Year: 1865

Many years ago, the community of a
hum.et in the south Of France was staItIed
by crime great indeed 10 their quiet ag-
ricul,ural district. a wealthy farmer was
found dead, at carly morning, Within one
hundred yards of his own house He had
been killed by blows administered with
heavy stake, which lay near the body,
covered with blood aud all bis pockets
had hcen riAed of their contents includ
log considerable sum of mon"y, which
be was known 10 have received the pre-.
vious evening for some sheep sold By him
iu the ncighborug market town.


When the awe and excitement. created
by this event had subsidized a little, every
exci tion was made BY the authorities to
ferret out the perpe,rator Of lbe crime. A
reward was offered for The discovery of the
murderer, proclamation of which bounty
was made for several successive Sundays
al the church door. At last some disclo.
sures were made duplicating a young man
named Larocbe-a stripping OF eighteen
years.


The person who brought the charge
against young Laroche was man by the
name of Laudry-a stranger in the dis
trict but who had lately been appointed
by the lord of the manor as one Of the
keepers Of his game preserves. Landry
testified that he had seen Laroche cutting
q stake from hedge on the afternoon pre-
vious to the murder, and that he had re-
proved him for it, and taking the stake
from him, had stuck it in the bank Of the
hedge at a particular spot. The stake
was the same one that was found lying
near the body Of the murdered farmer. -
Landry could swear to it, because after
taking it om Laroche, he had nlcked it
IN q peculiar way with his knife.


Now it SO happened that the murdered far
mer bad ut rany Influential friends,whle
L9roche had but few. Therefore Laroche
was convicted of the murder, and sentenc-
cd 10 be hung on certain day, at Ger.
Tain place until which time he was placed
for safe keeping in the Jail of the district
the third Aoor of a large stone build
ing, the lower part of which was a mill
The prison consisted of single apart
ment, lighted by one small window at
height of about sixteen feet from the floor
The side of the building from which the
window looked ran sheer down to the
water of deep river, which crept lazlly
by the mill, but quckened its pace little
lower down, until it gradually become a
rushing torrent, leapiug wildly on to its
fsll over perpendicular ledge OF rocks
Bodies carried over this fall, il was said,
never we're recovered, and it was fixed
notion among the country people that
there was suction force in the whirl pool
below by which everything falling in it
was carried down into the upexplored
abyss OF earth. twas the day before that
was fixed for the execution Of young Lar
oche, and the priest Of the parish, Father
Alard by name, had been left alone with
the prisoner, in order 10 prepare him, by
the consolation oi religion for his approach
ing doom. 10 his word Of comfort Lar
ocbe listened with humility aud 10 silence


uu'iI the good father began to dila'e upon
his chances of forgiveness in the uex


world for the terrible crimes committed by
him Then the prisoner electrified him BY
declaring bis perfect innocence of tha
crime-a position which he meant to main


tain, he said, with bis latest breath


To be brief, the youth Of the prisoner