Horrible Murder.
The Times, 1824-08-26T00:00:00

The Court of Assize at Rouen has becn occupied with the trial of a barber of that town, named Veilliere, for the murder of' his wife, on the 28th of April last. The principal facts, as detailed in evidence, were as follow:_ On the day above-mentioned, Veilliere,whose wife hadt been living separate from him, in consequence of' the cruelti and depravity of his conduct, called at the house of a Mlladamne Padais, where his wife happened to be,and insisted upon seeing her. He afrected a cahn and penitent air, and entreated his wife to be reconciled to him. This, however, she refused, but withtUt using any irritating CxpreRsions she cndeavoured to leave the apartment, but was lprevented be her husband, who still cominued talking to Madame Padais. AU of a sadden, and without the slightest word or look that could have intimated liis initention, he direw his hands from his pocket, where he had hield them since his entrance, and rushing upon his wife, seized her by thc hair of the head, dragged her into a corner of the room, and stabbed her twice with a knife in the neck. At her cries, Aladame Padais ran towards them, seized Veilliere, and tore him from his victifn, but not until he inflicred another wound upor. her. Aladame Padais arnd he then struggled for a long time, until they both fell, when he escaped rom her grasp,leaving the skirt of his coat behind. With redoubled fury, he retured to his expiring wife, and taking the blade of the knife, for the handle had been broken off'in the struggle, he plunged it into her belly, in which he made a circul ar incision of four or five lechesN inl diameter. Some women wrho had been present at the com- mencement of this horrid scene. flcd away. terrified, and crying out for help. Tiheir cries brought the other lodgers in the house to the sceRe, andi, as ther were about to seize Veilliere., he gave himself several stabs with the knife, exclaiming " I wish to die with her." None of the wounds being serious, he was soon able to undergo an examination. He sought to establish that the crime was unrreme- ditated, saying that wlheni he endfeavoured to kiss hiis wife, sic spat in his face, and that, exasperated at such treatment, he had struck at ler with his knife, not knowing what he did. But this account was falsified by the witnesses, and other facts brought forward to prove his premeditation; hiK havi g beeni on the watch for his wi e for some days; his having purchased a knite the day betore the murler. During the trial,he exhibited a firmness and assurance that did not desert him for a single moment. The Jury, after a few rinutes' deliberation, found him Ggilty, unanimously. He heard his sentence without the slightest emetion. Since his condemnation, he obstinately ref'used to appeal, and gave in writing his deteraniuation, whichi he wrote with a firm hand. The interval between his sentence and execution he passeli, except the time devoted to sleep, in playing cards. He had an inordinat2 passion for gambling, which was the primary cause of his depravity and ruin. To get his fellow-prisoners to play with him, he used to threaten, when they refused, to haunt them after his deIath,. t'he day before his execution, the cards were never out of his hands till he went to bed, when he slept soundly. Next morning, after break- faisting heartily, he renewed his card-playing and did not leave off' till the fatal rmiomacnt came for him to go to the chapel, oni his wasv to the scaffold. Hetthen entreated that his fellow-prisoners, weho liad been playing with him, might be allowed to accompany him to chapeL He confessed with great calmness and listened with at- tention to the discourse of the clergyman. ?6n his wav to the scaf- fold, he showed the same unshakeable firmness. Just before sub- mitting to the fatal knift'e, he addlressed the peopile, and rc ited a few lines of poetry which he had written since his trial. HORRIBLR MURDER.