A TERRIBLE LOVE STORY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2140, 7 November 1885, Page 3

A TERRIBLE LOVE STORY.

A murder case .lias just been tried in the ■jLCourt of La Loire, France, that has much interest on account of its '1 originality. Some time ago a young man flung himself from the second storey of the Hotel d'Europe at Saint-Eticnne, He was picked up in a dying condition, not that lie was seriously hurt by his fall, but before precipitating himself from the gallery he lwd shot himself through, the head, and hacked his breast with a swordcane. In the room where the suicide was attempted, a beautiful young girl of fifteen was lying dead in bed, having been shot while sleeping. For some time it was impossible to discover the names of the "i victims of this double tragedy. The young man refused to give in his name. The whole story was brought out at the trial, however, which was long and exciting. : '• The young girl's name was Marguerite •" Vagnair, the daughter of a respectable ,',, working-man at Lyons. The young man >• was likewise of a good family. His name 'ia Tonoy Auray, and lio is fc\venty T tliree : years of age. He studied medicine, and . fulfilled his military service as superinten- {' danfc of an infirmary. Having completed liifl term of service, ho felt tired of life and resolved to die, to use his own words, 'V : "After being loved by a woman who had never been loved by man," He fancied : • that his ideal woman was somewhere in ■ (ho world, though were he could not tell, Mavitig unexpectedly turned heir to a inheritance of 8000 francs, this 'dreamy youth set out in search of this '.'woman. Ho turned his face towards : Lyons, ai.d entering tho Grand Theatre ( one evening seated himself by the merest chance beside a young girl, He glanced at her, he had found his ideal. She was Marguerite Vagnair, When ti c audience dispersed he followed her quietly to her residence, Hue ■AjjLMontgolfier. The following day, and for days after he passed up and down jjefqro hpr window. Marguerite saw him, nnd glaijced at iiim with admiration; Two • (jays after their mutual interchange of looks they had eloped- The former medical student had represented himself as the son of a millionaire, to dazzle this innocent girl of fifteen, His first act was to purchase for Marguerito a superb toilet, and to send back to her family the humble apparel she wore, 11 not wishing," as he said, " to keep the clothes that belonged to tho poor girl's parents," The youthful lovers immediately set out tor Paris, For jive weeks they led a life of pleasure, and \vhei) Tqiiy Auray's puivje was dopleted )jg proqee'ded to Saiut-Etieune, whore the pair took' apartments in the hotel ii' Europe, undor the name of M, and atne. Marat. . The idyl was finished, and they resolved to crown its termination in a truely poetic manner. They would die together. Tony Auray, however, declares that he used all p'op.sihjo means to' save the life of this '|<pggjrl for ii'hom youth had as yet begun, lie implored l]er on his kneos over'and over again to return to jlier parents, even bought a revolver with intention of frightening her by the horrible threats of suicide. Marguerite was inflexible. " I will not leave you," (slje nrjed, " mid if yon commit suicide I fell) tl|'i;ow myself into tlje Rhone," All fifte begged of him was, in the manner of liqr death, not to cause her any unnecessary suffering. It was in obedience to this request that he killed her while sleeping, without warning her of the fatal hour or inflicting oil her the torture of a last faiwyejl,' Whon the pi hud thus imconjj'cioii'sly passed from "sjoep to (jerjtli he /took' the revolver, four ehambers'of which had been been emptied into her brain, and fired the fifth and last into his own. But as death was stubborn ho plunged his Mar(|-c;(iie several times, into his heart, iijako' his purpose terribly sure, j)reoij>atci] himself from the gallery. ; The shot blew his jaw to pieces, aud if jie wear a palate henceforth it will be an artificial one. He lias been snatched from Jlje cleat!) lie so much coveted to fall into the hands of justlco and pay tho penalty of the tragic late of the tender girl whom he stole from the peaceful bosom of her . family from the crazy gropings after this jflpigfe liirv of Lojre, by a yercjiot of tragic irqny, has condemned tho murderer f)f Marguerite Vagnair to imprisonmnent ; for life at l|ard labpr. The jury explained that the lprderqr triotl to condemn himself to death i the jury, therefore, would inflict on him the most terribloof penalties—it would condemn him to live,