The Sun. — 1847-10-09 (London, England)

MURDER OF THE COUNTESS OF GOERLITZ.  The following report of an atrocity which is regarded as in some respects a reproduction of the journal called crime, is taken from the German called the Spectator. The crime seems to have been kept quiet, as the intelligence has not appeared in any of the chief German papers. In the not very. clear or coherent report of the Spectator, comparisons are made between the publicity given to the proceedings in such cases by constitutional governments, and the very different system pursued in Germany; after which it proceeds as follows :—the tragical death of the Countess of Goerlitz, burnt to death at Darmstadt, has-recently-thrown-ail the higher classes of the German aristocracy into deep consternation. This event has given rise to the strangest as well as the most contradictory conjectures ; many persons were of opinion that the Countess had committed suicide, but this was not generally believed, as the circumstances rendered such a supposition highly improbable. Even supposing the Countess to have been desirous of committing the rash act, it was not to be believed that she would choose the most painful, and, till now, unprecedented means, and the bare attempt of which would, one would suppose, be enough to arrest her in the act. Some persons, and among others one of her intimate friends, M. Zamp, at first supposed that her death was caused by accident, but all concur in rejecting this opinion. The Countess has been burnt to death near her secretary, close to a bell rope. Thus it is quite impossible for death to have seized her so suddenly as not to have left her time to pull the bell and procure assistance. But the supposition either of suicide or accident has given way to that of assassination ; and, from the result of the first investigation, this version acquires a greater degree of probability. The Judge d'lnstruction, M. Purgold, has found twenty-six very important evidences of culpability, and has requested the Court to have the affair thoroughly investigated; but the tribunal, after a private conference, has declared the evidence to be insufficient, and has rejected, in consequence, the continuation of the inquiry. The decision appeared strange, and excited general discontent. We have it in our power to make known some of this evidence, collected in the course of the preliminary inquiry. It is well known that for some time past, though living under the same root; the Count and his wife never saw each other. On the evening before the event, a gentleman passing before the Count's house perceived a smell of smoke. He, however, went on without paying further attention to the circumstance; though, on his arrival at the house whither he was going he mentioned it to several persons. Thus, since the smell of fire was perceived in the street at five o'clock, it is more than probable that M. Goerlitz, who was at home, must have smelt it before ten. Count Goerlitz, who was not in the habit of thinking much about his wife, was in very great apparent uneasiness about her. He said, and his servants have repeated it, that the Countess was in the habit of shutting herself up in her own room every evening. N otwitbstanding, at half-past eight, he sent the only domestic present to find another, to inquire of him if he had no news of the Countess. When the servant acquitted himself of his errand, the wife of the latter exclaimed— " Great God I is the Countess burnt ?" What a singular event. What a singular coincidence between the exclamation of the woman and the explanation of the event, which, according to the Count, took place about an hour and a-halt afterwards, and was discovered by him. How explain the affirmation of the Count that at this hour the Countess always shut herself up in her own room, when she could be nowhere found, if he had not himself looked into his wife's room ? Did it require the interval from half-past eight till ten to make up his mind to force open the door—since he had two servants with him, the wife of one of whom had even expressed her fear the Countess might be burnt. When the fire was discovered, at ten o'clock, the Count sent for the physician Stegmaur, and at ten the door was opened in the presence of several persons, when every one was obliged to draw back on account of the smoke and vapour which came forth, the Count alone excepted, who cried out " There is my wife I" Love has quick eyes. The autopsy has not taken place, because the Court forbade it. He hastened to obtain leave to have his wife interred. The instruction has not astained whether the door was fastened on the inside or on the outside. No key has been found. If the door was closed on the outside, no doubt can be entertained of the cause of the death, and, unfortunately, this fact is too well proved ; if closed on the outside, the absence of the key is explained ; if on the inside, what has become of it ? This evidence gives birth to so many conjectures, that it alone necessitates inquiry. The cause of the fire has not been discovered. There was neither stove nor candlestick in the room. If it be supposed that somebody ignited the fire and then left the room with the candlestick, the fact is still more easily explained. The Countess had been bnrnt by the flames, before her secretary. No other article of furniture has been burnt. The head, neck, and part of the arm were carbonised. It is supposed the unhappy woman, after being murdered, was placed over a small stove, where she remained for some hours. Before the door was opened the stove had been taken away, another position given to the victim, and the event assumed the colour of an accident. From the preliminary inquest, it is conjectured that the fire was ignited to hide a murder by strangulation. If the tribunal of the Court wishes to maintain public trust its in decisions, the evidence given in must be made public. It is remarked that Count Goerlitz, who lived on very bad terms with his wife, has now assumed a very different sentiment. He often visits her grave, and covers it with flowers. We are ignorant whether he is desirous of influencing public opinion, ur whether he really yields to a feeling of sympathy which has declared itself very late ; but time will unfold the mystery which now envelopes this affair.