The Sun. — 1840-10-26 (London, England)

MURDER AT CHAMBERY.  (From the Private Correspondence of the Gazelle dcs  Tribuhatt,r.) We have recourse to you for the purpose of making public a horrible and successful attempt at murder which was some time since made here, and to also expose the disgraceful impunity with which crime can be committed in our unhappy country by certain classes of society. Neither the voice of public opinion, nor the long premeditation of the crime, and frightful coolness with which it was committed, will arouse the Government from its culpable apathy. We are determined at least, however, that through the columns of the Gazette des Tribunaux the murderers shall be branded with infamy. M. Meugnier, the Mayor of the commune of Faisson, a little village of La Tarentaise, between Albertville and Montiers, was assassinated on 9.Bth August, 1838. About nine o'clock in the evening, three individuals, muffled up in white blouses, and having their heads enveloped in a species of black hood which completely covered their faces, having holes through which to see, presented themselves at the dwelling of M. Meugnier, who had just retired to bed. The door was opened by a domestic. The strangers asked to speak wth M. I\leugnier. The servant took two of them to the bedroom of her master, and the third remained at the door. Two of them.were armed with knives, and the third with a pistol. They demanded his money of M. 11Ieugnier, and he got up, opened his secretary, and took out a pair of pistols and a case containing some silver monies. One of the.aisassins said, " It is go'l that we want, and you have some ; you shall tell us presently I whether you prefer dying by the knife or the pistol."  M. Meagnler, boom-nib:2 alarmed, then apet►ad a draw& and showed them some gold. At this moment Madame Meugnier ran out of her chamber. One of the strangers went and tried to quiet her ; and M. Meugnier, endeavouring to profit by the opportunity, rushed out of the room, but he was iiutncdiate!y followed and brought back into the chamber again, where the doors and windows being closed his cries for help were stifled, and his throat was cut by the assassins in the dark. The murderers did not abandon their victim until Madame Meunier enter«l the apartment with a light and exposed to view the horrible deed of which they had been guilty. They now fled, leaving the mangled and convulsed corpse of the unfortunate gentleman on the floor. It was evident that they were well acquainted with the premises, for they entered by one door, and quitted by another, without any light ; and it is believed that robbery was not the actual motive of these villains for the commission of their crime, for although they took the silver away, they left the gold behind. As they fled they threw their blouses and k nives into the river. Public suspicion points to three priests residing in the neighbourhood as the murderers of the unfortunate Mayor, as their hatred towards him was well known. As the Syndie of the Commune, Meugnier had shown little tolerar.ce towards the vices of the priests. He had reproached one of them with the death of a young husband, who had committed suicide in coneequence of discovering a liaison between his wife and this priest. To another of them he had refused to return some letters of an amorous description which he had written to a young girl, and a third he had made restore au estate of which he had taken unlawful possession. It is said that they had sworn to take his life in revenge for these acts, and an inhabitant of St. Gervais had overheard them planning his death behind a hedge. One of them had been moreover seen to buy two enormous knives at Albertville.  Immediately after the murder the Tribunal of Montiers commenced an investigation into the affair, but it was soon broken off. The Lieutenant of the Albertville Gendarmes felt highly indignant that s 3 horrible a crime should remain unpunished, and employed every means to lead to its detection. He spoke out very plainly as to the guilty parties, who, he went so far as to say, were sheltered behind the altar ; and added, that if the authority were given him to arrest the priests, the truth should soon be made known. His statement led to the appointment of a senatorial commission, but the very day the commission proceeded to the place, the Lieutenant of Carabiniers, who was intrusted to take the "instruction," received an order to proceed elsewhere, asd the Marcella! des Logis. who had not hesitated to point to the guilty parties, also had his residence changed. The servant even who opened the door to the assassins declared that she recognised one of the Priests in question. She was consequently sent off to France, and the inquiry dropped.  AN