Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-09-01
A French Murderer.

The tnnSDitRnLa OF the lovely city OF
Rouen, France, have been terribly shocked
and their belief In appearances Fudely shak-
en- BY ood-blooded tragedy that has Just
taken place. Adolphe Dspinay. e bright
and handsome farmer and favorite with
women, had face like saint One pecu-
llarity of his was that he was always accom-
panied by swo doge. He never dined with
ous sharing hie meal with them, and people
argued that man 30 fond o! his pets mast
be worthy of their confidence. He worked
on farm where laborer named Micaud, q
big burly fellow, was engaged to Matilda, a
smooth until several days ego laborers were
startled on hearing that Matilda bad been
found lying dead In pool of blood In the
kitchen with cash across her throat nearly
seyering her head from her body and other.
wise mutilsted. Horrfed people rushed to
tell Micaud the news. To their amazament
he was not on the farm, having gone away
for the night. Suspicion fell ct once upon
Micaud. Women contrasted the unfortunate
fate with the happy one which might have
only loved Adolphe.
picion against him. On the contrary, every
peared shocked. 1t was noticed that there
was blood on the trousers which Depinay
wore when he went to work cary on the
morning before the murder vas discovered
He was questioned I'd to how 1t came there.
He answered ia an earnest manner that q
horse in his care bad cut himself and blood
had thus got on him.
The horse was looked at, and sure enough
there was cut. Shortly after this came
news OF murder. On the body being re.
moved knife Was found by it, and when
examined was found to belong to Depinay.
He was sent for and ask to explain this TACT,
when he answered In tone emiuently
framed to avert suspicion, while horror was
depicted on his countenance, that as he had
lent bis knife to the master to kill some
chickens he supposed the blood smesred the
handle. This seemed to show that Micaud
muet have come to the house when every
body wss asleep, hence this fact, with his
mysterious disappearance. was accepted sc
absolute evidence that he was the assassin.
The indignation and hatred of the labor
ers rose to fever heat, and they determined
to scour the neighborhood to And Micaud
and hand him over to Justice. Mioaud was
discovered, but he had not the slightest
trouble in proving an slib. Evidence which
before had seemed blacker than Erebus
against him now rolled completely away.
He answered every question that was ask
ed and produced proof Of the truth of what
ne said. What had apparently eptangied
him now began TO weave Itself Itself Dept
nay. He was arrested. Little incidents
which nobody had before attached any at
tention to now begsn to be told.
One of Matilda's friends said che had no.
ticed how Adolphe often talked in his soft,
i1sinuating way to Matilda, and If that was
not known to be his habitusl manner In talk
ing to women she would have believed he
was trying to make love to her; yet Matilda,
while always pleasant to him, Has constant
to Micaud. She had repeatedly refused to
accompany Adolphe on walks. Even the
night before she was murdered she would
not go out with him. General Impression
prevails that Adolphe had gone to the girls
room, where she refused to comply with his
nefarious request, and there he killed her.
Several nelghboring farm girls have been
murdered just the same way. and the unani.
nous belief Is that the handsome young
Frenchman with the spiritual face is MUIR
dereE OF the deepest dye. The feeling to-
wards Depinay is now completely reversed.
People are Wild with anger at the way that
they have been deceived, and the affection
In which Depinay was held Ia turned to Bit
terest hatred, which will know no abatement
until the guillotine avenges his crime.