FOREIGN MEMORANDA.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1328, 2 March 1859, Page 6

FOREIGN MEMORANDA.

The ' New York Herald contains the following fearful story: —" An appaling tragedy has occurred lit the residence ot Francis Gouldy, a retired merchant. The eldest son, Frank, a young man 1.9 years old, returned home about 10 o'clock, after all the family hid retired. His father chided him for keeping such late hours iind spoke to him about his extravagant course of iiviug, when the youth retired to his room, powinjj rcugeance on the whole household.

Arming himself with a hatchet, knife and pistol, he soon afterwards proceeded to execute his hellish intention. Descending to the bed-room whore his father was sitting, he struck him on the bead with the axe until he was insensible th"ii turning upon his mother be attacked her with the suns weapon; then his brothsrs, N.itlriniel and Charles, aged 14 anil 0 years, who ran to the assistance of their father, were assailed. The attention' of the fiund was then called to the servants, Joanna Murphy and Elizabeth Carr, and they in turn were also horribly wounded ; and finally the young man wound up the night's atrocities by blowing out his brains with a pistol. Oit of the nix persons injured probably four will die from the elleius oi their wounds. Two of tli* sufferers are at the point of lentil—uum-'ly, .Mr. Gimldy mid Joanna Murphy. Altogether the all'ur w.is one of tho iiiiiA burrible butcheries ' ever perpetrated in a Christian community."

"An account," says 'Galiguaui,' was given some lime ago of a very curious affair having occurred at Calais. A young man of gjntlomanly appearance arrived in that town to embark for England, but being prevented doing so by w uit of a ptssport, spoilt seveial days in the place under the smveillanee of the police. He than obtained permission to go in an excursion steamer to It imsg.ite mi promise of returning in tlm evening, and, as there was a good deal of mystery a , (out him, a poliee-ollioer was, unknown, "to him, charged to watch over him. ' During his absence at Iliinsgatc orders arrived from Paris by Telegraph to arrest him on the c'large of having attempted to commit a murder and rubbery in the department of the Seine-et Alarne, and the moment iie was arrested. Having been conveyed to the ollioe of tliu co.nmissary of police, he jumped through a window took to (light, and attempted to commit suicide l>y leaping into one of the docks, but was rescued when half drowned. T/iis man whose name is Pesty, was afterwards arivoii up to the authorities of the Soine-ot-M.iriifi, anil was brought to trial before the Court of A;;i/,2s of the department oil llio charge of attempted murder and robbery. The case excited great interest. The prisoner, who seem*! in.iou affected, said, in answer to questions put l> him, that ho was 21 ybars of ag;;, and a fanii-r of Bcaunc-la-R'ilhiiidc, in the L-)iret. T.ie following singular I'.ieLs were then .-stated'. —A shepherd named Mason was in the evening of the Ist of September last driving a (lick of 200 sheep from IJranslos to a place beyond Xeinours. At some distance fro n the latter town he was overtaken by a man in a light cart, who, putting his horse into a walk, expressed admiration o\ his flock and got into conversation with him. Having ascertained the direction in which he was going, the stranger drove on to Noiiiours, and after the shepherd had passed that town again overtouk him in his cart, and descending from the veliiclj began chatting with him. After awhile, on passing through a wood, he suddenly drew a double barrelled pistol from bis pocket and discharged it at the shepherd, wounding him in the head with the ball ol'ohe barrel, and in the neck with that of tne other, alter which he heat him about the bead with the tmt-oud of tho pistul. The shepherd fell bathed in blood, and his assailant thinking he was dead dragged him into the wood. The man then examined the shepherd, as il'to make sure that he was dead, lirud his pistol again at him, and left him. The shepherd remained senseless some time, and when he recovered he found that his lloek had disappeared, but that his dog was licking bis wounds. • He managed to get to the nearest farmhouse, , slated what bad occurred, and had his wounds dressed. The gendarmes immediately commenced a search after the assailant, and had little difficulty in linding who ho was. They learned that a man whose appearance corresponded exactly with the description which the shepherd gave of him had, a fevv hours after the attempted murder, arrived at a place called Chateau-London with it flock of 2.30 sheep, and had there placed them under the care of o'ie Uyeuue, shepherd to Pesty, jun., of IJcaunc-la-llollanilc, wh'i was driving a Hock of 100 sheep from Uraiisles for his master. This Ijcjcuue was found at liunuiie-la-Rollande, with the 230 sheep, and he stated that it was bis master himself, joung Pesty, ttlio had confided them to him. Ho added that Pesty, o:i arriving at the village, had joined him, and remarked—' L shall get into trouble about thos: •.!'>:) sheep ; they are stolon, and the i'shepherd who has been driving them has been wurderjd ;' L.jeuue further staled tint Pesty , made a similar statement in his (|\:sly's) father on which the latter, with groat omofion, cried out, ' If it ho you who have eommiile.l the crime, the best thing you can do is to kill yourself;' On that young Pe.sty at once m>l; to flight, and was no more heard v< hy hi.- own people until lifter the arrest at Calais. Tiio shepherd recovered from his woiiii Is, an I his recovery was mainly owing to tho <l-i v having licked them. After tint incident I'u.sty was confronted with .Mason, and the latter distinctly recognised him. Pesty hi nnoK, after soma vain denials, admitted his guilt, and also that he had deliberately premeditated the murder of tlio, shepherd. This man was the principal witness against him, and he created some sensation after giving his evidence by remarking 'Ft is a sad tiling to say that a fellow creature attempted to take away my life, and that a poor dog was tho principal means of saving mo;' Pesty's crime, it was stated to the Cimrt, is perfectly inexplicable, imum icli as he is the son of a m.ist ivspoot-ihle minof no >,1 property was in comfortable u-rc-imstancus hiuiiiilf at tho time the crime w.is perpetrated, uiirriod to a charming yo.ing woman of li) ye.irs of a rs, is the farther of a child still in the cradle, and had received a good i-duoaliou. -It appears, however, that last y 'ar lie was trUM for stc.din ■■• li) sheep, but was acquitted. The jury d;;c!arod the man guilt) with extenuating uiruumstaiioes, and the Court condemned him to hard l.ihuur for life, also to pay tiOOOfr. damages to the shepherd."

