The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-03-09 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

SHOCKING MURDER OF A GIRL IN  FRANCE.  A Paris letter says: Murders are now ao freqnent that it is impossible to 'twice them all. But there is a very chocking case in the Drogg of the murder, preceded by the violation, of a pretty and modeet country girl while she WIN walking home by herself AeroB/1 some fields, which I mention on account of the success with which a provincial adrouste.general struggled against the tendency of country juries to find " extenuating circumstances" even in the worst Caere. The case in question was tried at the Poitiers wires, on Feb:nary 20. The public prosecutor, M. Gast, after atating the horrible facts, about which there was no doubt, concluded his address to the jury with the following remarkable peroration:—  And now, gentlemen, look at the case how you will, you must be convinced that the prisoner is in no point of view deeerving of your pity. Nevertheless, the feeling against capital punishment is so wrong Mat my duty into ask my conscience, not merely whether, In this cage, 111. rif N•rved, but whether It is aneolutely necemary. 01 this head I submit to your judgment an argument which seem, to me peremptory and declare. It hes pleseed Providence to distribute the goods of this world in a very unequal manner. But happitimii does not consist ill Ale, poesresion of riches; it depends above all things upon a contented mind. Where In sup station of life can you- find greater or sweeter my. than those of family affection? It is by and through these affections ttut the poor in tire t gnat of the rich, and on t hie ground 'ha outcast of fortune is often more blessed than the great onee of the land. But the peasant and the artisan, the poor man in short. is forced by the condition, of his existence to suffer hie w.te and children to work alone in the gelds and to go from place to place along one and unfrequented pathr, unaccompanied. When ha thus necessarily confides the objects of his dearest sire tious to the public tense of right and wrong, he should be able to reckon on the unswerving protection of the law. And of what value le that protection against wretches like the prisoner, whose whole lives are one continual lion against Itw and humanity ? li%or such men capital punishment alone has any terrors. Ah ! 110 doubt it Is as painful to you to award an It to for me to ask for inch a verCict. But the voice of duty culls on me too loudly to allow me to yield to the tendency of the heart of man, which yields towards mercy, when he seen captive before him a disarmed helples. criminal All of us here, whether judges, magietra-es, or jurymen, have charge of soul. We must not because our own children are safe from snob attack, neglect the interest, of classes below us which are rounded to our care Beep day the prisons and centre, houses of correction vomit forth upon society men like the premier. K'e must nit by fatal hide's-nee encourage their crimes. It nat,t not he that 10 some future day the mother of another tic Im mq be in a p.,itin ho r 140,010,1 Us with our weakness, and cdl us to account for the life and h moue of her WI& I beseech you to weigh these considers. None in your heart of hearta and then Wits and decide.  _ The jury found the prisoner, a man named Remusgazd, Guilty, and he was sentenced to be guillotined is. laso men of Ohetelhersult, the principal town in the commune in which the crime waa cola. mmitted.  SERVANTGALISM ONCE AGAIN !—A New York paper records the following : A lady In the first society was recently obliged to dismiss her nurse on account of an excess of firemen and private soldiers too cften repeated. After choosing as • succeuor to this criminal • very pretty girl, the lady, explaining why the first was sent away, enjoined on the second not to do likewise. She admitted that she shouldn't. "1 min endure • great deal," said the lady, " hut soldiers about the kitchen I won't endure." After a week or eight days the lady came one morning Into the kitchen, opened • cupboard, an I discovered a yonthful military character. " Oh, ma'am !" cried the girl, frightened, "I Wye von my word I law that soldier before In my life—he matt have been one of the old ones left over by the other girl I"