Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1867-11-30 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

FRENCH MYSTERY.  The Civil Tribunal of Poutoise has just given judgment in a most romantic aud mysterious will case. The subject of litigation was a right to a sum of £20,000, but the interest of the case consists in the extraordihary disclosures made in court, a supposed murder and a suicide being among the salient features. The following are the details of the affair, which reads more like a penny romance than a chapter from life:— About a twelvemonth ago the body of a respectably-dressed man was discovered in the Seine. From papers found on the corpse it appeared that the deceased's name was burden, and that he lived at Montmorency. An inquiry was instituted, an I it was discovered that deceased resided in a small chateau, which he had had built originally for himself. Although young he lived with an old woman In a most retired state. Neither the one nor the other was ever seen to receive any friends, and none of the neighbours could give information concernmg the interior of the mystei ious abode. The authorities found the chateau closed on all sides, the shutters being fastened, and the doors bolted. Since the finding of the body of Jourdan in the Seine, the old woman had not made her appearance. The doors were consequently broken open, and in a room on the first floor, stretched on the ground, was found the body of the old woman; death had already taken place several days. Had a crime been conunitted ? No article of value was missing, and the doctors believed that she had died a natural death. The strange coincidence of the two deaths remains a mystery. Was the death of Jourdan the result of suicide? No one can tell. From the inquiries set on foot it was soon discovered that the pretended Jouplan was none other than a M. Tonnlet, belonging to a tich and highly-respectable family in Paris. In 1847 he lost his mother; he was then only fourteen years old. Among his father's servants was an Alsatian name Marguerite Schneider, who, it appears, had an extraordinary influence over the mind of young Tounlet, which, the plaintiffs allege, was of a rather idiotic turn. In 1855 his father died, and on the next day young Tomilet, who had inherited his father's fortune, disappeared with Marguerite Schneider, leaving a letter behind stating that he had gone to America. It appears, however, that the ill-sorted couple took a house in a most retired spot In the suburbs of Paris, where Marguerite Schneider imaged under the name of Madame Raise, Tonnlet as her nephew. Here they led a most strange existence. No one was ever allowed to go beyond the garden gate, the shutters of the home were always closed, and two immense dogs were stationed in the garden to prevent the approach of any intruder. At length sinister rumours were spread about concerning these mysterious hermits, and the curiosity of the neighbours was completed when, on one fine morning, they discovered that the misanthropic aunt and her nephew had disappeared without leaving any trace of their flight. They next turned up at Montmorency, where, as already stated, they lived a similar life, under the name of Jourdan. But the turning pointin the story is yet to be told. A few months ago Tomilet tell violently in hive with a young lady of good faintly, at Montmorency. Ile proposed for her hand, but the parents finding that they had to do with such a strange idiotic character, refused their consent. What passed between Marguerite Schneider and her pretended nephew at this period is not known. All that is known is that Tomilet was found dead in the Seine, and Marguerite Schneider dead in her room. A will was discovered, by which Tonnlet, a few weeks after his father's death, had left all his property, amounting to about 28,0001. to the servant , Schneider. The representatives of Tonnlet sued that the will should be annulled, on the ground that undue influence had been brought to bear on Tonnlet, who, moreover, they alleged, was not in a fit state of mind to make a ' will. On the side of Marguerite Schneider, a long ' procession of Alsatians, consisting of shoemakers, r municipal guards, sellers of choncroute, &c., supported the legality of the will. Strange to say, contrary to ! the arguments of the Procureur Imperial, the tribunal !rejected the demand for annulling the will, and adjudged the succession to the representatives of the old Alsatian bonne, Marguerite Schneider.