The Sun. — 1866-06-14 (London, England)

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 14, 1866.  minutes. The stoker, a Iran named Gallard, was killed ; his body was frightfully mutilated. Many of the sailors were also mach injured. The Passe Partout sunk soon after the accident, and the Maria suffered considerable damage.  A tragedy of real life, with startling accessories, has been elucidated by the Court of Assize for the Department of the Haute Saone. Two widows, mother anddaughter, were charged with the murder of Jean Baptiste Collileux. The murdered man was the son in law of the former and the husband of the latter. The prisoners arc Virginie Pipert, widow Petet, Marie Louise Petet, widow. Collileux was her husband. It appeared from the evidence that the mother in law had for some time past been actuated with bitter hatred against her son-in-law, and she had been successful in making her daughter share that hatred against him. The father-in-law also joined in the feeling, buthe was not inclined to commit murder to satiate it. There was, however, suspicion against him, and he was taken into custody, but he avoided inquiry by cutting his throat in prison. The victim, the unfortunate son-in-law, was a man of rare credulity. The mother-in-law persuaded him that there was a valuable treasure concealed at the bottom of the Rahin, a river which runs near the village of Lure, where the prisoners resided, and that they knew how to obtain possession of it ; but they told him that to effect this object it was necessary that he should sit on the ground, allow his feet and hands to be bound, and that he should be placed parallel to the river, his face turned towards the west, and that he should fix his eyes steadily upon the river, and watch its course until a sudden light from heaven should indicate the spot where the treasure was concealed. All this the victim did without difficulty, and in full confidence of success, and placed himself in the position which his two near relatives desired. As soon as the two women had arranged the matter, and while the poor victim was looking out for the light from heaven which was to lead him on to fortune, the elder prisoner struck him on the head with a heavy hammer with such force that he rolled over on his side and become insensible immediately. From the con fession of this tender-hearted woman it seems that she did not like to go too far, and she therefore called to her daughter, and said, " There he is." The daughter was unwilling to interfere in such a delicate affair, and this being so, the mother took it upon herself to finish it. The man being dead, the daughter lent her assistance to throw the corpse into the river. The jury found the mother guilty, and she was sentenced to death. With the usual kindness and consideration of French juries, they found " extenuating circumstances" in regard to the daughter, who had at least been a spectator, if not an aider and assister, while her busband was being murdered, and so she was only condemned to hard labour for 20 years. This account may be read as if it were a sensation romance in a cheap periodical, but it is an " ower true tale," analysed from the records of the Court of Assize of the Department of the llaute-Saone, which has not yet finished all the cases to be submiteed to it at its present " gaol delivery." As an appropriate addition to this illustration of murder and disregard of the admonition " nothing extenuate," it may be added that a man named Jean Barre, found guilty before the Court of Assize for the Department of the Correze of murdering his wife and two of his children, has escaped the punishment of death from the sovereign sway which " extenuating circumstances" have over those who administer justice in France. Last evening we had a slight storm of thunder and lightning, and to-day the weather is unsettled and showery, and rather cooler. The observations at the Observatory lead to the expectation of violent storms all over Europe. Thus the new moon to-day is ushered in under troubled auspices.