ASHOCKING TRAGEDY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 988, 6 July 1883, Page 4

ASHOCKING TRAGEDY.

An extraordinary trial for murder has "Just "taken place before the assizes of the Cqtes du Nord at Saint Bneuc. It' appears that on February 12 last a sack containing the head and shoulders Ot a man was found in a- mill stream at Plerin. The remains were horribly mutilated, ahddhe arms cut off at the shoulder joints. SeveralVitnesses recognised the head as that of . Pierre Henry, a peasant belonging to Pierin. On the Judge appearing at Henry's cottage, the wife of the deceased fainted away, and it was not until the next morning - that she sufficiently recovered her senses to make a full confession of her ctime to the authorities. Madame Henry, a very powerful woman of 30, explained that for some time past she and her husband had lived on bad terras, owing to the drunken habits of the latter; although a good worker, all his money went to purchase drink, and his wife, who a few months ago inherited a little property, determined that the “ wind-fall-should not be disposed of in a similar manner. On February 9 Henry returned from his work in a state of intoxication, and after some words between the two, the woman seized a Stout stick and literally beat herhusband to death by striking him on the head. Having accomplished this deed the woman dragged the body into the cellar, coycred it with strawy and went .to bed. According*, to her own confession she slepf quietly night, and at break of day called on a neighbor to borrow a hatchet, with which she cut the body . Jnto-sections. After separating the arms and legs from the trunk she divided the body in halves and severed the head from the neck. Of these portions she made three bundles, and sewed them up in cornsacks. Sending her little child to bed, the assassin started out at nightfall with the largest sack and threw it into the Covet, a stream about two miles from the cottage. She accomplished a second journey, but, being overcome with fatigue, was obliged to leave the third sack containing the legs until the next night, when she was seen carrying it by two peasants, who supposed her' to be a smuggler. The first sack thrown into the stream caught - first- in - the waterwheel of a mill, and thus led to the discv>very of the crime. On being confronted with the remains of her husband the prisoner calmly observed, « He used to drink, and I killed him. If all women would do as I did, there would not be so many drunkards.’ Maitre Le Bihan, counsel for the defence, delivered an eloquent address, representing the murder as an involuntary act on the part of the prisoner, who, seeing her husband give way to habits of intemperance, struck him without intending to kill ..him. The speech for the defence had the effect of obtaining the admission of extenuating circumstances, and the woman was sentenced to twenty years’ penal servitude.

“Bine Jacket” sends an Auckland taper the following reminiscence of the Taranaki war ; —The brigade officer ordered that on no account were women to be allowed to land at New Plymouth. Well, the Niger had brought down from the Manakau a detachment of troops, ana It bo happened that one devoted wife determined at all hazards to follow the fortunes other husband. When she arrived in the roadstead, and the surf boat had gone, alongside the ship, it was found that no coxswain would take the responsibility of putting the lady ashore. Mr Wells came to me, and I explained to him the difficulty. I also suggested a way out of it that was carried into effect. The lady was persuaded to change her dress, and dressed as a boy belonging to the ship. Mr Wells put her ashore himself in one of the ship’s boats. Of course it wa& soon £ >und out that a woman had landed contrary to o ders, Her hu band Was tried for the offence —of having a devoted wife, I suppose-and because he would not order her to return from Whence she came, he was stripped of honors and reduced to the ranks. To the credit of his officer be it said that he ‘ was soon reinstated, and went home a Commissioned "fficer. I don’t think that from that day to this the truth leaked out that Mr Wells landed the lady himThe New York correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald says : The best loved citizen of New York, the venerable Peter Cooper, at the age of 91, has gone to his last home. He is fairly entitled to a place in the first rank of the world’s philanthropists, and the honors awarded at his obsequies but feebly express the debt of gratitude which the city, and indeed the whole American people, owe him. Ho gave, while still in vigorous health, two-thirds of an ample fortune to the founding of a school of art and science and a public library, and for thirty yeara afferwarda personally superintended the disbursement of his bounty. The Softool has been a practical technical ''' College, to which young people of both B&es from all parts of the XJnion have COme for intitraction, and no small percentage of the designers in the great mills ' anddfactories, and of our mechanical en- - ■ '-'gineers, learned their arts- gratuitously in Its lecture rooms. The library was, and vis, aboon to the poorer class of clerks and mechanics, hundreds of whom accept its hospitality every evening. Mr Cooper was himself an, able practical mechanical engineer., He built with his own hands *' the first American locomotive, and was, after Cyras Field, the leading spirit in the Atlantic cable enterprise. With the possible exception of Lincoln and Garfield, ho Ameiiran went to his grave so universally lamented, and so long as New ■u.Torb'Hd a ; city his memory will be affectionately kept green.