MURDER UNDER PROVOCATION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1122, 25 February 1885, Page 4

MURDER UNDER PROVOCATION.

A dramatic event, recalling in some of its details 'the tragical deed of Madame Clovis Hugues, has just occurred at Tonnerre, a town situated in the' Department of Yonne, about 160 miles from Paris. One Monday evening the inhabitants of that ordinarily peaceful country place were suddenly startled by seeing a man, bareheaded and terror-stricken, with blood streaming down his clothes, rush wildly from the dwelling of M. Francey, one of the principle business men of the town, pursued by the mistress of the house. Suddenly the man fell down weakened by loss of blood, and uttering piercing shrieks. "While he was lying on the ground bathed in his blood, Madame Prancey came up and discharged two bullets from a revolver into his body. Shortly afterwards he breathed his last. The woman then cried out, "I have been insulted long enough," and gave herself up to the police. The victim of this deed of vengeance was a retired architect of the town, named Brisebard. He was a bachelor of forty, and was regarded in the neighborhood as a kind of Lovelace or Don Juan. Possessing an agreeable appearance, he passed the greater part of his time in compromising respectable married women, whom he pursued with his attentions in the most barefaced and impudent manner. Among the persons of the other sex whom M. Brisebard persecuted was Madame Paul Francey, wife of a tradesman. She is only 25 years old, and of a fascinating appearance. Her married life was of the happiest kind until M. Brisebard endeavoured with his usual audacity to blast her reputation. Some time ago this unprincipled person, knowing that her husband was away from home on business, and that Madame Francey was at the theatre, got into their house and awaited the arrival of the latter. When she returned home at eleven o'clock at night her first impulse on seeing her persecutor was to cry out for assistance to eject him ; but, mindful of the scandal which the gosssp of evil tongues would be sure to circulate, sbemerely contented herself with showing Brisebard the door. Hertormentor went away, remarking that he would be luckier when he should return the next time. Madame Francey, on regaining her room, reflected for a moment on the proper course which she should pursue in the painful position wherein she was placed by the villainy of her terrible persecutor. She knew that he would be sure to say that he had been welcomed by her on coming to visit her by appointment and during the absence of her husband. She consequently wrote a letter to Brisebard, stating that if he attempted to renew his dastardly efforts to ruin her she should receive him revolver in hand, and strew his brains upon the doorstep. Brisebard, not believing that Madame Francey would be capable of adopting such extreme measures, flippantly replied, in a tone of mock gallantry, that death, when inflicted by. the hand of so pretty a woman, could not but prove a pleasure to him. Things went on thus until the night in question, when the Don Joan of Tonnerre again presented himself at the house of Madame Francey. Her husband was out shootiag or hunting at the time. Brisebard was let in by a servant, and was met at the door of her salon by Madame Francey. Two minutes afterwards he was seen rushing from the place in the condition already described. He had received when inside the house two bullets, one in the neck and the other in the stomach. He ran for about fifty yards, crying out "I am done for!", and then fell by the wall of the local college. Here Madame Francey came up and discharged the remainder of the contents of her revolver into the body of the dying man. Brisebard was taken into the porter's lodge of the college, and the doctor's were summoned. He died, however, in less than a quarter of an hour, without uttering a word.

"A bud in the hand is worth two on the both," said a thief who robbed a flower-garden.