The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-05-19
MONDAY MORNING, MAY 10, 1928

bove number, by whom, he had six chill.
drcn, and three wives now before the tri.
buna], all declared themselves to be in q
state of pregnancy by him. Being asked
by the public accuser, if he had many
children by the other women not present,
though known to DC married. to him He
answered very coolly, q had at least one
with each woman, and believe have as
| many, children alive as can count years. ;
He offered to give sbe name and place of
! residence Of as many wives as he could
remember to have married, and gave in
the names of eleven in eleven different
departments. To gain time to inquire
after these women, the cornmissary of
government proposed, and the tribunal
consented, to put off this trial unul the 9Th
Germinal, on which day eight of those
women, each with child came before
the tribunal, and identified their faithless
husband, who had the impudence to de-
clare, that if he had been grand sultan.
he should have kept them all in his Sc
raglio, as he had loved them ali with the
same affection. After q trial Of three
hours,he was found guilty Of Bisamy,and
condemned to be punished with fort
nights imprisonment, and to regard An.
ma Varios, whom he had married nine
years ago as his only wife. To this he
refused to assent, saying, that instead of
punishment he deserved a reward, ana.
that many persons had been made mem
bers OF the legion of honor, for less patti
otto deeds than this. and that he intended
to petition the first consul, for obtaining
permission TO choose his own wife among
his own wives
Singular Jofe Of an Erfertioner.
Monsieur Foscue, one of The farmers
general of the province ofi4apguedoc, IN
Fence. about -taidr,le OF last century,
had amassed considerable wealth by
grinding the faces of :ne poor, and b,
every other means, however low, base,
or cruel, which his ingenuity could de-
wise, or his rapacity execute. BY these
means he had rendered himself univer.
sally hated, and every one in his province
was wishing his downfall. II was PROB
ably in consequence Of some hint of his
wealth which had been given by one or
other of the numerous enemies his ava
rice and cruelty had made him, that he
was one day ordered by government! TO
raise considerable SUM ID very short
period; upon which, as an excuse for
not complying with the demand, he plea
ded extreme poverty. Fearing, however
at the same time, that some OF the inhab
itants OF Languedocs had already given or
would give information to the contrary,
and that his house WOULD be searched,
he resolved on hiding his treasure So
effectuaily as to escape the most strict
examination. With this view, he dug
cave in his wine cellar, which he made
SO large and deep that he used to go
down to 1t by ladder. Al the entrance
was door with spring lock upon it,
which on shutting would lasten of itself.
Not long afterwards, Monsieur Foscue
was missing diligent search vas made
after him in every place the ponds
were drawn, and every method that
could be suggested was taken to find him'
but in vains His house was soon sold,
and the purchaser beginning either to
rebuild 1t, or to make some alterations.
the workmen discovered door in the
cellar with key in the lock, which he
ordered to be opened, ard on going
down, they found Monsieur Foscue lying
dead on the ground with candlesuck
near him, but no candle in il, as he had
eaten it, as well as knawed The flesh of
his arms for subsistence and on search
ing farther, they found the vast wealth
which he had amassed. II was supposed
that when THE rn;zerat,Ie man went info