" 'I'lii; approaching cunlliut with Austria," says a Paris letter, "is the euin-n >;i talk. (r.iV sips even go so far as to say that it was opeulv spoken of at Ojinpiognc during L-h-.I Clarendon's visit, and that bis lordship bail owned lo having given the emperor a bane to pick by quoting the speech made to a friend of his by the regent of Prussia only a short time before":

—' If Germany cannot be one, she shall, at all events, be undivided in the struggle, . Some people have even gone so far as to declare that the regent has more than once thrown out strong hints of the line of conduct he means to pursue in case of a rupture between France and Austria, and speak mysteriously of preparations already begun, and of tho advancement of troops towards the Belgian frontier." Dr. Francis Loiber, editor of the "American Encyclopedia," and author of many valuable works, has lately been driven from South Carolina becauseol'an anti-slavery article he published 15 or 20 years ago in the " Encyclopaedia." He has long been professor of political economy and moral science in a South Carolina College, but the chivalry of the Palmetto State could not endure such a dangerous man, and he was compelled to leave. Columbia College has

had the sagacity to elect Dr. Lsibjr to a professorship. The D.itch journals announce that the Pope has issued ahull excommunicating M. L>ost who has just been elected Archbishop of Utrech, and all wh i '>/ their acts, counsel, or appropriation, took p irt in his election. The cuuse of this exuoin nanication is that the Archbishop is a J ins'jiii.st. A coinp uiy has been f.n-'ned at St. Petersburg for improving the dwellings of the working classes'of that capital. The Prince of Msckleu-berg-Strelilz. is at its head, anil it has the pa troiMgc of tiio emperor. At Naiitcs, the Grand Seninaire has been closed in consequence of several cases of typhus '•■.aviiig iijj in-jil urn >ng the young mm in that establishment.

