The Sun. — 1861-09-06 (London, England)

ACCOMMODATION OF THE CORN TRADE AT BIRKENHEAD.—The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board at their weekly meeting held yesterday, agreed to construct new corn warehouses at Birkenhead at an estimated cost of about £60,000, exclusive of the internal machinery. Those Nof, houses whgn completed will provide storage for 10o;VI" quarters of grain.  On the 27th of May last, at six o'clock in the morning, a poor old woman, named Champfort, who was milking her cows in her stable, was struck down suddenly by two blows from behind. She fell, shrieking for aid, but managed to turn round and recognise her murderer. It was a young man, aged Leopula Parisot, who had come to ner the previous day to ask for work, and had been at once admitted to her table. The murderer was soon arrested ; but suspicions were excited that Parisothad accomplices in his crime, and on August 24 five persons were brought up at the Court of Assizes de l'Aube. These weige, first, Leopold Parisot ; second, Marie Rosalie Dornon, wife of a butcher named Virey ; Mario Jeanne Champfort, wife of a farmer named Gamier, and the two husbands. It came out on investigation that the woman Gamier was an object of terror to all the inhabitants of her district from her irregular life and revengeful character. It was found also that she had been prosecuted for procuring abortion and. robbery. The evidence went to show that the woman G arnier and her husband had offered Leopold Parisot a sum of money to murder the poor old woman, their mother. In his previous examination Parisot at first denied the crime, but ultimately confessed his guilt. According to the charge the woman Gamier had contemplated the crime for some time, and had proposed it to several people, amongst others to a servant named Henault, with whom she maintained an adulterous connection ; on his refusal, she applied to the two Vireys, and they got Parisot to consent to do the murder for a consideration. Parisot himself had been formerly convicted of robbery. After his release from prison he went to the house of the Vireys, and was at last persuaded to commit the crime by the woman Virey, with whom he was on terms of improper intimacy, Whilst he was hesitating, on the very day of the murder, Virey came to him with a bottle of brandy, made him drunk, and directed him to kill the old woman. On examination Parisot said, " I got into the house by the garden. I had no arms. I took up a large stake. The woman Champfort was in her stable milking. I struck her twice on the back of her head and she fell. Her fall shocked me so I could not do any more, and I ran away." On being cross-questioned as to the complicity of the Vireys, he persisted in the assertion that all he had stated respecting. them was true. The Vireys and the Garniers denied the charge. M. Pierre Urbaine Simonneau, priest at Currangy, gave the following evidence :—" Early in 1860 Madame Champfort came to me to apprise me of her intention to bequeath part of her fortune to the Church. I asked her to reflect, reminding her that she had a daughter and a grandson. She said, My daughter shall have nothing from me ; she has dishonoured me ; she even tried to strangle me, and but for her father would have done so_' The day of the crime a person said to me, It is not very wonderful ; she has been sold and paid for some time.' On the 3d June following Madame Champfort told me that she had acquainted her daughter with her determination to disinherit her, and she said, ' She did not kill me then ; but mind, sir, I shall not die a natural death.' Isidore Henault, in the service of the Garniers, i—th"l‘Fla9dr ahmoeniGe ahave I beenhave yaretaiiresrl, odnepintimate tfeorllmows ws several times assisted in carrying out her views of vengeance. She had conceived a violent hatred against her mother, becaase'she wished to disinherit her. Several times she spoke to me about killing her, and offered me I,ooof. to do it. Ono day during the fair at Euiy, she took me with her to her mother's house, and had with her a rope to strangle her with. We were to throw her in the well, and • put her sabots by the side to make believe she had committed suicide. On reaching the house I refused to enter and went off." A woman named Richard was the next witness. She said—" One ckty the woman Virey brought the woman Gamier to my house. After a little conversation the latter said to me that I passed for a wise woman, and that if I could find some means to cause her mother's death she would pay me well. The next day she came again. She told me that her mother wished to disinherit her, and that she would gladly give me I,ooof. if I could get rid of her. Some days afterwards she took me into the counting-house of the Vireys. Her husband was present. S 111) offered to write me out a cheque for 2,000 f.. if I would kill her mother. When I refused she said, Be quick, mere Richard, for she is going tsoev give everything to the priest.' She came to to kill her times afterwards to try and get hembead gone hermother. She also told me tbt!tths a rope, but that self to strangle her motherhwi barking of the dogs." r she had been prevented by e n the jury returned a After an hour's deliberatio , old Leopo Parisot the verdict of guilty against woman Virey c • • woman Gamier, and the acquitting two latter. ph' President the husbands ofthe Gamier to the the woman Punishment condemned ordered that she of death, and .should be conducted to the place of execution en chemise, with her feet bare, and her head covered with a black veil. Parisot and the woman' Virey are condemned to hard labour for life. The fury signed a petition recommending the woman Gamier to mercy.