ANOTHER FRENCH ATROCITY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 410, 25 February 1870, Page 4 (Supplement)

ANOTHER FRENCH ATROCITY.

Another fatal outrage has been committed in the Rue St.-Honore. A girl named Josephine Rispal, about twenty-five years of age, lived in this street, and was in the habit of receiving visits from a man named Eugene Durand, a packer, who lived at Menilmontant. He ia married, and has a son about 21 years old. Tho other evening Durand went to the houso, and, being drunk, was strongly reproached by the girl whom he visited. It appears that Durand then went down to the kitchen, took a knife out of hia pocket, and sharpened it near the fireplace. He then entered the room where the girl was, and brandished the knife about her. She ran down tha stairs, and called out for assistance. Not receiving any reply, she ran up again, and met Durand, who waa coming down. He caught hold of her by the arm, and stabbed her in the left side of the neck and then in the breast. Ono blow was struck into her heart, and she died almost instantaneously. The assassin, covered with blood, then rushed down the stairs and called out, " I have killed her! Call the polico I " On the arrival of tho police Durand waa taken to the station in tho Rue St.-Roch. The body of the unfortunate girl was iakeu to the Morgue.

The reluctance of French juries to record verdiots which will entail the penalty of death on prisoners has been illustrated in a case which has juat been concluded in Paris. The victim was a dealer in sand named Delbor, and tho accused his stepson, Berton aged 32. The former had married, in 18G<1, the mother of tho prisoner, and the two men lived on bad terms, Berton constantly fearing that all his mother's property would bo squandered by Delbor. Another cause of jealousy was that thoy were both in the same trade. On the ISth of October last the elder man, while entering his Btable, was struck from behind on the head with a hammer, and died five days after, declaring that his murderer was Berton. A verdict of guilty was returned against tho latter, and ha wai sentencod to hard labour for life.

Hitherto street-tramways have been paying a tax of five per cent, on their gross receipts, the same as railways, but the directors of tho Staffordshire Potteries Street Railway recently submitted to the Commissioners of Inland Eevenuethat a street or tram railway did not come within the meaning of the aot authorising this tax, and the commissioners have admitted the soundness of this opinion. In their reply to tho memorial of the directors tho commissioners say they will not insist upon duty in the oase of tramways made upon a publio highway, and on which oirriages are " drawn by animal power only;" but the proprietors must " take out licenses for all the horses, carriages, &c, kept for working suoh tramway." This arrangement takes effeot from the lfat January last.