The 'Jo ifnal d; Bruges' states th it iii episcopal cj.igreis was lately held at Milines, and that the Pjpe's uuiicio ami Cirdinal Wiseman, who is at present visiting litdgiuin, were present. A few il-iy-i ago at Auriol (Bouches dv Rhone) thu wife or a p jasaut gave birth to fiur childriM. All diej, but nut until aftei they were baptised. AQieh-jj (i'Vench) piper m-MitioiH an extraordinary adventure with a bear but did not m iturially injure him, when the bear gave chase, and the man, not having linu to reload, climb) I a tree, soating himself on a lir.inch, whither tho bear followed him. Tile man prayed to thu Virgin, and taking off his cotton vest set lir; to it wit i a friction in itch, and throw it in a bluzj on t!ia bear's licad. This in ids. , bruin drop tii the gro mil, and gave the habitant tim? to load, so that when the bear was ready to ulim'.i t'>a tree a soc.ind tiina lie got n ball through his lua.l. In tustiauny of all this, the in in sol.l tli) Lie ir's skin in the L iwjr-to.vn mar ket, of Q leb-jc.

The'li irli.igtoa (Towa) Hawkoyo' tells of a lady in.tli.it vicinity who, by marnagj, has got herself into the following distressing situation in regard to her own family. Shi; is sister-in-law to her fat'iar. aunt to her brothers, sister to her uiioli:, daughter to her grandfather, and great :iuut lo liar own children.

A iiost warlike tone has prevailed d iring the p ist iiinitli in tin. , articles of a portion of the French press and in the Austrian nlficinl journals o;i the Italian question. The Fr.iiioa idea is, that tiie time has coins when Piedmont, allied to Franco, is to expel Austria from Lonr b.-irdy . an idea, of course, which Austria repels with scorn. An oilicial disclaimer of anything cliscoid.-iiit in the relations of the two countries has, it is true, appeared in the ; but it i.s not so explicit as it probably would have been WjP! lliaro really no cause for disquietude. Tna French Minister of Agriculture and Co:ii:iurce ruce.itly issuod a circular to the prefects of dup irtmsnts, drawing their attention to a dociea of the emperor, by which all bakers in all towns of the empire, where the trade of

a bnkrr is regulated by decrees or ordinaue&s, shall k'iop by them a reserved supply uf corn or flour equal to the quantity required by tlie consumption of their trade for three months. Within one vi mth the prefects, after consulting the municipal authorities, shill decide how much of tiie reserve shall be in corn an 1 ho.v much in (1 mr, how much shall be loft in vm bakers' own hands, and how much shall he kopt in public stor;hn.ises. The system is eni'oro-'.i in KiO to.vu.s of France, but in in my places this reserve of the ba':ers has Ihieu fixed at a very insuflioieut quantity. This is forthwith t> be amended, (jovjniment oilars t> such bakers as may not have sullijicnt storage at their comuiind the me of public storjliomes, on , what terms tro aru not tolj ; and adverting to the possibility thai the bakers, though possessing capital euoug'i to carry on their business, buying Hour a; they want it, may not havu funds at eouiiii-uid to puichase a three months' stock, piternally reminds them that corn is cheap, that tlie interest of money is low, that the transaction oiTjrs good security to lenders, and that it may he presumed that capitalists would lie willing to advance the money if the bakers do not possess it.

A priest w is rsu-jnily brought into the prisons of the Holy 0 'Oca at Rjmc, guilty of assassination, iii:o.>m;>anied with circumstances which excite special horror and disgust. The eiiuu was committed in the littlo village of San (iiiilianello, live or six miles from Velletri. A sm-ill s:im of m may had been stolen from the cure of the placj. Hi denounced a man of tha country; biu i:i default of evidence the accu-sed was rcieassil. F.irioiis ai being at once frustrated of his vengeance and robbed of his m-muy, t'io priest r-jsMvud l> procure for himself liio rovehuious which he wanted; t> do this he enticed into a lonely grotto the son of the man whom lil- inspected, a youth of 15 or I(> years of iigu il.iving bound him by surprise, he eommimoiH applying a sort of torturu, by piercing him slightly' with a knife. Tho boy rcuviinud linn, nitlrir ku..wiug nothing or not wishing to s;iy anything. The sight of tha blood furtheiexcitailtii; miseiabia pries;, and ultimately tlie boy succ'i ii'ud under :V1 wounds. When tho body was discovered it became the duty of this very priust lo iut.ir it. Those who assisted at tho ceremony thought they observed in him a strange onv>tio:i at ilia inrmiant of pronouncing the absolution ovsr the colli::. The next day the brigadier of iho Carabineers having called upon him fur the crtilicato of ihe registry of t'io death, no sa:-:n:'d yet more trouble 1. The suspicions already excited were increased, and lie was ani'stihl.

