The record-union., 1891-11-20
FOURGOUS TELLS His STORY.
He Says His Wife Drank to Excess
and Was Very Abusive.
She Attempted to shoot Him, and in
the Struggle the Revolver
Went OF.

The trial of August Fourgous, the
Frenchman who is accused of numbering
his wife, is drawing to a close. The evil
dence for the defense-tending to estab-
Ish the fact that Mrs. Fourgous' death
was accidental-is all in, and only the re-
buttal evidence is yet to be heard.
Fourgous occupied the witness stand
during the greater part of yesterday, and
told his story of the tragedy through an
interpreter. Fourgous is not bad-look-
ing man, dresses neatly and is a typical
Frenchman-having all of the gestures,
shoulder-shrugs and facial contortions
when conversing, especially when ex
cited.
He gave the history of his life in France
from the time Of his birth until he was
given employment in the mines at Oezit.
Here he met with an accident from which
he says he never fully recovered, being
constantly troubled with pains in his
head. He arrived in Sacramento in 1887
and went to work in the railroad shops.
lie married the deceased in 1889. She
was older than he by twelve years. She
was much stronger and larger than he,
too.
AT LADIET's HOUSE.
"a few months after our marriage"
continued Fourgous, my wife forced me
20 move in with Mr.. Lamet, the baker,
who resided on J street. | atterward
moved several times to please my wife,
nnally taking house on Tenth near U
street.
II worked at the shop almost every
day, and l gave all my wages to my wife.
At home l paid little attention to the
housework. but always cut the wood. 1
made wine several times, but never
would have done so had not my wife re-
Quested it, and taught me how.
zone daY, short time before the homi-
eide, | came home and found my wife
had no supper prepared for me. l asked
her why it was SO, and she gave me no
answer but told me to go to the cellar
and get drink of ciaret.
THE WINE GONE.
II afterward went for the wine and
found the demijohn, which was full in
the morning, was empty. 1 asked my
wife what had become Of the wine. She
did not answer me, but said: Wait; l
viii get you wine She then took up the
broom and broke the handle over my
head. She then picked up a hatchet and
threw it at me, striking me in the face,
cutting cash under my left eye.'
Attorney Johnson here referred Four
ness Mrs. Armbruster, and Fourgous be-
came greatly excited. He denounced
Mrs. Armbruster as "a liar and drunk
ard like her husband" and had to be adj
lnonlshed by the court not TO get so de-
Inonstrative. The same thing happened
several times during his evidence, when
the names of various witnesses for the
prosecution were mentioned. He seemed
particularly bitter against Lamet. the
baker, whom he declared mad robbed
him of his wites affections.
STORY OF THE KILLING.
Fourgous told the story of the homicide
In a dramatic way. Surely" he said.
Il remember the Sunday of her death /
got up at G:30 in the morning and got NV
breakfast at the Garibaldi House. | did
not eat at home because my wife was do
ing the housewOrk at Lamet's. She had
been working there about twenty days.
After l had eaten my breakfast that Sun
day | went to Lamet's with my wife and
then came down town. I went to see b.
f'eTaut, then to Grosjean's, the barber,
where / got shaved and then l went
home. L got home at 1920 A. NJ. | drank
40 liquor While down town. Ny wife
was not at home when l got there I did
various chores, and about 12:45 my wife
came home. | did not drink any wine
at home before my wife came. She came
IN rapidly and | said: / was not expect
ing you yet; you need not bother your
selI.' AS soon as she entered the house
SHE BEGAN TO GRowL,
And said; What have you done?' told
her ] had washed the dishes, made fire,
split wood, swept the house, fed the
chickens and uncovered the flowers, and
asked her what did she expect and why
did she growl so much. | said: Besides.
you bring me nothing to eat' She said:
Yes, l did, and set out four chicken legs
and two chicken heads. She told me to
get some wine, / did so, and asked: DO
you want to eat bite with me?' and she
said: Yes; l ate very little at Lamet's'
She sat at the table and took a chicken
head and some limburger. ] noticed she
was drinking very good, and | told her
she must have been thirsty. She said
begrudged her the wine she drank, and
told her 1 begrudged her nothing. Then
we had some words, and she told me to
attend to my wood and not TO mind her.
/ asked her for a clean shirt, and she
said the Chinaman would bring it next
day.
MRS. FoURGoUs' DAUGHTER.
''Then l went out to split wood. and
when l came in Minnie Heisch, nv wife's
daughter, was there. / asked her why
she came on Sunday, and how she knew
we would be at home, and she said she
knew her mother would be at home Ny
wife told me: Let us talk quietly: Won at
L
shirt, that l might 90 out, and she said:
You don't want shirt; if you get a shirt
in time to go to work tomorrow, it will
be time enough
Il went out again and soon saw Minnie
going away. Invent in and saw that my
wife was mad. / told her that Minnie
came there and put things in her head.
/ went out and called to Minnie that she
gave my wife bad advices, and that / had
told her not TO come My wife said l had
no right to forbid people coming, and I
said | was boss IN my own house. Then
I went in again and the trouble began. |
accused her of being false, and she abused
me. / went out into the back yard again
to get quiet"
THE KILLING.
Fourgous hesitated a moment, running
his fingers nervously through his curly
hair, and then proceeded. When he at
tempted to return to the house again he
met his wife at the door. She had his pistol
in her hand and pointed it at him.
At this point of Fourgous recital he
jumped to MS feet, and III an excited man
ner, gesticulating all the while, he related
how ne seized his wife's hands. A strug-
gle followed, which Fourgous initiated
all the while growing more excited. 81
held her hands, he said loudly, ''and
then she fell to the floor. fell upon her.
and begged her to get up, but she could
not. Oh, God how unhappy! My poor
wiie!"
J7o11roous clasDad his hands aboy7n biS