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Evening Star, Issue 3291, 6 September 1873, Page 3

According to the Paris correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette, “one of the most curious cases on record has just been referred to the Appeal Court of Rennes for decision. The facts of the affair may be thus briefly stated. On the 4th of September, 1870, M. evainville, who was prefeet of Finisterre, was suddenly replaced by a Republican functionary. In the month of October he went out to walk with his wife, his little girl, and four other relations, along the rocks at Penmark. They were all standing admiring the oceau, when suddenly a huge wave swept over the cliff where they were standing, high above the level of the sea, and carried away live of the party. M. Levaiuville and his sister-in-law, who were at some little distance from the others, alone escaped. JNot only was the ex-pre'ect ruined by the revolution of the 4th September; not only did be lose wife and child, but he is now obliged to plead in Court for a small property, the verdict depending on the decision of the judges as to which perished first—his wife or his daughter. If the wife was the first to perish, her property would go to her daughter, who died a few instants afterwards, and then, according to law, the father would inherit half of it. If, on the other, Mdme. Levainville survived her child Gabrielle, the property must go in another direction. The Court of Guimper has already decided in favor of the daughter having perished first, but simply on the ground that, being older, Mdme. Levainville was most likely to struggle the longest. Against this decision the ex-prefect has appealed.