MYSTERIOUS CRIME IN BELGIUM.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 997, 14 February 1883, Page 4

MYSTERIOUS CRIME IN BELGIUM.

A Renter's cable message in the Melbourne papers, dated Brussels, sth Jan., is as follows : —“The trial of the.brothers Arrnand and Leon Peltzer, for the murder of M. Bernays, the Antwerp lawyer, which caused great excitement some time since throughout Belgium, was brought to a conclusion a few days ago after a lengthened hearing. Both brothers were found guilty, and they have been sentenced to death,” The Pall Mall Gazette of November 22nd gives the following particulars of the crime A case which promises to be famous among the romances of crime is to be heard at Brussels on Friday. Last January the body of William Bernays was found in a small room in No. 159, hue de la Loi, Brussels. For ten months the most searching investigation had been made. The supposed murderer has been captured, but, as the mystery remains unexplained, the story continues to excite the greatest interest both in Belgium and abroad. William Bernays was a well-known member of the Belgian bar. After a brilliant- university career he settled at Antwerp, where ho married. On the morning of the 7th January M. Bernays left his house at 8 o'clock, and, as was his daily custom, took his little son to school. He then went to the station and took the train for Brussels. This was the last time he was seen alive by any of his friends. No one knew of his intended journey, and when evening came much astonishment and even alarm was felt at his absence from home. His friends telegraphed in all directions, and oven for some days did not despair of his return. But on the 10th of January the circumstances were laid before the police authorities., It was not, however, until the 14th that his diasppearance was publicly announced. Some said that he had committed suicide, others that he had been murdered, while one rumour declared that he had retired to a Jesuit convent. On the 18ih the Procurcnr de Roi received a mysterious letter, dated Bale, January 16th, 1882, written in English, and signed *• Henry Yaughan.” “ I was,” said the writer, “ seized with horror when I read the news respecting M. Bernays.” Tic then went on to tell his story : “ Bernays came to see me at my house in Brussels, No. 159, Rue de la Loi, by engagement. While we were talking Bernays’ eye fell on a pistol which I had been showing to him. I took it to put it back in its place, when it went off, and Bernays fell. I thought him only wounded, and left the room in search of hartshorn and water. Alas! when I returned the blood was flowing from his wound , he was dead—killed by ray hand. My first thought was to rush for the coroner ; but in my despair I thought of my position. Unknown, a stranger in Brussels, friendless, who would believe ray tale ? I yielded to the terrible temptation and fled.” On receipt of this letter a party of police went to No 159. The door was burst open. The ground floor was made up of salon , salle-d-manger and a small cabinet. The two first were unfurnished. The cabinet at the end of the vestibule was closed, but the glimmer of yellow light was seen through the crevices of the door. The door was opened, and there stretched on a couch in one corner was the body of Bernays, in a state of decomposition, but easily recognisable. On a small table were a map of Africa, five revolvers, and two boxes of bullets. On the map was a letter addressed to the coroner, signed, as in the first case, “ Vaughan,” telling how the dead man was killed. Vaughan had taken the house in December, paying six months’ rent in advance. It was not until the 6th of January that he had furnished the cabinet.

Who Yaughan was no one knew. Twenty-five thousand francs were offered for his apprehension. Then the papers published facsimiles of his autograph and handwriting, and this furnished a clue. A tradesman of Yervins declared that the writing was that of Leon Pellzer, a Belgian subject, with whom he had had business transactions. Peltzer had three brothers. Armand, the elder, was a bold, adventurous spirit, who had made and lost several fortunes in Buenos Ayres. In this business Leon was concerned. After the utter wreck of his brother’s business in 1870 he associated himself with a bankinghouse, which came to grief. One of its directors fled, and Leon was suspected of helping him in his flight. Buenos Ayres became too warm for him, and he was said to have taken ship.for Europe. After the identification of the handwriting by the Yervins, tradesman, Armand and James Peltzer published a letter in defence of their brother ; and according to their tale they wrote to him at San Francisco—his last address—telling him the story, and begging to return. But while writing this letter, Arrnand knew quite well that Leon was hidden on the Belgian .frontier, for on the same day that the letter of remonstrance appeared, ho addressed a telegram to Leon, which eventually brought about his arrest. Armand now invoked the aid of a certain Dr Lavise—an intimate friend of the brothers : “ This is a melancholy business. Here I am carrying on a correspondence with a lady, and being closely watched ; I cannot get her letters from the postoffice. Will you help mo?” The doctor consented,’ and for a time telegrams and letters were left at his address. These becoming of a suspicious nature, he decided at last to inform the police. Leon was arrested at Cologne on his way to Antwerp. He was committed for trial, and for five months the authorities have been getting up the case against him. No motive has been suggested to account adequately for the crime.