The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-05-30 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

CHARGE OF WHOLESALE POISONING. The trial of Pastre Baussier, the chemist's assistant, of Havre, accused of having poisoned 14 persons, has taken place at Rouen. The theory of the prosecution, was that Baussier's object was to ruin the character of his employer's business, so that he might be able to buy it for a small sum, and the story revealed by the indictment is a remarkable one. The customers of M. Decamp, Pastre Baussier's employer, fell ill without any apparent cause, as if attacked by an epidemic. They all got better when they left Havre, and fell ill again as soon as they returned. The first victim was Madame Decamp, the chemist's wife, who suddenly fell ill and died in great pain five days after. Two apprentices, M. Decamp's mother, and six of his customers were next attacked, and finally M. Decamp himself, his female servant, and a Madame Morisse died. After M. Decamp's death there were no more mysterious attacks until the business was bought by a M. De Lafontaine, who kept on Pastre Baussier as assistant, and was taken ill like his predecessor. Thinking the house unhealthy, he endeavoured to cancel the lease. Dr. Brouardel and Dr. Fouchet were sent by the Court as experts to inquire into the causes of the alleged sanitary defects of the premises. They examined the dead people, and found traces of arsenic. They concluded that poison had been administered, and as Pastre Baussier was never ill himself, and of a morose and gloomy disposition, he was suspected, and arrested. Examined by the judge as to his early life, Pastre said that he was left an orphan at the age of 15, and got a situation as assistant to a Havre chemist. Within the first fortnight of his service he was taken ill, though what his complaint was not even the doctor could tell. At any rate its symptoms were, in spite of what the indictment stated, similar to those that were subsequently notice in people of the house. It was not true that Madame Decamp had been his mistress, although he had stated it to several persons and to the Jugc d'lnstruction. She was a most respectable woman, but had become crosstempered because her husband was neglecting his shop. The prisoner denied indignantly the insinuation that he made away with Madame Decamp because she had discovered that he was robbing her husband. She might have cried out that she was poisoned after having partaken of the herbtea prepared by the prisoner, but that proved nothing. She had been ailing a long time before. Thus Pastri Baussier fenced with every question, and he stow ly maintained his innocence to the end. Evidence for the prosecution was of a very slight character. In his speech for the prosecution M. Marais described the accused as a more than human combination of qualities which enabled him to pursue his work of destruction calmly and unerringly, but was fain to recognise that material proofs of Beaussier's guilt were not forthcoming. During the whole trial Beaussier preserved the same cool, unimpassioned attitude. His pencil and notebook were in constant requisition, and he jotted down his memoranda with as much coolness as if he had only an ordinary interest in the case. The jury retired to consider its verdict at 7 o'clock in the evening. Three-quarters of an hour later the foreman announced that he and his fellow-jurors had come to the decision that the accused had not been proved guilty of any ime of the counts of the indictment. The audience received this statement with stupi faction, as it had evidently expected that Beaussier would have been found guilty. Beaussier himself, however, shewed not the slightest symptoms of surprise. As the judge acquainted him with the verdict of the jury, and ordered the prisoner to be set immediately at liberty, Beaussier bowed his head gravely and simply, then shook his counsel by the hand, and left the dock.  A Westmorland landowner named Thomas Rudd, of Little Musgrave, Westmorland, has committed suicide by hanging. He was nearly 80 years old, and owned large estates in the county.  A telegram from Bloemfontein states that the Orange Free State Volksraad has ratified the Treaty of 1 riendship and Commerce and the Railway Agreement with the Transvaal. A Commission was appointed to consider the question of Federal Union with the Transvaal.