The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-09
SAINT PAUL, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1860

MOntereau, OF her mother, OF the Gays Oh
our childhood d-of our relationship" oI
~ had ordered the question !" JIis
"The robe of FRANCHISE was taken off,"
"Oh the cry of young girl brought
naked before her judges. God spare you
from ever hearing that cry. The torture
was applied. Her cries grew weaker. But
FRANCHISE turned her eyes upon me. Gen.
tlemeu, have had sword thrust through
my body to the hilt. That look stabbed
more keenly."
"They put her knee in the leaden boot"
"Her cries grew weaker"
At this part OF the recital of the Presl.
dent thrill of horror ran through us all.
"They put the fire. to the pit Of her stom--
ach."
"Francoise was silent she had ceased to
shriek."
"Geutlemen, Francoise was innocent l
knew it. 1t was I who had hidden the dia-
mond box in her bed, in order that she
might be tried, condemned, executed"
Tho ladies covered their faces. If had
had knife in my hand, wonld have
struck it into the old Presidents heart.
But the President closed his eyes, col.
lected himself for moment, and said:
"They crushed her right hand, every
finger, every joint, like that"
He made a gesture. My nerves jerked
spasmodically in imitation OF it.
A cloud of blood passed before my eyes,
and the terrible scene vanished.
FRANCHISE had tainted in confessing the
theft. Yes, she had confessed it, but pro-
claiming that was her foster-brother, that
she had come to Paris to see me; that to
see me she had braved the ice and snow
braved everything-to hang once more upon
her foster-brother's neck"
The President had scarcely finished this
agonizing sentence, when I saw rise beside
Madame de Hacqueville, like a phantom,
woman, with difficulty and pain drawing
off her gloves, permitted to be seen hand
broken and crushed, which she placed upon
the head of NJ. De Page.
Like one crushed, the old man raised bis
eyes in terror beneath that hand which
weighed him down.
The othor people were pale; looked at
myself in the glass; l was more than pale
was green.
Tears and sobs from the eyes and mouths
of these two, ruined by each other, mingled
together and M. de Page took that hand
and carrying it to his lips kisses the host,
and he was pardoned as the dying man is
pardoned.
For Madame Casa Blanca passed the
arm which was free around the neck of NJ.
de Page.
"That evening" continued the President,
"there was Court Ball. Iappeared at it
still clothed in my judicial robes, and bear
ing with me the death warrant of Francois.
Bending my knee to the earth I said to
Louis XVI:
"'Sire, to day the bones of my foster.
sister have been broken on the rack. Twas
her accusef, Sire, and she has confessed ALL"
"Well?" said the king.
"Sire, I invented the story of the theft"
The king recoiled in terror.
"And wherefore, Monsieur ?"
because I wished to prove to France
that with the torture the most frightful
falsehood was believed, the holiest truth
assassinated. Sire, to this proof I have
sacrificed the thing dearest to me in the
world. My opinion therefore cannot be
doubted"
Messieurs," said the king, " let the ball
continue" Then turning to bis Chancellor,
Monsieur, from this night the tortue is
abolished in France let it be made known
throughout the kingdom"