A driM.lf.il .-tlfiir oceuned a few d'7s a;;') at 11-uivillo-l.i-l'lac! (Vlaiioho). A soldier orTfurlough, nam,M itisik'y, .111 a vi-ot to bis fimily, was recently atiaoksd with mental alienation, mid ho was vt>ry vi.ilunt, a physician directed tlr.it he should iv closely watched; hut happening to ha Inft a , one for awhile he seized a hatched ail killed an inlirni brother, who was in bnd. IT'! than set (ire to the house and with his hatched uvMiaee»l the people who want to extinguish thu (11 ius. He next rushed across the liold-s, and iivjfting three peasants, who having seen t!h; conflagration were hurrying to render assistance, he Itilled two nf them, named Fauvel and .Ueslain, hy blows 0:1 the head with his hatched, and would have done so to the third it' the man li.yd not taken to flight. He then wont to ilie ciinrch, and meeting the aged sexton, lie witii t-.vn hluivs laid him dead at his feet. Me ul'tar.vanU eiitored the c lurch, and laying aside his hatchet, .went the alter, where he took the sacred vessels, wine, and consecrated waters, and proceeded .to imitate a priest performing mass. The unfortunate maniac was engaged in that way when the cure and spine gtvid irnias ,urived. The former with a voice of a.iMority or leiod.him to 'descend from the altar — the man obeyed, aud was then secured by the go:iil:inri3s.- The house to which he set lire was with its contents entirely consumed.

A letter from Bayonnc, of the 30th November, in the Uiiivurs gives the following account of an earthquake experienced there and in the neighboiuing districts:—"About half-past 12 yesterday afternoon some violent shocks of an earthquake were felt at Bayonne, and lasted from eight to ten seconds. The ocillatious pro-

ceedod from tlie south-west t<i the north-east. The phenomenon was accompanied by a dead sound similar to that of a waggon passing over a paved road. The weather which had been rainy for somo days previously, was hot, and the at-nosphere heavy at the moment A violent storm broke over the town at half-past 3, but ilid nut last lonsf. The information received from various quarters respecting the effects produced by the phenomenon soma of them rather serious and -some extiunrilinary, is too voluminous lor p-iulic-itioii. Tiie m.ition was less violent at Bayoiineihu.il af St. Esprit, where the population were greatly alarmed,-and where the church bulls began to ring during the shock. At B.iyonne the kitohen utensils wjre tossed about and it i< siid liiilsune ohiinnoys were s-rioii'sly d imigeil. Oao of the ceilings of the aoulemy "ive way, a:ul orauks are visible in the walls of'th.it ancient buiUiug. At. the time the e-irtli,ri<ik3 w.is felt the uiiiunls in the town exhibited symptom? of profound terror. Tne oxen lowed, and tbo pavement in several streets was displaced. On the rampart or Lwhopaille the earth was twice wised and fell again with a violent noise, the neighbouring houses, however, were not injured. Notwithstanding the public-. building-! in the town were shaken with violence, no loss of life is to bo dsplored. The earthquake was extro'iuly vi ilent both at Biarritta and at Anglot, p irtie'ilurly in the low grounds; doors were shut with :i lon-1 noise, persons ware thrown down, anil numbers 11-.'d from thsir houses, fearing to be burieil mi l«r the ruins. A lmanlsaian, seeing his oxjii lifted up several timm, sought safely in (Its;lie. Same i:i!>onrers. who wjre'dining under a troj, felt the ground under them'lise throe tiuias and ware dashed against eaui\ oilier as if iiy a violent wind. At that uu'.ii ;ut ihe we;ith.-.T was suffocating and tho heat was insupportable. Tlie accounts received at Biyonuo from St Palais and St Jean Pied-de-Port* state that tlie shock experienced there lasted from eight to ten seconds. \l threequarters past 12, a violent shock, accompanied by ,i noise resembling the sound of distant thunder mimed an uuivers-il |W:iic among tha population of St Jean Piecl-de-Port assembled in the market place. The violence of the commotio:! w.isso great that one chimney was thrown down, as well as the tiles from the roots of the houses, fue most solid buildings cracked as if about to I ill, and the furniture in the interior of the housesjwas tossed about. During theoseillations a noise was heard similar to that of a heavy hall failing down six steps of a staircase stej) by step. The pedestrians, who weru uuinsrous, in consequence of the fineness of the weather, imagined that the ground was about to opsn uud-jr their feet."

