Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1887-03-26 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

FRENCH MURDER TRIAL.  The trial of Rossel, the waiter, who four months ago murdered the landlady of the Cato Gay Lussac, has been heard in the Assize Court at Paris. A circumstantial account of the crime is given in the indictment, of which the following is the substance. Rossel, who had been sentenced for theft at Fontainebleau, and was wanted by the police for misdeeds committed on former occasions, got a place at the Café Gay Lumen, kept by Madame Loyson and her husband, who was her junior by 12 years. He passed under the name of Rose, and this tame he had forged to several p ,pers. Rossel had for felkw waiter one Berger, a mechanic cut of work, and both slept in one room. On Oct. 27, Loyson left for Besancon to undergo the annual twenty.eight days' service in the reserve. From that day forward, proceeds the indictment, the , prisoner became close and taciturn, as if burdened by some mysterious care. On November 2 he went out with his mistress's leave, had his hair cut close, and pawned a pair of shoes. He told Berger that he was expecting an acquaintance to spend the night in the room, and asked him to sleep out for that once, offering to pay hotel expenses. To this arrangement Berger assented. Throughout the afternoon Roasel showed great impatience to get rid of Berger, but the latter mid he would not go before the usual time for putting up the shutters, and went out with the last customer at a quarter to one. At eight the following morning he returned, and, finding the place still closed, entered by the back yard ; but he almost immediately came out again, crying out," Who is lying in the café?" The coneirige, or porter of the house, entered the parlour with him, and both found Madame Loyson lying on the floor murdered. The head was resting on a waiter's napkin, a gag made of knotted napkins was tied over the mouth and eyes, and the body was covered with outs and bruises. The till was emptied, and the room was in a state of utter confusion. Upstairs all the cupboards had been opened, and the murderer had taken about SIG in gold, two gold watches, a bracelet, two watch chains, a locket, earrings, a wedding ring, besides some clothes, a silk handkerchief, and a necktie. The assassin could be no other but Rose, that is to say Ross& He was found on November list Constantine, in Algeria, biding under the name of Lenoble, as he was trying to dispose of some jewellery. The prisoner had left Paris several hours after committing the crime. At Lyons he bought a bag and an outfit, and proceeded without delay to Marseilles. There he spent 24 hours, and an November 5 took ship for Philippeville, having previously got rid of his bag containing his old clothes and blood-stained linen. From that port he went on to Philippeville, where he spent all his money in a disgraceful manner. The greater part of the stolen jewellery has been found, Laving part been sold in Prance or Algeria. Russet is a rosy-cheeked and dull looking lad of 19. His defence was that his first intention was merely to gag Madame Loyson and rob her, but that her desperate resistance maddened him, and he strangled her. M. Loyson deposed that the value of jewellery stolen was about £lOO. An innkeeper at whose house Rossel drank half-amhour alter the crime says he never saw anybody more self-possessed and well spoken. The porter of the hotel where he put up at Marseilles relates how the prisoner borrowed some money from him on a pawnticket, and how he left the bag at the hotel just for a few days, as he represented. When a notice of the murderer's apprehension appeared in the papers this porter handed the bag over to the police. Dr. Brouardel, senior member of the Academy of Medicine, gave his opinion that the death of the victim was due to strangulation by the pressure of the hands, but a stunning blow was probably delivered previously. After a short debate the jury brought in a verdict of " Guilty," without extenuating circumstance.. Sentence of death was therefore passed.