The Express. — 1846-12-16 (London, England)

HORRIBLE PARRICIDE.—A youth of 19, named Chevillon, and a boy of 10, named Guy, were tried on Thursday, at Versailles, by the Court of Assize of the Seine-etOise ; the first for parricide, and the second for complicity in the murder. The circumstances of this Cage are horrible. The father of Chevilloa, a labouring man, little more titan 40 years of age, was, about twelve months ago, attacked with a paralysis of the limbs, for which he was treated without effect in several hospitals. The poor fellow, however, did not despair of recovery, and, having a little money, he resolved on returning to his lodging—a room on the groundfloor of a house at Versailles—and there obtaining medical assistance. His son, also a labourer, but a youth of dissolute life, and very profligate habits, occupied the room with his father, who was so completely helpless that he could not rise from his bed, and it was recessary, when he wanted air, to lift him from it, andplace him at the door. On Aug. 23 last, he was still sanguine of recovery, and hails foot-bath, and took some refreshment. Only a day or two previously he had received from some member of his family, on whom he had claims, a sum of 200 f., which was placed in a bag near his bed. On the following morning, at half-past seven, some neighbours were called in by young Chevillon, who told them that his father was dying. 'this was indeed the case ; they found the father insensible, and removed him to an hospital, where he died a few hours afterwards. On a post ,modem examination the medical men declared that the man had not died of the malady under which he had so long suffered, but of suffocation ; and as it was known that the son was in company with Guy, the younger prisoner, and had passed the night of the 23d of August in debauchery, spending a good deal of money, and as the 2.001'. which the father had re. ceived were not to be found, it was supposed that he had stolen it, and caused the death of his parent. Young Chevillon and Guy were arrested, and the following confession was made by the latter. He said that he was in the room of the deceased with the son, who purchased some charcoal at the desire of the father, to makes small fire on the hearth to warm Name broth ; but instead of doing this the son made a large fire on the floor, and unseen by the father, took away the bag containing the 200 f. The room became very hot ; the sick man complained, but the son told him the heat would do him good, and then left with Guy, closing the door after him. They went to a dance, and when that was over, to a public house, where Chevillon drank in company with several persons of bad character. At about five in the morning he sent Guy to his father's lodging to see whether he was dead. Guy returned, and said that he had not had courage to enter the room, but had looked through the window and seen the father in the agonies of death. Chevillon remained drinking for about two hours, and then went to the place himself. Finding the father speechless, and, therefore, unable to give any information as to the cause of the hopeless state in which he was lying, Chevillon, after sweeping the remains of the charcoal into the fire-place, went out and called the new' hbours. Chevillon, at first, denied that he bad made any fire, and pretended that his father's death had taken place in the due course of nature, but some of the witnesses having declared that the stone floor of the room was hot when they entered, and that there were still embers on the hearth, he shifted his course, and made the following statement: His father, he said, had become weary of life, and resolved to abridge his sufferings by suicide. He had given the 200 franca to his son, as being no longer of use to himself, and desired him to make a large charcoal fire on the floor, in order that the fumes might produce death, and when the fire had been kindled he ordered the son to leave. This statement did not impose upon the examining magistrate, and it was contradicted, not merely by the confession of Guy, but by much circumstantial evidence. The prisoner Chevillon persisted in hie falsehood, and pretended that he thought he was doing his duty in obeying the injunctions of his father. On the trial the counsel for Chevillon endeavoured to shake the evidence as to the eauseof the death of the deceased • and secondly, supposing that he might have died of suffocation, suicidech evino is . notguu guilty of guilty o f parricide, m urd but with The jmurder. sought to obtain credit for the statement of his client, unitiug at the same time that in law the man who assists another, nroth, heorwtoever commit found, extenuating circumstances; and be was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment with hard labour. Guy was acquitted. —Gatignani. FRANCE AND THE NORTHERN Paw