The Sun. — 1854-04-20 (London, England)

MURDER IN FRANCE.  A pretty young wouiiiti, Lease Mercier, aged 27, and her fath_T, aged 62, were tried a few days ago by the Court of Assizes of La Vendee for the murder of a farmer, named Rouhaud, of Poire-sur-Rellierre. Between the woman and this man intimate relations had long existed, and she had a child, who is now aged about four years, by him. She frequently pressed him to marry her, but he constantly refused, though he kept up his connection with her. She more than once threatened him that she would murder him if he should marry any other woman, but he paid little attention to her menaces. Her fathes, also declared that he would be avenged on him if he should abandon her. In December last it was announced that he intended to marry another female named Loizeau, and this greatly exasperated Louise Mercier. Ins the night of the 4th of January, Rouhaud was awakened by a Noise amongst his cattle in a shed, and he got up to see what was the matter. Shortly after he had left the house he was beard to utter a loud cry. His mother hastened to him, and found him lying on the ground bathed in blood. Me had a. deep wound in the shoulder, and another in the abdomen ; the latter was mortal, and in a few seconds he expired without speaking a word. Near him Ras found a pitchfork with one of the prongs broken, and a few yards off a straw hat. Suspicion immediately fell on the young woman Mercier, and the hat was recognised as belonging to her brother. She was arrested, and in a short time she fully confessed that, it was she who .had committed the murder. She had, she said, done it in consequence of Rouhard's abandonment of her, and she solemnly declared that neither her father nor any other person had aided her in it, or had even been acquainted with her design. After the publication of the banns of his marriage, she had, she said, possessed herself of a knife, belonging to a butcher, named Garreau, with whom her sister was in service, and of a large pitchfork belonging to her uncle. She had then in the night of the 4th dressed herself as a man with clothes belonging to her father and brother, and had at a late hour -gone to Rouhard's house. Having knocked' rudely at his window-shutters, she, expecting him to come out, had placed herself behind a post. In a short time he appeared, and she had stabbed him with a pitchfork in the shoulder ; he had turned hastily round, and had wrested the pitchfork from her ; but before he could strike she had plunged her knife into his bowels. She had then taken to flight. According to the indictment the father must have assisted the girl in the perpetration of the crime, as it was not likely that she would have carried a heavy pitchfork when she was armed with a knife ; and as, besides, a neighbour of the murdered man had distinctly beard the footsteps of two persons, the heavy tread of a man, and the lighter one of a woman, proceed rapidly along the road just after the crime was committed. The father had, moreover, returned to his other daughter the knife which her sister had taken. But a strong circumstance was mentioned :—After the crime the second daughter, whose name was Aiin4e, had been for a moment suspected, and had in consequence been discharged from the service of the butcher. This, combined with the arrest of her sister, and with that of her father, which subsequently took place, drove her distracted, and she went and drowned herself. When her dead body was brought borne her mother gave way to the must violent affliction, and, in her despair, cried that it was her husband who was responsible for all, as he had aided Louise innorntnittingthe murder, and as She had heard him say on his return that he had given Rouhaud a good stab with a pitchfork, to which Louise had answered that she had given him one with her knife. The jury, however, did not think the evidence against the man sufficient, and it acquitted him. The female was declared guilty, but with extenuating circumstances, and was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonineet, with hard labour. In the course of the trial the knife she' had used was produced—she turned her eyes from it with horror  I