Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1871-12-30 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL IN FRANCE.  An extraordinary trial has just been concluded in France, in which a man named Lemettre was charged with twenty-seven crimes, consisting chiefly of murder and incendiarism, and extending over a period of twenty-six years. A difficulty in con. meting Lemettre with the various acts of incendiarism charged to him was apparent from the outset, and determined the prosecution to confine themselves to the robberies and murders of which he was accused. The prisoner's defence to these was an original one. He invented two confederates (compared with whom, from his own statements, I he was guileless), who had assisted him P—no, who I had actually perpetrated the offences with which he I was chargeyl, and generously handed over to his safe keeping the proceeds of the crimes. This naturally accounted for the discovery in his house, carefully buried, of the stolen property. "It was Briche, alias Miniqae, and Malloy, alias Croisette," who were the heads of the firm of which he was but a humble member. Malloy robbed Deguine of 600 francs; at least, "Briche told him so "—though Malloy, a sailor, was at that time 3,000 leagues from France. Lemmettre "was not aware of that." Briche robbed the cure's house at 11.30 p.m., though he was proved to be at that very hour at midnight mass. be discrepancies in the prisoner's statements and the facts eliminated were carefully pointed out by the Juge d'instruction, who did not I fail to remark upon the unusual generosity of MM. Briche and Malloy in "taking all the risk, and giving the prisoner all the plunder." Throughout the trial the very mention of Briche's name was a signal for "laughter." This trifling blunder, however, was merged in the other and overwhelming evidence brought to bear upon the prisoner's guilt. As each succeeding question, pointed and searching, was put by the President, a reply, palpably contradictory, or terribly criminating, followed. Now it is his landlord, who has come to the Christmas fete, and has left his carriage at his tenant's house till midnight, when he will return to fetch it, and whom he tells to knock "however lightly" at the door, and he will awake. The landlord comes with three friends, and "they all knock and kick for ten minutes with all their might," but he was asleep and did not hear them." He was engaged in strangling Cugny. Again he confesses to "a participation" in the murder of Foucary, who was peuliarly outraged, but denies any complicity in a precisely similar attack upon the Provost. In a word, his guilt in every single instance was proved to the satisfaction of both judge and jury—the former of whom complimented him epon his ability —and the world will shortly be rid of him. On Saturday night, at eleven o'clock, a verdict of guilty was unanimously returned. Joseph Lemettre was condemned to death, and will shortly be executed at Marquise. The prisoner heard his sentence announced without exhibiting any emotion.  JOHN WILLETT, Esq., M.D.—" TO render Castor ani Cod-Liver Oils Palatable, leaving the virtues intact, has been a puzzle to the chemical world. I can say with confidence that yours is a complete success. The. Castor Oil's laxative property is not in the least impaired, and no eructation follows. Your Cod-Liver Oil is extremely well liked. It is very aptable to patients affected with the frequent dys?epsia of incipient phthisis, when all other Oils are disagreeable and cannot be taken at all, by some without vomiting. In final, the supercedence of your Oil over all others in use requires no comment. A trial will at once ensure that opinion. Fox's "Palatable" Cod Liver Oil and " Palatable ' Castor Oil.