The Sun. — 1835-07-28 (London, England)

EXTRAORDINARY TRIAL IN PARIS.  We yesterday gave some account of a case which has excited considerable sensation in Paris, relative to an individual named Bancal, a surgeon in the navy, who was accused of having murdered a woman, with whom he was intimately connected. It appeared from the act of accusation that in his capacity as a medical man he had endeavoured to procure both his own death and that of the female, but that the latter only had fallen the sacrifice. Our readers will learn the result of this trial with some surprise. The prisoner is a young man, twenty-seven years of age, of rather attractive appearance ; his height about the middle size : his head fine and expressive, his dark eyes and hair, and arched eyebrows, contrasting forcibly with the fullness of his complexion. His demeanour was perfectly calm and resigned. The act of accusation having been read, the prisoner was closely interrogated, from whence it resulted that he had for some time been acquainted with the lady, Mad. Priolland, of whose murder he was now accused ; that he had kept up an intimate correspondence with her previous to his leaving France for Senegal ; that during his absence he had formed one of those connections common in the latter country ; but that on his return in 1834, he had renewed his intimacy with Mad. Priolland. It appeared further that the idea of mutual destruction originated with the lady, and that he had himself been only consenting to the act. After entering into lengthened details relative to the mode in which their deaths were to be effected (by administering poison and bleeding), and which, though employing the same means, was successful only with the female, The PRESIDENT demanded whether he persisted in stating that Mad. Priolland was desirous of his putting an end to her life, and received an affirmative reply. The following witnesses were then examined : The first was a M. Casmecasse, a friend of the prisoner, who seemed to have been the witness of the last acts of the two intended victims. Mad. Priolland wrote to him  in these words :—" This evening, after you are gone, we shall enter Charon's bark. The money we leave will meet the necessary expenses, and procure us a wooden cross a ith our names, Zelie and Prosper inscribed on it ; nothing more." He it was who received a bulletin written by the prisoner, describing the dying moments of Mad. Priolland, and who first ran to their assistance and opened the door of the chamber of death. The witness stated that he dined with them on the evening of the fatal attempt. Mad. Priolland was very gay ; she sang a romance which had some reference to the wooden cross for which she wrote. When questioned which of the two appeared to have the ascendancy over the other, he replied Mad. Priolland.  Another witness, M. Mascrey, stated that a few days before he had paid Mad. Priolland the amount of a bill for 3,000 francs. He was well acquainted with the lady, whose gentleness of disposition he described as being one of her greatest charms. He did not conceive that she was a person of an excited imagination ; that, brought up by a mother who was very religious, she was not in the habit of reading romances. The same witness had never heard of domestic disagreement in her house, nor did he ever hear of Mad. Priolland entertaining any aversion for her husband.  Four medical men successively verified the exactness and sincerity of the declarations of the prisoner, relative to the various circumstances connected with the long and frightful homicide, of which Mad. Priolland became the victim. All were of opinion that she made no resistance, and felt at a loss to explain how the prisoner could have survived the two attempts made by him to commit suicide. The