The Sun. — 1830-04-13 (London, England)

SINGULAR SUICIDE IN FRANCE.  A circumstance has just taken place in Rochefort which, from its fatal termination and the mysterywhich even yet involves the principal actor in it, has caused no slight sensation in that part of France. On the Ist of February, at six in the morning, a stranger alighted from the Bourdeaux coach at the Ville de Londres, and whose general appearance, and the embarrassment displayed in his replies to the usual questions put by the police, excited the suspicion of one of their agents. The young man, for such he was, with an exceedingly gentlemanlike deportment, was narrowly watched, and was seen to enter the shops of several different watchmakers in the town, to whom he offered some watches for sale, giving a different name at each shop, and all varying from that written in his passport, which was Pablo de Agulerd. A robbery to some extent having taken place at St. Jean d'Angely, an order was issued for his arrest, which was put into execution the next morning. On being taken into custody he was at first very urgent with the officer to afford him the means of escape, assuring him that by so doing he would lay a family of the first consequence under obligation, and might depend on their gratitude. Of course the proposal was rejected. When brought before the commissary he refused to give his real name, quality, or birth-place, merely declaring he was a native of Old Castile, and that the name Pablo de Agulerd, which be admitted was fictitious, had been inserted by a friend who had furnished him with his passport, which friend was a Spaniard as well as himself. On following up the investigation it was soon found that ninety-three watches had been stolen from a manufacturer of these articles at Bourdeaux the very day before the person in custody had arrived from that city. The prisoner, however, persisted in his innocence of any concert, in that transaction, only adding to his former statement that he had studied four years in Salamanca, of which university he had originally become a member with a view of practising at the bar, but had abandoned that profession for the army in 1820. With respect to the watches in his possession, he stated that he had bought them of a person named Perm, who assured him they were part of the effects of a bankrupt, who wished to dispose of them privately. He admitted that he had acted wrong in receiving them under the cirsumstances, but affirmed strongly that this was the only affair of the kind that he had ever been engaged in, and that it was done solely with a view to serve a countryman. The conversation, manners, language, and every thing connected with the soi-disant Pablo proved that he had indeed received a liberal education, and had moved in an elevated rank in society, while his firmness never for a moment failed him, even to the last. Notwithstanding every inquiry nothing could be found to connect him personally with the robbery at Bourdeaux beyond presumptive evidence, while his conduct in prison was such as to prepossess every one there in his favour. In asserting his innocence lie occasionally showed all the fierce of the old Castilian ; but otherwise his manner was singularly placid and dignified. Towards the end of February he was informed that one Rodriguez  Bastona, the Scknowledged chief of a gang of Spanish thieve., had been arrested at Bourdeaux. -From. this moment he appeared absorbed and anxious, and addressed several letters to the procureur du roi,. written with much elegance, in all of which he strongly pretested his innocence. Nothing, in the mean time transpired to throw any light on his name or family. On the 21st, having spent the two preceding days in writing and arranging his papers, he dined in company with the gaoler and one of the police agents in the prison, and excited their attention by the increased reserve and even melancholy of his manner, which they describe as that of a man expecting the moment of his execution. While at dinner, he took up a large carving knife and felt the point with his thumb, but with so calm Can air that he excited no suspicion of his intent. Soon after he retired for a few moments into the court-yard, filled his pipe, and went into the kitchen under the pretence of lighting it, but took the opportunity to lay hold, unobserved, of another knife, smaller, and of a different description from the last. With this he retired towards a door at the extremity of the room opposite to that by which he had entered s then, turning, said to the persons present, " Do not be alarmed, I shall injure no one but myself." At the same moment he struck himself a blow on the left side, but so slightly as to prove that he intended it merely to assure himself that his aim was a correct one. " Courage, Pablo !" was his next exclamation, and a second blow plunged the weapon into his breast up to the handle. He then threw himself on a straw bed near, and begged that a priest might be sent for. In ten minutes he was no more. Several letters were left behind him, one of which contained his will, leaving all his effects to a Mademoiselle 8., of Rochelle, to whom another of them was addressed, couched in terms of the most glowing affection, and signed " M.O.C. de V. P.R." the initials, as he said, of the real name and designation of him who was only known to her tinder that of Patricio de Aguirre. His reason for this rash act, he again averred in them, was the dread of bringing disgrace and affliction on a noble family. —lntelligence.