any murder OF recent
years. The singu!arity OF Marchaudon's
life and the absurd legend IN circulation
that he was an accomplished Adoms
among assassins drew enormous crowds
20 the Palais &c Justice, most of whom
were obliged TO remain outside. Deusely
packed as the court room was, there was
barely space for half even OF those VINO
had tickets OF admission. Jhree-tourths
of the audience were ladies. Marchan-
don when brought INTO court by three
municipal guards held handkerchief be-
fore his face and appeared to be Whimper-
ing. He Is 20 years Of age and Of middle
height, dark complexion, thick, fiat nose
and large, coarse hands
The ladies present observed him closely
with evident looks Of surprise. Indeed.
1t is difficult 70 account for his success
with the fair sex and To see how any one
unless possessed of phenomenal creduity
could ever seriously have taken Marchau-
don for gentleman. Among witnesses
called was the Princess POniatOwska.
who, after giving her evidence, was
warmly complimented by the President Of
the Court, who said that If her advice had
been followed Nine. COrnet would still be
alive. The Princess bad applied for a
HOFFMAN 10 registry Office in the Rue de
Daborde. Marchandon's name was given,
but, he being asked by the Princess to
bring certificates from a former employer,
brought her such n badly spelled and
badly expressed letter that her suspicious
were aroused, and she FASTENED TO inform
Nine. CheValler, the proprietor Ofthe intel
ligence bureau, who told her that Mar
chandOn in the meantime had obtained
situation with Nine. COrnet. The Prln-
cess then begged Nine. Cheyalier TO warn
Nine. COrnet, which she unfortunately
neglected to do. Jeanne Bin, Marchan-
don's mistress, was scanned with great
curiosity as she gave her evidence. She
is small, slender, rather pretty, smartly
dressed girl of the grisette type She told
her tale in bold, brassy manner, ard
was slightly Kissed RS she withdrew NJ
Jousselin de la Repaillette testified that
he had known Marchandon intimately
and had always thought him nice
fellow Of the quletest tastes imagin-
able.
THE CRIME.
Charles Marchandon, alias NJ. de
Granville, alias Comte de Blainyille, APP
peared in the Assize Court to be tried for
the murder of Nine. COrnet on the 10th of
April in her apartment. No. Rue de
Seze, corner of the Boulevard Madeline.
The detail of the crime are well known.
MarchandOn obtained only the same
morning, though the medium of an in
Jelligence bureau, situation as foOtman
to Nine. Cornet, the wife of wealthy
mill owner IN the French East Indies
Nine. COrnet had the misfortune a short
time previously TO lose her only daughter,
and her husband being detained by his
business in PODdicherry, she lived alone
very quietly in Paris. She had but Two
servants, a woman cook and a fOOtninn.
both of whom slept in the garnet, leaving
only Nine. COrnet in the apartment itself.
On the night of the crime Marchand0n
pretended to go up stairs at the same
hour as the cook, but, quickly returning,
opened the door with pass key, hid him
self behind the door curtains in the cor
ridor and waited patiently until Nine.
COrnet went 10 bed and fell asleep. He
then entered her dressing-rOom, took a
bunch Of keys from the mantel piece,
opened the wardrobe and rummaged
about to lind some articles Of value. Nine.
COrnet heard him and awOke "QW esq
tdf' she cried, and jumped out of bed.
MarcnandOn, fearing that she would
alarm the house, rushed at her and
cut her throat with case knife from ear
TO ear.
These are in brief the facts that took
place. The trial offered but little interest
IN itself, since t5is yrtuOsO in the art or
assassination made a few DAYS ago fun
confession Of his guilt, leaving only the
question OF generalization TO be decided
by the jury What, however, is really
extremely interesting in the case i'm the
study OF Marchand0n's most extraordl-
nary contradiction of character and the
duality Of lie which he succeeded SO
long IN leading. MarchandOn since his
arrest has had one constant preoccupa-
ton TO pose as man of elevated, even of
poetical, sentiments and entirely out of
the category of ordinary criminals. From
his prison cell in Mazas he has written
his former sweetheart and mistress.
Jeanne BIN, letter after letter, breathing
kind of mystic repentance the whole
1nterspersed with passionate prOtesta-
tons OF love. lie has also addressed the
President OF the Court in letter form an
autobiography that he entitled, "FrOm
My Birth to Ny Great Misfortune" OF
course, his great misfortune" is his as
6asslnatlOn OF poor NJ me. COrnet. From
this edltying little work and the inyesti-
cations of the police we are able to
form an idea Of the nature ofthls singular
man and his exploits, which read like SO
many pages Of Xavier de MOntepin or
PonsOn du Terrail.
MarchandOn commenced life as "A ser
want in noble family, residing in a cha
teau near RambOulllet. IL was here that
he acquired his fonduess for country pur-
suits and pastoral pleasures, but il Ia cie +
de chateau was SO much TO his taste il
was as happy proprietor and not as a
valet that he wished TO enjoy il, and he
accordingly began 10 look about TO see
how he could best attain the object of his (
ambition. He proceeded % make love 10 T
The daughter, pretty young girl Of 16. +
His idea was that il be could succeed ina
seducinR her her parents would be only 7
TOO glad TO give her TO him in marriage. (
He did not confess to the young lady that /
he was but 'an earthworm i'm love with "a
star" but be told her that he was the son
OF wealthy manufacturer of ElhUuf. and 4
that he had only assumed his livery Tor
the sake Of approaching her whom he
loved, and whose noble parents ne feared
might not at first smile on the idea of "A
match with their daughter with the man
VINO, though OF respectable and well-tO-do f
family, did not belong 20 the HojieSse. Ile
seems 70 have succeeded pretty well with
the charming but susceptible Young girl.