Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1860-10-10 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

FRIGHTFUL MURDER OF A LADY IN AJACCIO.—The Court of Assizes of the Gard, in France, has just been occupied four days in the trial of three Corsicans, named Ornano, Coti, and Sorbella, the former a nobleman, bearing the title of Viscount, the second belonging to a respectable family, the other of humble station, on the charge of having committed a murder at Ajaccio. The prisoners were at first ordered to be tried by the Court of Assizes at Corsica, but the Court of Caseation learning that great prejudices existed against them in that island, had them sent before the Court of the Gard. Notwithstanding the length to which the trial extended the facts of the ease were few :—ln the evening of the 29th of November, of last year, Mtdemoiselle Victoire Ornano, an elderly maiden lady of Ajaccio, was found by a person who called on her lying dead on the floor, in a pool of blood, with her skull smashed in, and near her was an iron bar stained with blood; she had evidently been murdered as she was sitting by the fire. In front of the fireplace were some chairs, apparently set for visitors, and nothing whatever was stolen from the room, not even a sum of 530 f. in gold, which was in an unlocked box. These eircumstancPs seemed to show that the crime had been committed by some person or persons with whom the victim was acquainted, and next, that it was not done for the sake of robbery. Now, between the d ceased and her brother, the Viscount Ornano, great animosity .nad long existed, owing to their not having been able to agree about the division of certain property coming from their parents, and owing to their having been engaged in long and vexatious law proceedings about it; besides which, Ornano had a direct interest in her death, inasmuch as be was destined to inherit what she had to leave. e,therefore, wee suspected, if not of having perpetrated, at least of having excited the murder. On inquiry it was tower allied that for some days before he had been seen in his own house, and on the sea shore, in mysterious conferences with Sorbella and Coti, two men of indifferent character of the village of Sainte Marie, where he and his sister possessed property; that on the 18th of November, these two men, without apparent object, took up their residence together at a public-house at Ajaccio, and that they occupied the same chamber, and even the same bed; and that on the night of the murder they did not return to the inn, though they did not announce their intention to leave. There was every reason to believe that two men had taken part in the murder, as at about the time at which it must have been committed the footsteps of two had been heard ascending to the apartment of the deceased, and some time after those of two descending hastily. It was remarked that one of these men made a noise as if be had on shoes with heavy nails. It was ascertained that on the day of the crime Sorbella wore heavy shoes with five rows of big nails, and Coti light patent leather boffins,. In addition to this, the iron bar with which the murder had been perpetrated was proved to have been purchased by Sorbella. From these facts it was contended that the two men must be the murderers, and that as they had no animosity to the deceased, and had not robbed her, they must have been excited by Ornano. But the evidence was not sufiiciently strong to satisfy the jury, and all three were accordint acquitted. Coti was afterwards tried by the Court on e charge of having, so far back as July, 1853, fired a loaded pistol at one Sampiero Ornano, of Sainte Marie, with whom be had had a quarrel, but fortunately the ball did not hit him. This crime was clearly proved, and the prisoner, being decleared guilty, was condemned to five years' hard labour.