The Sun. — 1857-07-10 (London, England)

FRENCH- BURGLARY  The Court of Assizes of the Haute-Garonne has just been occupied two days in trying eight men for burglary and six women for complicity in the same. It appeared that a very old gentleman, named Mon tauriol, resides in a large house called Chateau dei Bastards, in the commune of Mongiscard, and has all his life been accustomed to keep a large part of his fortune, which is in epecie and bank notes, in his house. The male prisoners, all worthless characters, of the adjacent village of Montesquieu, formed the project of breaking into the house and stealing the money. Accordingly, in the night of the 25th of September last, they went to the chateau, carrying with them several sacks which they proposed to fill with the money, and also taking a horse to carry their booty away. To effect an entrance they began cutting a hole in the outer wall, but the dogs barked so furiously that they deemed it prudent to take to flight. Two or three nights after they renewed the attempt, but for the seine reason it failed. At length, in the night of the Ist Dec. they went to the house, and while some kept watch around it the others made a hole in the wall which enabled them to undo the fastenings of a door. They then entered and ascended to the room in which old M. Montauriol was sleeping. His female servant, who was the only person in the house besides himself, hearing a noise, came from her room, but the men pushed her back into it, and fastened the door. The old man having been roused uttered loud cries, and one of the burglars, dragging him from the bed, told him they were 20 in number, and would murder him if he stirred ; but he continued to cry out, and they beat him violently about the head until he was silent. They then went into the room in which the money was kept, and breaking open a cupboard proceeded to fill their sacks with money. Meanwhile, the female servant, opening her window, gave the alarm. Some farm labourers, in the service of Mauntauriel, hearing the cries hurried to the chateau ; and on their approach the burglars took to flight, carrying with them the money which they had collected. They afterwards divided the booty in different proportions aocording to the share each had had in the burglary. As to the women, who were wives of six of the men, they also received portions of the stolen money. On some of the burglars being arrested, one of them made full revelations respecting the whole affair. The precise amount which was stolen was not known by M, Montauriol, but the prisoners themselves confessed that it was 35,835 f. The jury acquitted the six women and one of the men, who was very old, and convicted the other seven prisoners. The court condemned them to periods of hard labour, varying from six to 20 years. In the course of the trial it was stated that the sum M. Montauriol was accustomed to keep in his house was not less than 1,000,000 f. of which about 100,000 f. were in gold, 100,000 f. in bank notes, and the rest in silver. It was also stated that his total fortune is about 2,000,000 f., and that he made it by speculations in houses, lands, and corn ; but that, notwithstanding his wealth. he lived in the most miserly manner, and was stated for many years not to have eaten meat cr game. The old man, who was called as a witness, is perfectly blind, but he proved to the court that he could by the mere touch tell one banknote from another. -Galignani'a Messenger.