IGNORANCE AND CRIME.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2376, 28 October 1880, Page 2

IGNORANCE AND CRIME.

SECOND EDITION

Public opinion has been (states the Mauritius correspondent of the “ South Australian Register”) highly excited against a decision by the Executive Council. A man named Picot, who had the reputation of being one of the most inveterate sorcerers of the village of Mahebourg, was arrested some .time ago and charged with having murdered a girl of seven j r ears old. It was cur* rcntly rumored that he killed the little girl in order to have the blood of a virgin to perform certain ats of his foolish art. Picot was tried at the Assize Court, found guilty by the jury, and sentenced to death Justice Ellis. In Mauritius there are many people among the middle and lower classes who sincerely believe in witchcraft, and are of opinion that Picot, with the magic power he pretends to possess, will escape death if he chooses. Almost all the members of the Executive Council were prepared to order the execution, when Mr Ellis, as the judge who presided at the trial of Picot, opposed his colleagues on the ground that there was no proof against the prisoner, and said that as he had the right to do so, he would use his authoritative veto to prevent Picot being executed. The sentence of death was commuted to twenty years’ imprisonment with hard labor. The decision has surprised everybody.