There still exists, among even well-informed French people, a tradition that in England a husband commonly puts a halter around his wife’s neck, leads her to Smithfield, and sells her to the highest bidder. A laborer named Martin, age, 30, at Vire (Calvados) recently went still further.- He not only sold his wife and cupboard together for five francs to a young man named Vautier, but assisted the latter by force to take possession of his purchase. For this grave offence the two men have just been tried at the Court of Assizes of Caen. The hearing of the case took place with closed doors, and the jury having returned a verdict of guilty, but with extenuating circumstances, Martin was condemned to eight years’ hard labor, and Vautier to five years’ imprisonment.
The Bedford Gazette, Bedford, PA, February 15, 1867
I have in my possession the newspaper of the time.
Where is this news?
This article comes from the February 15, 1867 issue of The Bedford Gazette, Bedford, PA.