The Portland Gazette

From a Paris Paper.

Horrible Atrocity. An horrible crime, which presents in its details the most astonishing courage and singular presence of mind, has been lately committed in the vicinity of a little village of the Brie. It altogether forms a drama, the episodes of which possess great interest. If the trial to which it will give rise shall not obtain the melancholy celebrity of the case of Faulds, it will at least display a character of woman, whose frightful situation was more critical than that of the mysterious and imprudent heroine of Rhodes.

A pedler and his wife, a short time since presented themselves at night-fall at the door of a little farm house, a short distance from the high road. They requested of the farmer permission to sleep there, whose wife was still confined to her bed, having lately lain-in. A small room was assigned to them, where they passed the night quietly. The next day being Sunday, the farmer and his servants went to mass to a neighbouring village. The pedlar also expressed a wish to go there, and there remained in the house only the wife of the farmer, the pedlar's wife, who complained that she was not well, and a child of six years of age.

Scarcely had the people gone out, when the pedlar's wife, armed with a knife, presented herself at the bed of the lying in woman, and demanded her money, threatening to kill her in case of refusal. The latter, sick and weak, did not oppose the slightest resistance, and delivered up the keys of her drawers, at the same time desiring the little boy to conduct the woman who had to look for something in them. She rose softly from her bed, followed the pedlar's wife, without being heard, and having beckoned the child out of the room, locked the robber in the chamber. She then desired the child to run to the village, to apprise his father, and desire him to bring assistance.

The child did not lose an instant; but by an inconceivable fatuity, met on the road the pedlar, who had left the church no doubt, to join his wife. Having asked the child where he was going, the latter answered ingenuously he was going to seek his father, as an attempt was made to rob them. The pedlar took the child by the hand, and said it would be unnecessary, and that he would himself go and protect his mother.

They returned to the farm where the farmer's wife was shut up; he knocked at the door, but this woman not recognizing the voice of her husband, obstinately refused to open it; the pedlar made vain efforts to induce her to do it, and being unable to attain his end, threatened to cut her child's throat, if he did not instantly decide upon it. Ferocious at not being able to prevail upon her, he executed his horrible threat, and killed the child, almost under the eyes of its mother, who heard, without being able to give succour, the cries and last sighs of her son.

After having committed this useless crime, he endeavoured to penetrate into the house to save his wife; time pressed, they might each moment return from mass, and he could not succeed in getting admission but by mounting on the roof and descending down the chimney.

During all this time he exhausted his rage in menaces and imprecations against the farmer's wife, who, almost fainting saw nothing to deliver her from certain death. This wretch had already got into the chimney, and was about to enter into the chamber, when the farmer's wife, collecting all her force, drew by sudden inspiration, the paillasse of her bed to the edge of the hearth, and there set it on fire. The smoke in a few minutes enveloped the assassin, who not being able to reascend, very soon fell into the fire, half suffocated. The courageous farmer's wife lost not her presence of mind, but struck him several blows with the poker, which put him beyond the chance of recovering his senses. Finally, exhausted with fatigues and mental agony, she fell senseless on the carpet of her chamber, and remained in this situation till the moment when the farmer and his servants returned from church to be witnesses of this horrible occurrence.

The dead body of the child, at the gate of the farmer's house, was the first spectacle that struck the eyes of this unhappy father. They forced open the gates, and after having recalled to life, the farmer's wife, they seized the two culprits, who were delivered up to Justice. It is believed that the pedlar will survive his wounds, and be able to receive the punishment due to his crimes. They will be immediately brought before the Court of Assize of the department, where this affair is in preparation for trial, which excites the greatest interest through the whole country.