The Sun. — 1848-01-20 (London, England)

THE LATE TRIPLE MURDER IN  BRUSSELS. CONFESSION OF ONE OF TILE ASSASSINS The following is the confession of Rossiel, as offi cially published in Brussels on Monday last : " It was I," said Rossiel, " who, conjointly vi ith Vandenplas, committed the murders. According to our agreement we went to the Place St. Gery, towards seven in the evening, on the 2d of September last. I rang first, and asked the servant who opened the door whether Madame Evenepoel was at home, adding that I had come to pay her the rent which I owed her for one of the houses which I had occupied. The girl rejoined, that I must know very well that Madame was long ago dead. I said I did not, and asked her if Mdlle. Evenepoel was in the house. She replied in the affirmative. I inquired whether she was alone, and was informed that she was. I then told the servant to announce me as M. Rossiel, of the Rue d'Anderslecht, who had called to pay the rent due by him. She then introduced me into a small front room on the ground floor and looking into the court yard. I did not know that Mdlle. E. had a brother. The servant called Mdlle. E., who was on the first floor, and who bade me enter into the back little room where she was found murdered. I requested her to make out my account, and ex pressed the hope that she would not be offended withme for not paying her sooner. I said that I had been unfortunate, and that I had been four months in prison. She replied that I had certainly made her wait long for the money, but that I must see myself that she had no against me, because she had not put me to any expense to recover the debt. I carried on this conversation in order to gain time, for I had arranged with Vandenplas that if I should remain five minutes in the house, it would be a sign that there was no obstacle to the execution of our project, and that he should come in. It had been agreed that Vandenplas should introduce himself into the house under the pretext of renting one of Mdlle. Evenepoel's houses in the Rue d'Anderslecht, and that whilst delivering his message to the servant, he should stun her with a heavy hammer belonging to a cow-keeper, outside the Porte de Louise, at a place called La Longuehaie (the long hedge), where Vandenplas took his victuals, and from which he fetched away the hammer without the knowledge of the owner. We did not know that there was a second servant in the house. Whilst Mdlle. E. was looking over her book of accounts, I heard the bell ring, and-I said to myself ' That is Vandenplas.' A few minutes elapsed, but I heard no noise, and not knowing what might have taken place down stairs, I made an excuse to descend, and said to Mdlle. E., Excuse me, I have an errand to perform—l have not got the money about me. I shall return to-morrow.' She replied, Very well—l have not yet found your account.' I went down, and found Vandenplas close to the door of the little room into which, on my first arrival, I had been shown. We immediately went up together into Mdlle. E.'s room. On seeing Vandenplas she exclaimed, What is the matter ?' in Flemish (Wat is dat ?). I replied, is my comrade, and lam now going to pay you. I put my hand for a second into my pocket, and we immediately attacked her. Vandenplas stunned her with the hammer, and when she fell on the isroulid I cut her throat with a iiolilard. She bad only time to utter two cries—the name twice of one of her servants, which I forget. When I first went down stain, and, as before stated, found Van