The Sun. — 1847-08-25 (London, England)

THE MURDER OF THE DUCHESS  DE PR &SLIN.  The announcement of s,..vcral of the journals of ne arrival in Paris on Saturday of Marshal Sebas,iani was erroneous. The Marshal, it appears, had quitted Geneva for Nice before the melancholy news of the assassination of his daughter could reach him, and, consequently, it was impossible for him to arrive in Paris so soon as has been stated. The body of the Duchess was removed on Sunday morning, at six o'clock, to a vault under the church of the Madeline. It was accompanied by her uncles, the Duke de Coigny, and General Sebastiani, and two other members of the family. A mass was performed immediately after the body had been placed in the vault. It will remain there until the arrival of Marshal Sebastiani. We read in the Debats—" The Duke de Praslin.is said to be still suffering from his attempt to poison himself. Three phials have been found in his chamber, one of which was still filled with nitric acid, another contained a white powder, which has been ordered to be analysed, and the third had contained laudanum, which it is believed the Duke had drunk. Every possible precaution is taken at the Luxembourg to prevent his making any further attempt upon his life. Dr. Louis, his own physician, and Dr. Rouget de Saint Pierre, physician to the Luxembourg, are in attendance upon him." Of the nine children of the unfortunate Duchess de Praslin, the eldest daughter is alone married. She is the wife of a rich Piedmontese gentleman, with whom she lives usually at Turin. The second daughter, aged eighteen, set out on the day of the murder to meet her grandfather, the Marshal. The four others have been taken to their grandmother, Mdme. de Praslin. They are ignorant of the crime imputed to their father. M. Edgard de Praslin, brother of the prisoner, was, when the murder took place, at the Chateau de Praslin, which has remained the property of the eldest son of the family, and where he this summer occupied a pavillion. He has conducted there the three sons of the accused. Mdlle. Sebastiani had brought to her husband in marriage upwards of 100,000 f. a year, from the mother's side. She afterwards obtained as much more by the death of an aunt. M. de Praslin, on his side, possessed about as great a fortune. They had, in addition, to expect all the fortune of Marshal Sebastiani, and of General Tiburce Sebastiani, the uncle, who has no children, and their share in the fortune of the Dowager Duchess de Praslin. _ _  The following affecting account is given of the manner in which the Duchess Dowager de Praslin, who is nearly blind, has been made acquainted with the death of her daughter-in-law, whom she loved most tenderly. She was at first informed that her unfortunate daughter had been murdered by robbers. Upon this she desired that her son might come to her, and they would mourn together. Expressing her extreme surprise that he did nit come to her, it became necessary to make her gradually and cautiously acquainted with the truth. Upon this she sunk into a state of complete despair. At the time of the marriage of the Duke de Praslin he was twenty-one years of age, and Mdlle. Sebastiani only eighteen. Her hand had been promised to the Duke de Fitzjames, but a difference upon questions of interest unfortunately put a stop to a union which in all respects was most desirable.