Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1892-09-03 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

YOUTHFUL FRENCH MURDERER.  Seldom Ins such a case of precocious and cynical vice been revealed as that which has just claimed the attention of the Assize Court of the Seine. The prisoner—a lad of 16, named Drevelle—had been brought to trial for the murder of his employer, one Sinibaldi, a pastrycook, settled in the Rue de Charenton. The boy, who is a native of the Department of the Vosges, had already been in the service of two country pastrycooks, who could make nothing of him. His thoughts were constantly bent on crime. He took a pleasure, says the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, in the perusal of accounts of the careers of notorious law-breakers, and he was in the habit of putting strange questions to his fellow-apprentice, asking, for instance, whether murderers condemned to the guillotine were not provided with an ample supply of champagne, and did not spend their days playing cards with the warders. Shortly after young Drevelle entered the service of the man who was destined to die by his hand, he conceived a violent d4slikt for him, and oddly enough Sinibaldi appeared be afraid afraid of the sinister, sullen youth, who, befoh many months had gone by, not content with grumbling and muttering threats, gave unmistakable signs of his rooted determination to kill or maim him. He bought a large kitchen-knife, and, after telling one of his friends that he intended to massacre the whole family and take refuge in Belgium, lie watched for a favourable opportunity to kill his master. It came on the evening of March Ist. Weary after a long day's toil, Sinibaldi had retired to rest, leaving his wife downstairs to look after the business. Di evelle crept up the staircase, possessed himself of the knife which he had purchased, and stepping softly up to the bed in which his employer was sleeping soundly, he bent over him and stabbed him repeatedly. The unfortunate pastrycook sat up, and tried to grapple wit A his murderer; but he fell on wile floor fainting from loss of blood. The lad struck again, and so often that upwards of 43 wounds were counted on the body. He took 40f. which Sinibaldi had brought upstairs with him, and going down tried to wash his hands, which were covered with blood. When the concierge asked him what he had been doing, he coolly replied that he had been fighting with young Sinibaldi. Soon afterwards he made his appearance at a police-station, and gave himself up. During the trial Drevelle maintained his cynical attitude, and in answer to most of the questions addressed to him said that he did not remember. A sensation was created in court when the fact was revealed that Madame Sinibaldi had exhorted her liusb-nd to dismiss him, and that the pastrycook had declared with tears that he dared not do so, as the lad would certainly murder him. As to -the guilt of the prisoner and the premeditation of the crime there could be no doubt, but, in consequence of hiS youth, the jury gave him the benefit of "extenuating circumstances," and he was sentenced to "hard labour for life."  Mr. W. D. Walker, one of the best-known agriculturists and landowners in Kent, died early on Friday morning at an advanced age, after a lingering illness. He was a J.P. for the Eastern Division of Kent, and held the ancient office of Bailiff of Romney Marsh until the end of last year. He was also Master of the Romney Marsh Harriers. On Friday morning a fire broke out in the Slippery-lane pit, Hanley, belonging to Earl Granville, by which the lives of nine men were placed in jeopardy. The men who were working in the part of the mine where the tire originated were all but suffocated before they could be removed to fresh air. On reaching the surface, however, they were brought sound and removed to their homes.  By the death, the other day, of the Rev. J. 3. Toogood, we lost, says the Daily Chronicle, one of the "fathers "of the University Boat Race. Mr. Toogood rowed No. 5 for Oxford in the first race at Henley, in 1829, and two of his fellow-oarsmen still survive him—viz., Bishop Charles Wordsworth and Dean Fremantle. Of the Cambridge first eight two also survive—viz., Dean Merivale and Mr. William Snow-Strahan. It was Mr. Toogood's distinction to be the heaviest man who ever rowed in the University Boat Race. He sealed 14st. 71b. At the commemoration banquet Int 1881 he confessed that, with all his interest in the river, he had never seeu * boat race from 1829 to 1881.