MURDER IN A CONVENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7002, 26 April 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

MURDER IN A CONVENT.

The : Paris correspondent o£ the London Standard says :—What has by this time probably proved a very terrible double murder, has just been perpetrated at the Convent of the near Marseilles, followed by the suicide of the murderer. The criminal was one of the gardeners of the establishment, named Chave, who had been dismissed about ten days ago on account of his laziness, and who see'ms' to have. had ho other reason for the'"perpetration of the cowardly crime then that he. deeply; resented having been sent away. The crime, by which the Superior of tie ■ Convent, Madame Martini, lost her life,'and Sister L6onie de Sorval was so severely wounded as not to be expected to recover, 'was committed under the following circumstances :—Last Wednesday, after the mid-day meal, the Sisters left the Convent to • walk.in the.grounds. They had reached a rather'secluded spot when they were surprised by the sudden appearence before them of the dismissed gardener. The Superior, however, spoke kindly tohira, and inquired 'whether he had found work. Chave did not even reply,' but' drawing a loaded revolver from his pocket, instantly discharged all the six barrels at the Superior and Mdlle. Leonie de Sorval, who was walking beside her. The other Sisters ran away an the greatest'consternation, calling for help, which, not being immediately at hand, gave the murderer time, to approach his vlctoms and to belabour them on the head with the butt end of his weapon. Madame Martini, however, had already been killed by a bullet in the head and another in the chest. As for Sister Leonie de Sorval, she, was bleeding profusely from two wounds, of which one in the chest is extremely serious. The peasants of the neighbourhood, having ' been, attracted by the screams of the terrified Sisters, now succeeded in surrounding the murderer as he was trying to make good his escape: : Chave; who had reloaded his revolver, kept them, however, at a respectable distance till some gendarmes arrived. Two of ;th'em'walked courageously to within about three.yards.of the spot where the assassin stood-with his pistol levelled at; their heads. They/then; told him to lower his weapon, but Instead of.doing, so Chave fired two shots, but fortunately missed his aim. Seeing the danger to which they were -exposing, their lives,; one of thetgendarmes drewJiis pistol, and without giving the murderer time to take ; fresh aim;,Bhotf?himi< through; his . chest. Another bullet? 1 which :Chave:behind the. ear, caused: him to fall heavily to theground.vHe'did not, however, relinquish the hold of his pistol, twita which, by a con- ... vulsive. movement, he inflicted' on • himself a third mortal wound, '