The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-09-05
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REMORSE OF a MURDERER.
He Confesses to n Crime Committed In
Belgium.
(New York Star, Aug. 39.)

|
As the Cincinnati express on the Eri'
road pulled into the Jersey City station
Yesterday there alighted two officers
and between them walked a man who
, has strange history. The man is ap
parently about 40 years of age, black
haired and of swarthy complexion
with steel gray eyes. He was poorly
dressed and walked with head cast down
Under his arm he carried bundle Of
clothes. United States Deputy Marsha
Bernhard met the trio at the station,
and when the prisoners eyes fell upon
the officer they lighted for q moment
and smile played about his mouth.
The man 8 name Jean Francois Steyaert,
and the story connected with his; arrest
is one among the most extraordinary
connected with criminal history.
In Langerbergge, near Ghent, on the
banks of the Canal Fernenzen, in Bel
GUM, last March, midnight murder
was committed. A wealthy merchant
named Wand darwalle was the victim. His
skun was crashed, he was robbed of 300
francs and his body flung into the
waters of the canal. The body was
found next day floating upon the water,
clad only in underclothing. Search was
made for the clothes, but they were
never found, and after long and fruit
less search for clews the authorities re-
luctantly came to the conclusion that
the merchant had injured his head by a
fall and toppled into the canal.
The murderer supposed, as was after
ward learned, that the merchant had a
certain large sum of money on his per-
son that night, but hee had left the
greater part of it at home. The case
was dropped by the authorities as anoth-
er addition to the list of mysteries. The
murderer had made good his escape,
leaving no trace behind. The tragedy
was fast being forgotten. On August
25 last there appeared in the Office Of
the Belgian representative at New Or
leans man who resembled tramp.
He had the appearance of thoroughly
broken down man. He laid q bundle
OF clothing before the Consul and told
the official in broken voice that he was
the murderer of Vanderwalle and wanted
to give himself up. The man was
Steyaert, and in sworn statement he
said that he had waylaid the merchant
and murdered him, expecting to realize
a.la1 ge sum of money. Ez
After riding the pockets, he stripped
the body of its outer clothing and threw
it into the canal. He bundled up the
clothing and made off. 1t was then that
he realized the gravity of his crime, and
his conscience almost drove him mad.
Quickly he made his way to Bremen,
where he took steamer for America,
hoping 'tordriye the picture of the TRACE
dy from his mind. Arriving in this
country, he drifted to New Orleans, and
there sought to drown his horror in
drink. His money was soon spent, and
he took to begging until, driven almost
to distraction by being haunted day and
night by remorse, he finally gave way to
despair, and bundling the conclusive
evidence of his guilt, the dead mans
clothes, he gave himself up and made q
clean. breast of 1t.
Charles Mali, Consul for Belgium at
this city, was at once notified, and or
dered the murderer to be sent to New
York, where he arrived yesterday morn
ing. He was taken at once to the Red
Star steamship Belgenland, which sailed
promptly at II o'clock. He speaks only
Flemish, and was once soldier in the
Belgian Army Being asked by the
officer if he'realized the severity Of the
penalty he would have TO suffer for his
crime, the prisoner said he did.
1t was imprisonment for life, as CAPT
tai punishment is not in vogue in Bel
GUM. He was resigned to his fate and
felt better than at any time since the
murder was committed.