Ail earthquake which lms been felt in every part uf Spain, and which has been productive of soin-j damages in iilinust every city in the smith of .Spain, has been the cause of the expression uf much religion; feeling. At Seville, where its effects were more sensible than in any other city, several publio establishments having received considerable injury, processions have taken place with unusual religious po.up, and the churches are daily visited by tlwosauds whose piety is stimulated with the r flection tiiiit they may again experience this avl'iil visitation. It appears that the earthquake was so uracil felt in the principal markets that all bushia-w immediately stopped, ami hundreds we.it on their knees to bag for the Divine mercy. In some of the churches mass was beiaif celebrated , at the moment of the shock, and in different effect upon the priests was striking. Sun:; stopped terrified, and could not go on with the religious cei'tummy till the cause of terror ceased, whilst others, turning to the congrog.ition, ohaunted the divine offices with fervour. The cries of the people resounded through tie oily, aud even domestic animals showed their terror. The convents anil churches have nearly all experienced the effect of the earth-q-iake, and the famous tower of Omnium SaneMurkt orum has deviated. The church clock of Si struck 12 by the force of the oscilation. Tlie hospital phvscians make mention of the same phenomenon, was perceived at the General Hospital of Madrid, namely that there was a general complaint amongst the patients of increase of pain and uneasiness. Letters from Lisbon stale that the earthquake produced a complete panic in the city, many persons jumping out of their beds and rushing into the streets. A priest who was saying mass ran out into the street dressed iti his sacerdotal garments. The panic in Oporto was also equally great. Xo damage of iiuy importance occurred, Tα Deums had been sung in the churches, and other religious acts, in token of gratitude for the happy escape from th-j threatened danger.

A strange occurrence took place lately at Gardanue (Roaehes-du-Khono.) A farmer had been in the habit of ill treating a donkey, and on the day in question had bjateu the poor animal mure brutishly than usual. The proverbial patience of the long earwl animal appears to iiavo boon at length exhausted, and taking advantage of the moment when the man had just taken off its harness the douksy rushed forward, knocked him down, and then began tearing him in the rao.'t dreadful manner with its teeth, striking him also with its fore feel. The man cried out for assistance, but before aid could arrive ho was so dreadfully mangled that he died in a few hours.

Drssiioi'isa \ Qtivoic—"To puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer," is a common saying with our transatlantic brethern, but the following is related of tli3 inannor in which one of these gontle.ncn puzzled a quack, who was bringing a suit for medical services. Counsel: Did you treat the patient ace jrding to the most approved rules of surgery? Witness: Certainly; by nil means I did. Counsel: Did you decapitate him? Witne'-s: Undoubtedly I did; that was a mutter of course. Counsel: Did you perform the C;usariin operation upon him ? Witness: Why, of course, his condition required it, and it was attended with great success. Counsel: Did you now, doctor, subject his person to autopsy? Witness: Certainly, Unit was the best remedy I adopted. Counsel: Well, then, doctor, as you first cut olf the defendant's head, then ripped up his body, and nftcrwanU dissected him, and ho still survives it, I have no more to ask ; and if your claim will survive it your quackery deserves to be immortal.