Horrible Murder.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5006, 14 May 1889, Page 3

Horrible Murder.

Some time ago the wife of a wine merchant living at a large town in the Garonde was found dead in her bed ; a letter by her side explaining the circumstances of her death. She said, she had taken poison, being tired of life. The iragedy created a profound sensation in the town, where both husband and wife were well known. The loss was all the greater for the husband who was overwhelmed with comisseration. The wife was buried, the husband’s distress not being in any way modified by the circumstance that a large amount of rentes that had formed her dot came into his hands. At the end of the year he had so far recovered from the blow as to contemplate a fresh marriage with a young woman who would bringanother dot. All was ready for the wedding, when it was interrupted by an untoward circumstance —namely, the arrest of the intended bridegroom on the charge of murdering his first wife. The wierd story came out in court from the Ups of the bonne who had nursed madame’s three children, and was still in her service at the time of her death. On the night of the tragedy she, entering the room, had seen monsieur in the act of mesmerising his wife. Attracted by a vague fear, she listened at the door and heard tho husband dictate to the wife the letter which was found by her bedside, and heard him command her to take poison, which he had prepared, the had kept silence till her tongue was loosened by the fresh outrage contemplated to her dead mistress by the new marriage.