Gazette Of The United States

LONDON, April 25.
SINGULAR CASE OF MURDER.

A French officer, on the 3d inst. going in a vessel from the Hague to Rotterdam contracted an acquaintance with one of the passengers, a dealer in watches, who was going from the latter city to Brabant. The watchmaker was so well pleased with the patriotic sentiments of his companion in the course of their passage, that, when the vessel arrived at its place of destination, both resolved to halt at the same inn, which is called the Klene Schipper Herberg. They supped together, and afterwards amused themselves at cards till one in the morning, when they agreed to sleep in one room, and at length in one bed. Unfortunately, however, the tradesman had, either by accident or carelessness, exhibited to his new acquaintance a purse richly stowed with ducats. The officer waiting till sleep had closed the unsuspicious traveller's eyes, stopped his mouth with a handkerchief, and almost instantly plunged a sword into his breast. The instrument missing the unfortunate man's heart, he awoke, and struggled violently, but was not able to give any alarm. The officer chagrined at the disappointment continued to hack the miserable victim till his intestines dropped out, till no signs of life appeared, when he dragged the body to a trunk, which belonged to the murdered person, in order thus to conceal the main evidence of this dreadful deed, and by cutting the joints of the thighs and arms, which were brought by that means to rest on the body, he at length succeeded; and again locked the trunk. Being unable, however, to wipe up all the blood which deluged the bed and the chamber, he stabbed himself in a part where no danger could result, and returned in tranquility to his pillow, where he actually slept so long the next morning, that the chamber maid conceived it her duty to inform the gentlemen of the late hour; but obtaining no answer the peeped through the key hole; and seeing the floor covered with blood, gave an instant alarm. The police officers attended, broke open the door and after a narrow search, discovered the horrible contents of the trunk. The Frenchman alleged, that what had happened was merely in his own defence, and shewed his wound as a demonstration of the intention of the deceased! He is, however, closely confined, but the friends of humanity suspect that the monster will escape his merited punishment. The mangled body was taken to the surgeon's hall at Rotterdam, and exposed to public inspection for several days, in order to discover the unfortunate tradesman's name and family.