A SENSATIONAL CRIME.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2191, 24 July 1886, Page 2

A SENSATIONAL CRIME.

A REMARK A blk trial bewail at Brussels on Monday. The prisoner, M, Vandersinis«,en, is a member of the Clumber ot Representatives In January last ho discovered that his wife was faithle-s. He turned her out of hi.s house and instituted pioeeeding> for :i divorce ; but, while retaining a viud .s°nse of the wion,* he had sn*tain i> d, he also retained a pas>ionnte feeling foi his en ing wire. He h.d fro.|iieiit but el uidestine meetings witfi her, wrote d.uiv letteis to her breathing the m >si indent aifeeti.m, , mil in short, became once inoie, li •■ lovei. N ituially she insisted on the dropping of the di voice -nit ; but Vandersmiesen shrank from th>* s icial shir whieri this entailed. Ph •st ite, <>f tho case becune known, and iiiim;.' hi o-eif a btnkrupt in mitiey, in luv.iit, iii I i.i i 'pttitiou he, provide 1 him-hiui-"lr >v th ,t revolver, piocee<J<'d it m iliiK'ni to his wife's hou-,e, and told h i sin; must di<*. S : ie refused to believe iiiin, and th m.- ensued n temble scene. Sh.- i> „'.:«* I <ud pi yed f«ir life. "S iy your pr >\ >is he an w. -led, " ami if you ha\ c an\ t Inng i" w i itc ymi m iy d i so." The unfoi tun ite w mi in made believe to fumble, with pen, i ik, ,m I i»ap<r; but, unable to stuid the stu >ti ■!! any lunger, offered in nschang- foi l\n life, if lie would allow hei, t> go out to e-t.iblish an undis pntable c.ise ag un.st herself so a-< to enable him to get a divorce. This pi opo^.d seems to ha-ve Jriveu tho piinonei mad. He raised his revolver, and as he filed she. blew out the caudle, so as to .spoil his ait r< ; but the shot told, and was tired so close tint it ignited her uijfhtdres». and it was by that light that the prisoner again dischai^ed his revolver at her. Screaming for help, the poor creature contrived in the d. irk to (iud the door, fled down >tairs, and hid heiself iv the kitchen, whither the pii.soner followed her, and, hnding her crouching behind the door, filed a last shot at her. She retained stiength to rush wpstair-s open the street-door, and fell unconscious on the pavement. She lingered 12 divs before death pnened. In his int°rrogau>iy the prisoner denied thai* the m irier wan premeditated. It happened, he. said, because she would not say that she was soiry, and he "felt aggrieved that she should have revealed the secret of their reconciliation," He had destioyed coire-spondeuce which, if it would not have cleared him, would at least have explained his conduct as partly rising out of the remorse and grief he felt at the sufferings his wife had undergone. On Wednesday the jury found the prisoner " Guilty," but without premeditation. The court then sentenced M. Vjindersmissen to 15 years' penal servitude. The sentence produced a great impression at Brussels, many persons thinking he would be acquitted.

Mr W. Kincaid, Cambridge and Oxford, notifies in our advertising columns that dining the months of July and August he will hold a cheap clearing sale of drapery, clothing, groceries, &c. In anticipation of the spring requirements, we call the attention of our farming friends to a handbill issued with this day's piper, setting forth a largo vaiiety of fertilisers, seeds, &c, on sale by Messrs W. J. Hurst and Co., Auckland, who have a branch establishment at Ohaupo, under the management of Mr Rybum, for tho convenience of Waikato settlers. The firms long e\penence in this line of business is a guarantee to buyers that their interests will be well served m any dealings with them, both as regards quality and pi ice. The usual Sunday services appear advertised in another column.