This delinquent was a native of Geneva; and besides being a man of good general education, was somewhat celebrated in his native city as a painter on enamel. Unhappy in his domestic concerns, in the year 1760 he repaired to London, and took lodgings in the house of a Mrs. King, who lived in Leicester-fields, and who was the unfortunate subject of his crime. The circumstances attending the murder were as follow:--On Thursday, 19th February 1761, the servant-girl got up at about seven o'clock in the morning, and being presently called by Gardelle, who occupied an upper apartment, was desired to go on some errands for him. The girl took the messages, and went to her mistress, who was still in her bedroom, which was the back parlour, telling her what Gardelle had desired her to do; to which her mistress replied, "Nanny, you can't go, for there's nobody to answer at the street door." The girl being willing to oblige Gardelle, answered "that Mr. Gardelle would come down, and sit in the parlour until she came back;" and she then went again to Gardelle, who, in obedience to her wish, proceeded into the front room on the ground floor. The girl went out, taking the key of the street-door with her to let herself in again, Gardelle then having entered the room next to Mrs. King's apartment. Immediately after she was gone out, Mrs. King, hearing the tread of somebody in the parlour, called out, "Who is there?" and at the same time opened her chamber door, and saw Gardelle at a table very near the door, who had just then taken up a book that lay upon it. He had some time before drawn Mrs. King's picture, which she wanted to have made very handsome, and had teased him so much about it, that the effect was just contrary; and it happened unfortunately, that the first thing she said to him, when she saw him walking about in the room, was something reproachful about this picture. Provoked at the insult, as he spoke English very imperfectly, for want of a better expression, he told her, with some warmth, "that she was an impertinent woman."