The Sun. — 1842-12-05 (London, England)

MURDER IN FRANCE. A dreadful murder was committed on Monday last, at Orleans, under the following circumstances :—A man, of Italian origin, named MOntelli, residing at St. Germain, repaired to Orleans about a fortnight ago, to visit a person named Boisselier, a messenger at the Bank. These pefsons had served together in Africa, and had been for some years on most intimate terms. Boisselier invited Montelli to dinner, and the latter, on taking his departure, promised to return in a short time and see him again. Accordingly, on Monday he again arrived at Orleans early in the morning. He sent a message to Boisselier to come and breakfast with him at the Hotel de l'Europe. Boisselier sent word that he should speedily follow, and, placing in his pocket-book bills to the amount of 8,000 f., which he had to receive for the Bank, he proceeded to the place of meeting. They went out about half. past eight o'clock, and drank wine at several cabarets. About nine they returned to the hotel, and went up to Montelli's room. In half an hour afterwards the unfortunate Boisselier lay murdered on the floor; Montelli, on arriving at the hotel, had asked for something to eat, and the servant, seeing that he did not come down, carried the breakfast up to him. He heard her step on the stairs, and immediately came out of his room, saying, " Take it down ; I shall be with you in a moment." He descended a few minutes after, having locked his door, and put the key in his pocket. He took his breakfast with the utmost tranquillity, and then went out, and, calling at several bankers, got most of the Bills, which he had taken from his victim, cashed, and in this way collected about 5,000 f. He returned to the hotel about one o'clock, and called for dinner, which he ate with a good appetite. His dinner being over, he went up to his room, and then set about concealing his crime. After having dispatched Boisselier, Montelli had tried to hide the body in a cupboard in the room, but he found it impossible to force it in. It was, however, absohitely necessary either to hide it or take it away. For this purpose he went out again, and purchased a box and some packing canvas. The former was to contain the body, and the latter to dry up the blood. During his preparations the murderer, the better to deceive the persons who might be in the neighbouring rooms, kept singing with a loud voice. Sometime afterwards he took the box down stairs, and with the aid of a commissionnaire carried it to the Messageries:Laffitte, and had it entered for Toulouse, directed to a person named Morel. He then, without returning to the hotel, agreed with a cabriolet driver to take him for 10f. a certain distance on the Paris road. He became hungry on the way, and took supper at an inn at Artenay. In the meantime the non-appearance of Boisselier had given the alarm at the Bank, and the police were informed of the circumstance. They learned that a stranger, with his face somewhat scratched, and his hand wrapped up, had presented several bills for payment, and on examination it was found that several spots of blood were visible on some of them. The next day, M. Benard, the proprietor of the Hotel de l'Europe, finding that one of his inmates had not returned, and that the key was not to be found, went up to the room, and saw some blood near the door. He at once sent for the police, and, on examination, blood was discovered on the floor, in the cupboard, and under the bed, where they also ound a cap, a cravat, and some bloody linen. This having come to the ears of the Director of the Messageries, he informed the police of the heavy box he had received the evening before, and on its being broken open, the body of the unfortunate Boisselier was found within. The mutilations practised on it were horrible, for the murderer, in order to force the body into the box, had been obliged to fold up the thighs like the legs of a fowl, and to press the dead body down with his knees. The police are in pursuit of the murderer, who it has been found hired a cabriolet at Thoury. Bosselier has left a young wife and one child.—Galignani.  LORD KINNARD'S TESTIMONY To