A MURDERESS AT THIRTEEN

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 9882, 13 April 1893, Page 4

A MURDERESS AT THIRTEEN

BLANCHE KILLS PIIILOMENR LOU 'IIIE SAKE Ob' TWELVE FRANCS. PARENTS COMPOUND THE CRIME FOR EIGHTY-FIVE FRANCS.

(rR’-M OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, February 24. Whatever may bo tbo depths of ignorance and depravity in which portions of‘our own rustic population aro sunk it seeing certain provincial Franco can more than match them. From time to time incidents crop up ■which throw a peculiarly lurid light on the absolute want of moral and oven natural fooling prevalent amongst certain sections of the Gallic peasantry. A case presenting a fearful instance of juvenile depravity was heard yesterday at Grenoble Assizes.

The prisoner in the dock, one Blanche Desehamps, who had been roared at an orphanage in that town, n! id was scarcely thirteen, was charged with thoft and murder. She had to leave the asylum on Christmas Day and to go and stay with her mother, who is n woman living divorced from her husband. On tbo 2nd of January Blanche was given employment in a silk-weaving mill at Izeron. On tho 7th she was paid 12 francs, her week’s wago, and spent it all in buying coffee, sugar, and a coffee-pot. Fearing her mother would scold her for her extravagance, she stole from another girl, ono Philomene Lambert, who wag a year younger than hereeif, a puree containing eight francs, which she took homo, but tho theft being discovered, the purse and money were returned. .

On the ]l4th January, the two girls, nFter receiving another week’s wages, loft the mill to speml the Sunday at the village of Marncieux with relatives. <v>nVne way Blanche again stole the other’s parse nud the money it contained. Soon after they came to a plank bridge over the Lumano rivulet. Blanche pushed Phil mono into the water, and jumping down after her, plunged her head under the surface hitting it with a stone until she was senseless. She left her a corpse, and Hinging away the purse and pocketing the money, went to the cottage of her victim’s father, wet and shivering from odd, and pretending that, she had not seen Philomone since she left the silk factory. Her story was that when •she was on the bridge she turned back 'to see whether her youthful comrade was coming. The planks being slippery, she stumbled and fell into the rivulet, and was nearly drowned. The bonest peasants changed her clothes, replacing the drenched ones with clothing of their own unfortunate child, and gave the murderess warm food and drink. She then went homo. On the morrow she was taken into custody and confessed her crime. She is a stunted girl, not appearing her ago, was miaoiably dressed, and of on insignificant countenance. Her -demeanour did not show rep ’ntancc, and, as her advocate remarked, she did not roaliaoher situation. Her answers were ‘ Tea ’ and 1 No.’ The presiding judge, however, led her to tell the jury of how the murder was committed, She gave a detailed account in a quite unconcerned tone. The Procurator’s substitute, who prosecuted, did not demand the utmost rigour of the law, the environments of the girl having been bad in infancy, and an orphannge not being the best place in which to receive a good moral training. He also spoke of the parents of Philomcao as having offered to compound the murder with Blanche’s mother for 50 francs and a hectolitre of wheat" or a lump sum of 85 franco down. What was still more extraordinary, the Mayor of tlioir Commune signed the paper on which they drew up the agreement to give it the force of law. lie is a rustic, and thought it a fair and equitable proposal, but tho woman Dcschamps, thinking hor daughter not worth tho money, refused to accept the proposed terms. Tho jury discarding tho plea of want of discernment, but allowing extenuating circumstances, the girl was sentenced to twelve years in a reformatory.