The Sun. — 1847-12-06 (London, England)

ACTION FOR SEDUCTION IN FRANCE.  Actions for damages for seduction are rare in France. One was, however, brought on Friday, before the Civil Tribunal of the Seine, by the heirs of a young girl named Francine, to obtain 10,000 f. fr.lm a M. Capron, who occupies a responsible situation in an hotel in the Rue de Itivoli, for having seduced her. According to the statement of the Learned Counsel for the plaintiffs, Francine was the daughter of honest country-people, and had been brought up with strictly moral and religious principles. Though of great beauty, she had remained pure and spotless for four years amidst all the temptations of Paris. During all that time she had lived with a married sister end the sister's husband ; and she was as remarkable for her great industry, as for her exemplary conduct. In the month of June, 1846, she unfortunately made the acquaintance of a girl of indifferent character, named Fanny Cortey. One Sunday in July this Fanny persuaded her to accompany her for a walk ; but Francine did not consent to go until she had asked the permission of her brother-in-law, which was only given on the condition that she would return at a certain hour. The girl Cortey led her innocent companion to the Jardin Mabille, and begged her to enter. Francine hesitated for a lung time, but at length the gay music, the lights glittering among the trees and flowers, and the joyous and elegant company, excited a curiosity which overpowered her scruples, and she went in. Hardly had she taken a glance of the brilliant scene, which to her was perfectly novel, when she and her companion were accosted by two young men, who turned out to be Capron and a friend of his named Dagoumet. Capron had often seen Francine at the lota, where she had frequently been on business, and, said the advocate, had persuaded Fanny Cortey to find the means of placing her in his power. He paid great attention to Francine during the evening, and detained her in the gardens, on one pretence or another, in spite of her reiterated desires to return home. At eleven o'clock, he and his companion and the girl Corey entered a cabriolet, and induced Francine to go with them, on the promise that they would conduct her to her residence. Instead of that, however, they went to a restaurant, and partly by entreaties, partly by force, compelled Francine to sup with them. The supper ended, they promised to drive her home, but, instead of that, conducted her to the lodgings of Dagoumet. The poor girl, on seeing where she was, wept and cried; but, worn out with fatigue she consented to remain, on the promise that she and the girl Cortey should be placed in a chamber by themselves. After a time, however, Capron entered the room, and a scene .took place between him and her which cannot be described. Suffice it to say, that she was dishonoured. The next morning, on returning home, she was dreadfully pale and agitated ; but feeling herself borne down by shame, she 'determined to abandon her relatives. Capron then took an apartment for her, and promised her marriage, but at the end of six weeks he basely abandoned her. After his visits ceased Francine wrote to him, but he vouchsafed no reply. This drove her to despair, and she resolved to die. She accordingly drank a glassful of vitriol, but the poison did not cause immediate death, and for 39 days she lingered in dreadful agony. Before she died she stated how she had been treated, and declared that she had committed suicide because she could not bear the thought of her dishonour. In consequence of her declarations the girl Cortey was condemned to two years' imprisonment for what is called " exciting a minor to debauchery" (the unfortunate Francine was only 19 years of age); but as Capron had not been guilty of actual violence in the seduction he could not be punished criminally. The President of the Correctional Tribunal, however, said to him on the trial of Fanny Cortey, " Justice cannot reach you at present, but you must be cruelly punished by remorse !" To this he replied, "My conscience reproaches me with nothing ;" whereupon the President observed, " I regret it for your own sake, for that proves your conscience to be hardened !" The advocate for the plaintiffs concluded by calling for an indemnity to the family of Francine proportioned to the grief and agony which they and she had suffered. The advocate of Capron maintained that the case was not of such an atrocious character as bad been represented—that Francine had loved Capron —that no violence had been employed by him on the night of the seduction. He dwelt on the fact that she had gone to live under his protection, and stated that Capron was not responsible for her suicide, for that he bad not abandoned her, she having been taken away from him by her brother-in-law. The Avocat du Roi contended that an indemnity was due to the relatives of the deceased, though, perhaps, the amount demanded was too much. He insisted that if Capron had replied to the letter of tee poor girl, she would probably not have committed self-destruction. The Tribunal postponed the case For a week to have time to deliberate on its judginent.—Galignani.