Distressing Case.
The Times, 1824-10-01T00:00:00

a creauttit instance of the effect of jealousy has occurred here this inorraing. ' It appears that, about two years since, a painter of the Lame ot Marchant married a young wFoman of a neighbouring vil- lage, to whom he had becn for some time attachel. fie was a man of industrious habits and excellent character, and his wife was pos- sessed of great personal beauty. They lived happil v together on the rorts of his business, as a house-painter, until the )ove of pleasure and a lively disposition led the wife into an inattention to her do.nes. tic duties, for which shC waR freqiiently reproved by her husband. This led to several bickerings, and at last to severe quarrels. Nei- tlier husband nor wife were of the most patient temper, and the ten. dency to irritation on his part was increaved by suspicion of her fide- lity. Thesc suspicions in the end proved to be too well founded,and discoveries we-re made, by which her criminality with a soldier ofi the Veteran Battalion was established. The remonstrances of the husband M ere in vain, and she resisted every attempt to break off the cennceion vith her paramour. When all was found to he ineffective, she was sent to her family; but the infatuated husband could not exist without her, -and after a sbort time took her home again. She renewed her inti- utacy with the veteran, and drove her husband to a state of almost desperation. It appeared, that on the night previouts to the murder, ahe ws-, absent to a very late hour, and on her retum, nearly at four in the morning, she was heari quarrelling violently with her hus- 1and. No notice was taken of the circaunstance, as it was one of common occurrence, and as the noise ceased aftler a shert time. A twomar, who slept in the roem umndlerneath them felt, soon after the cessation of the quarrel, something wet dropping on her face, through the chinks of the floor, but took no notice, as she fancied that water might have been spit in the chamber. When tihe alarm swas s-ubsequently given, this wonian was horrified on tinding that her face and bed-clotiaes were stainet with bloodi. From thence it is im'tined that the murtler was perpetrated when the quarrel appeared to hae been terminated. It must have been suddenly effected, as r.o struggling was heard, or any noise t excite alarm, beyond the u5ual vehlemence of the unfortunate persons when disputing. Soon after seven o'clock, the owner of the irouRe was surprrsed on meet- ing Alarchast on the stairs, his face and hand4 marked with blood. Bie had a bundle with him, and was about leaving the house, when the landlord stopped him and asked hin what was the natter. The unfortunate man could make no reply, but seemed like one labotir- ing under some dreadful anguish. The landlord forced him back to his own room, and on opening the door was hiorror.struck on seeirg the body of Alarchant's ill-fated wife lying across the bed- her throat cut, and blood streaining from it on the floor. " I have killed lier," aid thedesperate man, gnashinghin teeth; and then at- tempted to force hisway down stairs.This was prevented by the land- leord who succeeded in gushing him back into the room, the door of vwhich he locked, while he himself ran to fetch the po- lice. On the arrival of the police in the Place des Victoires, where the-house is. Alarchant was seen at the window, from whence he withdrew on recognizing them.' The officers then proceeded up Etairs, and attemptedi to open the door, but met some resistance. On getting it at last free, they found the unfortunate man writhing in the last agonmes of death on the ground(I near the door, against which be ha lfaUlen. He had, it would seem, been so terrified on seeing the police, that he took up the same razor with which the murder of his wife was effected, and cut his own throat in the most ferocious and determined manner. Life was uot extinct when the officers dis- covered his situation, and 1llarchant was taken instantly to the hos- pital, wberc surgical assistance was given, but the wretched man's fete was accomplished, and he died in an hour. Judging from all the circtimstances of the case, there can be no doubt that the poor 7nan was worked up by ealousy to a state of t'ury, to which the wticked woman to whom he had the misfortune to be united fell the first wscrifice The husband, by all accounts, deserved a better end. DISTRESSIArG CASE. BOULOGIW-S rpT. 23.