The Express. — 1847-08-25 (London, England)

PARIS, MOSIDAY.—The great excitement produced by this sad event hes increased. Although the Duke de Perlin had been removed to the prison of the Luxembourg, an immense crowd assembled on Saturday in front of the Hotel Sebestiani. The report of the duke having attempted to commit wields appears by the subjoined accounts to have been well-founded. One journal, however, states that he swallowed sulphuric mid, another that he took laudanum. His sufferings are said to hsve been we acute that a member of his family, who was admitted to see him on Friday, observed afterwards to • friend that he was scarcely recognisable—that he wia. is fact only the ghost of what he bad been. A congeals de choose is said to have been found in a eels-pool with some napkins. The couleass de chasse, it is added. was kept constantly in the room of the duchess, to whom, being richly ornamented, it was given as a present by one of her friend.. It was stated yesterday evening that the Duke de Praslin was rather better, and that he had signified his willingness to be interrogated by the chancellor this day. The commission of the Court of Peers met yesterday at the house of the chancellor, to examine the different papers connected with the arrest of the duke. At four o'clock yesterday morning the body of the late duchess was removed, without romp, attended by some members of the family of Marshal Sebastiani, to a vault under the church of the Madeleine, from whence, it is supposed, it will be conveyed to Corsica, to be interred in the tomb where repose the ashes of her mother. We read in the Commerce:—" The rumours which were current yesterday as to the attempted suicide of the Duke de Praslin have been confirmed, except that, instead of having used a piste', as was at first said, he took ad. vantage of the momentary absence of M. Allard, the chief of the Police de Sureti, who was in attendance on him, to swallow a quentity of sulphuric acid, which he had doubtless concealed in some part of his apartment. In feet, it is said that M. Allard, having gone out of the room for a moment to center with the examining magistrates, the duke took that opportunity to go to the wash. hand-basin and take the poison. The police agents immediately seized him. The duke resisted some wends, until the medical men end M. Allard, who had been called by one of the police agents, came into the room. According to another account, the duke, who was in bed, took the poison daring a short absence of M. Allard, without moving from the place. Some hours afterwards he was seized with violent convulsions and pains in the bowels, which increased the agitation of the previous day. The chancellor, on being informed of the attempt at suicide, issued a warrant of arrest against the duke, and, in execution of this warrant, at day-break on Saturday, the Duke Decants, the Chief Usher of the Chamber of Peers, in uniform, the Procureur du Roi, Messrs. Legonidec and Broussais, examining magistrates, and two physicians, went to the Hotel Sebastiani. The Doke Demme and the usher were in a carriage of the Chamber of Peers. The usher went to the duke, who was then in a high fever, and signified to hiss the issuing of the warrant, and that he had come to conduct him to the prison of the Luxembourg. The duke did not appear to be moved by this announcement, merely saying, " You will carry me there." On arriving at the prison the prisoner had fresh convulsions. Two police agents went to a neighbouring wine-shop, where they procured two bottles of hot water, which the medical men ordered to be applied to the duke's feet, as the pain in the bowels continued. The conveyance of the prisoner was effected without exciting the attention of the public. Their majesties were it is said, much affected on being informed of the crime. Several peers have stated that the proceedings connected with this horrible affair will take place with dosed doors; from which it may be inferred that it contains revelations of private life which ought not to be made public." The following is from the Prairie By the side of the duke was a pistol loaded with ball, but no one knows for what object it was charged, or if he intended using it against his wife. In this last hypothesis, he did not dare to do so on account of the noise of the report. He certainly Kraal his:wife with the butt-end to finish her, as has been proved. When interrogated on the point, he replied that he desired to defend his wife against • murderer ; but on its being represented to him that there was no trace left of the tot of this mysterious murderer, he remained silent, and hid his head in his hands. The duke is embarrassed to explain away the scratches which are perceptible on his rightUnd, as well as a contusion on the leg. It is generally believed that, as the duchess was able to ring, she was tint struck in bed during her sleep, but that it was after she had quitted the bed that the decisive blows were given. The hair left in the hands of the victim, or fallen in the struggle, were brought together by M. Orfila. At first, it was supposed that the hair in the duchess's hand, and these on the Mend, fixed to the floor by the dried blood, were of a different colour ; but when M. Orfila had washed them it was evident that they belonged to the same pantie, and the idea of different persons been engaged in the matter was laid *Mc This hair, besides, is altogether similar to that of the hmleind. Some water tinged with blood was found in a hole. The interrogat:oy of the duke has as yet furnished Me inform r.:orecting the crime ; he declares that he lama nothing of the guilty party. The governess is of Itali4° Origin, and belongs to a noble family; her name is "" Lute, (Laura), and not de Lissy. She is still kept altoWelber *put at the Conciergerie. She allows that she was 0.,.!1 moved and annoyed at being obliged to gait the duke's may, and separated from the young lathes whose education .4e had superintended ; she explains in this way the lanPegs of a letter written by her to the Duke de Prulin, and Nand amongst her papers. What is certain, is that the ..,.dlidlass took offence at the intercourse rubeis!ing between nevem.. and the duke, and without a high intervention ndd. have demanded a regular separation. The duke, Pelding to prudent advice, consented to the governess being 'sat away; and the duchess, in acknowledgment of this cones,**. settled on her • pension for life. It is said that g.kc4 the, royal family interfered recently to reconcile the . and damask Th. king, the queen, and par°f Mmes, Adelaide, bail great aii:gtien for the