Weekly News. — 1892-09-01 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

YOLMIFIJL FRENCH MURDERER.  Seldom hls such a case of precocious and cynicai vice been revealed as that which has just claimed the attention of the Assize Court of the Seine. The prisoner—a lad of 16, named Drevelle—had been brought to trial for the murder of his employer, one Sinibaldi, a pastrycook, settled in the Rue de Charenton. The boy, who is a native of the Department of the Vosges, had already been in the service of two country pastrycooks, who could make nothing of him. His thoughts were constantly bent on crime. He took a pleasure, says the Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, in the perusal of accounts of the careers of notorious law-breakers, and he was in the habit of putting strange questions to his fellow-apprentice, asking, for instance, whether murderers condemned to the guillotine were not provided with an ample supply of champagne, and did not spend their days playing cards with the warders. Shortly after young Drevelle entered the service of the man who was destined to die by his hand, he conceived a violent dislike for him, and oddly enouzh Sinibaldi appeared to be afraid of the sinister, sullen youth, who, before many months had gone by, not content with grumbling and muttering threats, gave unmistakable signs of his rooted determination to kill or maim him. He bought a lard' kitchen-knife, and, after telling one of his friends that he intended to massacre the whole family and take refuge in Belgium, he watched for a favourable opportunity to kill his master. It came on the evening of March Ist. Weary after a long day's toil, Sinibaldi had retired to rest, leaving his wife downstairs to look after the business. Drevelle crept up the staircase, possessed himself of the knife which he had purchased, and stepping softly up to the bed in which his employer was sleeping soundly, he bent over him and stabbed him repeatedly. The unfortunate pastrycook sat up, and tried to grapple with his murderer; but he fell on the floor fainting from loss of blood. The lad struck again, and so often that upwards of 43 wounds were counted on the body. He took 40f. which Sinibaldi had brought upstairs with him, and going down tried to wash his hands, which were covered with blood. When the concierge asked him what he had been doing, he coolly replied that he had been fighting with young Sinibaldi. Soon afterwards he made h;s appearance at a police-station, and gave himself up. During the trial Drevelle maintained his cynical attitude, and in answer to most of the questions addressed to him said that he did not remember. A sensation was created in court when the fact was revealed that Madame Sinihaldi had exhorted her husband to dismiss him, and that the pastrycook had declared with tears that he dared not do so, as the lad would certainly murder him. As to the guilt of the prisoner and the premeditation of the crime there could be no doubt, but, in consequence of his youth, the jury gave him the benefit of "extenuating circumstances," and he was sentenced to "hard labour for life."  Mr. W. D. Walker, one of the best.known agriculturists and landowners in Kent, died early on Friday morning at an advanced age, after s lingering illness. He was a J.P. for the Eastern Division of Kent, and held the ancient office of Bailiff of Romney Marsh until the end of last year. lie was also Master of the Romney Marsh Harriers.  On Friday morning a fire broke out in the Slippery-lane pit, Hanley, belonging to Earl Granville, by which the lives of nine men were placed in jeopardy. The men who were working in the part of the mine where the fire originated were all but suffocated before they could be removed to fresh air. On reaching the surface, however, they were brought rnurd and removed to their homes.  To the "pooher" all things are poor. A "pop"-ular proceeding.—Proposing marriage. A time-honoured court-room.—The front parlour. "I'm up in arms again," as the baby remarked at 2 a.m. . .  "Very good, but rather too pointed," as the fish said when it swallowed the bait.  If the mouth is the window of the intellect, the toothache must be a sort of window pane. Why is an errand-boy like an old horse put up to suction?—Because he'll go for what he'll fetch.