The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-12 00:00:00

M. Chauveron (M. Laffarge's friend) denied all
knowledge of the will made by the deceased in favour
of the prisoner.
The Advocate-General, after speaking in high terms
of the virtues of the deceased, read the following will
made by him :
This 28th October, 1839, I, the undersigned
Charles Joseph Dorothe Pouch Laffarge, make this my
holograph will as follows :—I give and bequeath to Marie
Fortunee Capelle, my dear wife, all that the law allows
me to dispose of, that is to say, the whole of the pro-
perty I possess in estates, effects, and credits, and suc-
cessions, which have fallen, or which may fall to
me. I do not give any legacy to my mother or
sister, but nevertheless, if the state of the affairs of
my wife leaves it in her power to dispose a part in
their favour after her death, without too great in-
jury to those for whom she may wish to provide,
it would be in accordance with my good feelings
towards my mother and sister. At the same time, this
clause is not to be considered as obligatory upon my
heiress, as I rely entirely upon the good feeling I know
her to possess. I moreover entreat my good Marie
not to forget a mother whom I love so much ; and above
all, not to leave her, but to console her in all her griefs
and pains, to divert her, and to suffer her to want for
nothing ; also to assist my sister with her good councils,
and with pecuniary means if the fortune of my dear
Marie will permit—giving such alms to the poor as she
may think fit ; and, in fine, to order herself to be buried
where I shall be, or else to have my remains transported
to wherever she may be, and deposited in the same
tomb, we !having promised each other never to be se-
parated here below, in order that we may one day both
meet in Heaven. My testament thus made, which
contains my express will, has been signed, dated, and
written, entirely with my own hand.—At Glandicr, this
28th Oct., 1839.

" CHAS. POUCH LAFFARGE."
After some observations by the Advocate-General
and M. Paillet on this will, and those made afterwards
in favour of the mother and sister, whereby it was en-
tirely annulled,
A discussion arose between the Advocate-General
and M. Paillet, on the subject of these contradictory
wills, from which it would seem that M. Laffarge was
not to know the contents of the will of his wife, but
that the seal under which it was placed was indiscreetly
broken by his mother.
The servants engaged in burying the arsenic were
called, and deposed that what they did was of their own
accord, but that when it was taken up it was found to
be carbonate of soda.

M. Beaufort, the father of the first wife of M. Laf-
farge, deposed, that after his marriage Laffarge was ill.
By the President—Of what nature did you suppose
his illness to be ?—I perceived saliva at the corner of
his mouth, but in the position in which I stand, being
at law with his family, I dare not say what I think.—
(Sensation.) I did not see him in his fits, and what I
know is from my nephew of Moulins, and my poor
daughter.
_ _

By the President—Do you know whether M. Laf-
farge rendered his wife happy ?—I know that she was
unhappy. _

Marie Mathieu, cook, said—l had been a month at
Glandier before the death of M. Laffarge. I saw the
cake for the rats prepared by Alfred. Some time after-
wards, the mother of M. Laffarge told me that she in-
tended to make some cakes for her son, who would va-
lue them the more coming from her hands. I ate some
as they came from the oven, as (lid also several other
persons, and amongst them the daughter of Mme. Buf-
fiere ; there were about twenty-four ; some were of a
long shape, others round. The mother of Mme. Laf- I
large, who had made them herself, did not say who had I
suggested to her the idea of making them. They were
made at four o'clock, and were sent away from Glandier
at six. Oa the 14th of January M. Laffarge arrived.
Some days afterwards, some more arsenic was asked
for, as I was told, by M. Laffarge, to put at the foot of
his bed, as the rats kept him from sleeping. I think it
was Alfred also who prepared this mixture. It has been
said that I made a large cake, when the cakes alluded
to were made, and the mother of M. Laffarge caused
me to be sent to Brives to state this fact, wbich, how-
ever, is utterly untrue.
By the Advocate-General—You say you ate one of
the cakes ?—Yes, I ate one ; Madame Buffiere also
ate of them ; the maid-servant ate two, and no person
suffered any inconvenience.
Did you-
see the preparation for the rats mixed ?
The first time I did ; but I was told that Alfred had
prepared some a second time.
When M. Laffarge returned from Paris was he ill ?
—I was told that he was.
M. Paillet—As we are on the question of the cakes,
I desire to know whether those which were made at
Glandier were not exactly like thin brioches, and whe-
ther those which were afterwards made on the plan of
Marie Capelle were of the same substance ?—The two
kinds of cakes which Madame Laffarge asked for after
her arrival were about as large as a large china dish ;
there were eggs put in them, and orange flower water.
They were first made in a saucepan, and spread out
upon an iron plate.
Was not a soft substance like cream mixed with
them ?—The cream was in the centre to the thickness
of two fingers.
Who showed you how to make the cakes ?—Ma-
dame Laffarge told me how to proceed, but she did
not put her hand to them. I followed her directions
and succeeded. _ _ _

