Weekly News. — 1891-05-21 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

DEEPLY-DYED VILLAIN.  Of all the ruffians who have had to appear before assize courts in France for some time, Meunier, an ex-Customs officer of Landres, in the Department of the Meurthe et Moselle, seems to be the most deeply-dyed in guilt. This man stands, telegiaphs a Paris correspondent, charged with three assassinations, one attempt to murder, two acts of ineendiarism, and a robbery. He is 35 years old, and once bore an excellent character. In IE9O he lost his wife, who left him with two little boys. Desiring to marry again, he proposed to a ratle r  wealthy person, Mcille. Jactel, whose mother objected to the suitor, first, because he was not rich enough; and, secondly, because he had children. Meunier now resolved to obtain money by all sorts of means. In August last he entered the dwelling of the parish priest of Xivry-Circourt and murdered that ecclesiastic and his servant. He stole fn in the premises about £3O and set fire to the presbytery. Returning to Amennent, where the lady whom lie wanted to lead to the altar lived with her mother, Meunier renewed his suit, but was unsuccessful, owing to the existence of his children. He accordingly burned down Madame Jactel's house, and the mother and daughter escaped only by a miracle. Still undetected and unsuspected of the acts of incendiarism, the douanier urged Mdlle. Jactel to marry him, and she appeared to give ear to his application, but was afraid of her mother, who still objected to the children. A day or two after thc interview with Mcllle. Jactel Meunier smothered his eldest boy. In the meantime, the brother of the lady, who is an infantry officer, arrived in the locality, and forbade the douanier to talk any more to the members of the Jactel family, whereupon Meunier fired at him with a fowling-pie( e and shattered his left rmn. This caused the arrest of the criminal, and the Juge d'instruction soon prepared a formidable case against him. In Meunier's premises the purse of the murdered priest and a religious newspaper which had belonged to the same person were found. Eventually, Meunier confessed to the murder of his son, the burning of Madame Jactel's house, and the attack on the officer. denied, however, the double murder and the destruction of the presbytery. In a few day, Meunier will be called upon to stand his trial before the Assize Court of the M eurthe et Moselle.  A terrible crime has been perpetrated in the little village of Oyonnax, near Nantua, by a child of 12 years. This boy-murderer, who has always exhibited a most vicious disposition, dragged, apparently without any motive, a litt: • child of four years to the river side, plunged its head into the water, and finding that it did not die quickly enough, battered it with his fists, bit it in the face, and tore off its nose. Confronted with the body, the miserable little assassin exhibited the m0.,1 perfect indifference, and cynically explained ho he had torn out the teeth of his victim and otherwise mutilated it.  "Didn't he say once that he would never speak to you again?" "Yes; but he saw I had a cold, and, he couldn't resist the temptation to tell me of a sure cure."  Tramp: "Could you give mo a situation as your gardener or coachman, -ir ? " Moneybags: "So you want work, eh ? " "No, I don't. I want a situation."  A lady having written a letter, concluded it as follows: "Give everybody's love to everybody, so that nobody may be aggrieved by anybody being forgotten by somebody."