The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-02
AN AWFUL CRIME.
AN OLD WOMAN BURNED ALIVE EY
HER CHILDREN.

Ont in the Trial-Vain Attempt of the
Defence to Persuade the Jury to Attri-
butte the Crime to Superstition.
BLOIS. November 23.-The most re-
voting case of matricide-a mother
burned alive hy her four children that
has come before the French tribunals
in many years is now before the Court
of .\ssiZes Of BlOis. Thousands OF
people from far and wide are ilocking
to the court room, and the population
are only prevented by the gendarnes
from lynching the alleged mllrderers.
Nine Lebon, an old woman Of seventy,
lived with her daughter and sOn-in-law.
named Thomas, in the village OF
Lunpau. The widows two SONS, who
lived some way oil, and her daughter
had enleavored to get their mother
into in asylum at Blois, but having
failed in this they decided to do away
with the old woman and divide the few
hundred francs she had saved among
them. When it was known in the
village on July 9th that Nine. LebOn
WIS dead a crime was ut once suspected,
and the gendarmcrie immediately
visited her house. y horrible sight
awaited them. In the fireplace were
the charred remains of the Old woman
Nothing was left but the herd. the two
feet. one arm and the thigh bones. The
right arm Of the victim, shrlvcllc't and
twisted. was round the head. Next
day the evidence Of the two sons,
,lIuwhtrr and Snn-in-laW WAS Found 70
be Contradictory, and they began to
arc,vSr each other. The declaration OF
the murdered woman'5 granddaughter,
Il little giri Of seven. cleared up all
doubts. She stated tn"t her two UncieS
had come on d visit. and that while ut
dinner her mother !iad suddenly sad,
I'VE must get rid of the ol'! enc Then
her uncle .l!"Xan.lrr ran to the bed and
seized hold oi his mother hy the head.
the other son. Alexis. taking hrrhy the
feet. and between tHrm they carried
her 10 the fire. which the lllll" glrl
fHtl!nr and mother had i'll tI" n"a!l-
time prepared. The poor woman hitd
at irst called ont. but her cries gradu-
allv became weaker. The WOMAN
Thomas then took il handful OI straw
from the mattress and gave 1t to hrr
husband to set lire IT, their victim
clothes. Tile black honnct worn by the
murdered woman. Whct! WAS hot burr
ri. WaS found 10 have iern soaked
with petroleum. There Is, therefore,
little doubt that the wrctcllcS had
poured petroleum over her clothes 10
make them burn SETTER. Her Son-ln-
law showed the body with his loot 10
prevent it from falling out OF the fire
place, Before committing the crime
the murderrrS had sent for il priest TO
confess their mother. andslmn!etlltely
artcrward Alexis and Alexandra Lemon
confessed to the priest. their sister
doing the same little latrron. The
accused arc defended ably and elo-
uuentlv by Maitrc Lagucrrr. the young
l,adical Deputy. ticOrgctte Lchon, the
wife of Thomas, is dark, cross-cycd
little peasant woman of twenty-five,
but looks as if she were fifty. Thomas
is Il great, staggering rustic. with long,
yellow mustachc. Alexis Lebon Is So
years of age. thin. sallow and malicious.
and has a terrible wound in his face
from the corner of his mouth to his
cheek, so that when he speaks he has
the appearance of trying to bite off
his ear Alexandra ieDon Isl great,
fat boy. and cries all the time the trial
is going on.
Questioned by the Judge, Georgette
Lebon refused to relate how the crime
happened.
Tihc Judge asked: "You sprinkled
petroleum over her. didn't YOU?
Grorgcttc-No; she had bottle OF
spirits in her pocket that she used for
cnbalistic purposes: this bottle must
have broken when she waS on fire, be-
cause the old woman all ut once burst
out into Il tremendous flame. just as Il
newspaper does when thrown into the
fire.
The next witness WAS little Eugene.
a bright little girl, who related the
story OF the crime i!St as she HAD al
ready done ut the preliminary lnvrstl-
CATION.
Judge WHO lighted thu fire after
your grandmother WAS placed III The
I!rrpilcc?:
l:uyrnir My mother lighted til" fire.
AS soon as grlndlnH hurst into blaze
papa told ne to say. II amybndy aSkId.
that grandma had tumhlra into the fire
by accident.
This evidence made Il profound in
preston and the child seemed evident
is to be speaking IL" truth. Mhl!rr
I.awurrrr this afternoon made Il most
rIuiUcnt speech for the defense. and
with great tact trirr! 70 rl,rS;lAhj' !ir
iurv tu attribute he crime to Surrr>;:-
1iun. on the ground that the prisoners
considered thri: lnnth t" he Il witch