___
Who told you that M. Laffarge had asked for ar-
senic ? Alfred : He told me that the rats prevented
M. Laffarge from sleeping.
M. Paillet here reminded the Jury that it was in the
bedroom of M. Laffarge, and in his presence, that the
arsenic was asked for on the sth.
Marie Valade, a peasant, 35 years of ago, said that
she was present when the cakes were made, and had
eaten of them. Some were round and others long.
The round cakes were of the size of the palm of the

hand. The prisoner was not in the kitchen when they
were made, and the witness did not know who had
taken them to her room. The witness then said that
she had taken a decanter of water to M. Laffarge two
days before the arrival of his mother. He tasted it, and
said that it was excellent, not being seasoned like the
last, which, added witness, had sugar in it. M. Laffarge
would not drink water which had sugar in it. A woman
lied told the witness that M. Lespinatz had said he had
been informed by M. Laffarge that he was poisoned
three days before he quitted Paris. The witness saw
the mixture for poisoning rats prepared by Alfred,
whilst M. Laffargr, was in Paris, and once after his
return.

-------
Jean Barron, aged nineteen, a servant, said—Alfrel
told me that on the 14th he had found a paper fuli of
arsenic in an old hat belonging to M. Laffarge, and that
it would be proper to bury it. I said it would be better
to throw it in the water. " No," said he, "we will bury
it i.:-, the garden." As neither of us could read, we
(could not sec what was written on it. He gave no rea-
son for burying it than that it was dangerous leaving
it about. On the following day, the Juge de Paix,
came to Glandier, and we went and took it up. On
the same day the Juge de Paix took it into the room
of Madame Laffarge, and sealed it up. went twice
to Uzerches, for arsenic, by the order of Madame
Laffarge, whilst her husband was in Paris. This was
before Christmas. I brought but little, and gave it to
her femme de chambre. I heard afterwards that it had
been mixed for the rats.
Denis, the clerk, told me that he should like to see
Mme. Laffarge sawed into four parts. I was with my
brother-in-law when he said this. Before this I had
observed to him that what had happened to Madame
was very unfortunate. He said he should like to se?
her torn to pieces by four horses. He regretted M.
Laffarge very much. Madame had received him seve-
ral times at dinner. Denis told me that Madame
Laffarge had fed her husband upon poison for a fort-
night. I replied that this was impossible, as he had
only been home thirteen days. He then said she had
sent poisoned cakes to him in Paris, to which I replied
that could not be, as I had eaten some, and had- not
found them disagree with me.
After some circumstantial conflictory evidence, Sara t,
a waiter at the hotel in Paris where M. Laffargea
evening
lodged, was called. He deposed that in the e •g of
December the 18th, the deceased received a caseve which
he, the witness, opened, and took out a portrait, some
letters, some women's socks, and a cake, which latter
the deceased said was sent him by his wife
he broke off a bit of the crust it.andate,a
M. Laffarge did not return home till one o'cnlTdochokaf,tY'wn'iligiiCallt,
had never occurred before. On entering the deceased's
room the next day the witness found that lie had
vomited, and observed that it had probably arisen from
indigestion, but M
and would be of no consequence. M.
Laffarge made no answer. At three o'clock, when
about to write letters, he was again seized with vomit-
ing, but by half-past four had written several, which the
witness took to the post office. The case was about
eleven inches long, at least ten inches deep, and the