The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-08
TEE POISON CHAMBER OF PARIS.

THE POISON CHAMBER OF PARIS
Setting aside all reference to the political |
crimes committed dnring the long reign of Louis |
he Foureenth-the ~grand monarqne' OF worn
ats which sadly dimnsed its rePuted spendor.
Amongst these, the series of events which French
she rsosr remarkable, though it has been made
at least 70 modern mes.no very prominent sno
de BIinyilit rs for poisoning her father brothers,
and other victims, has usually absorbed pubic
attention. as if she and her immediate accom- |
plces simply associated in guilt that was |
special 70 themselves; but this BrinviIliers case
WINS far from being an isolated one
On the contrary, IL was but the precursor of a |
general sy stem Of poisoning Society, tainted by
fhe very worst vices, widely infected by the |
desire which pxsmpted La Brinvilliers to her many
murders. Itwas even believed that secret Abo-
ratories existed In Paris, where ruined spend
thriits, members Of disuDited families, and i'm
patient beritors, might obtain untraceabe poison
that was TO make them Itch, by removing the
era objects of their hate. This belief, the appre-
t hension arising from II, was not confined TO the
condemned La Brnyillers, as may be seen, by
the dire ctions given to the priest who confessed
Lambignon, who said -dItis in the interest of
The public that her crimes should perish with
her. and that she should forearm us, by the de-
claraton Of all she knows, against the con
sequences which may arise from that know
hedge In this expectation the judges were dis
, The Marchioness de Brinvilliers was executed
on the Y6 ID of July, 1876. little more than q
year afterwards-that is to say on the 2lst of
- September, 1677-sn anonymous letter was
found in confessional of the Jesuits church, in
the Rue Saint Antoine, in Paris, in which it was
stat.d that plot existed for poisoning both the
Ring and the dauphin. This letter greatly dis
turbed the sieur La Reynie, the Lieutenant
General of Police, to whom il was brought, and
he to work at once to endeayor TO discover its
author. Eventually, he laid hands on Louis
yaneus and Robert de Ia Miree. IL was ascer-
.Hars Anined that Vaneus, who studied alchemy
amanufaciurer of love philters, and worse, hav-
ing poisoned the Duke of Savoy some years be-
fore, while the other his agent.
La Reyne pursued a system OF induction, and
gradually got at several persons namely, La
nnac ha ay1d n a a La
reux, the wife of "a woman's tailor;'' ono Max,
and a woman named Lagrange The two latter
70 death, and executed on mt the 9Th Of February,
1879. At the same time evidence was taken
against La Bosse and Vigoureux, the result Of
which was the arrest, on the 18th Of March, of a
certain Caiharine Desbayes, the wife Of lewesr.
returning from mass in the church o. Notre-
Dame de.Bonne Nonvelies-bad news Tor many
OF the great ones of Paris From the date of La
Voisn's arrest the poisoning affair assumed un-
Lthoueh the jndges were enjoined to exercise
the utmost discretion, rumor soon spread
tbroughout Paris that the highest in rank and
the nearest 70 the throne were compromised by
la VOisin; and one finc day, the 23d OF January,
1850, warrants issued for the apprehension
OF the Count de Clermont, prince of the House
of Bourbon, the Duchess de Bouillon, the Prin-
Dc n lazy OF ,S the Pnafs PAL sIrS the
Madame de Polignac, the Duke of Luxembourg,
and others OF equal position and t1 taat some g OF
also stated thar sister OF the Duchess de Boui-
Ion, the Countess de Soi,sons, Mazarin's niece
she who had been the first favorite of the king
e, and was the superintendent Of the queens house
hold bad, through the indulgence of Louis the
Fourteenth been allowed to quit Paris in al
haste and thus escape the misfortune which had
befallen the rest.
Louis the Fourteenth behaved tolerably well il
this affair. He determined TO prosecute all con
eerDed in il without distinction OF rank. But i
must rot be forgotten that the lives threatened
his own, and those OF members OF his
family. The kings instructions were most pre-
else, and free from partially. The more the In
quIy was prosecuted the wider the implications
and the number of the proposed victims extended
No., MD hpa
the daupbn, the minister Colbert, Made
moiselle de Ia Vaere and the Duchess de Fon
tapges; while The Duchess de Vivonne ant
Madame de Moniespan herself were included a
pariicpatOrs in the meditaied crime.
La Reynie who had orders to send a report o
the judicial proceedings every day both 10 Colber
and Louyois, relates that on the 6 h of February
1850, he presented himself at the kings "levee
at 81. Germans and that his majesty said &
him several things OF Importance C'pus,eur
chOsesde consequence }, adding that it "was neces
sary to make war on another crime," which h
attaches 10 these words La Reynie does not unfold
but The papers which he has left, and which still
exist in she Imperial Library Of Paris, and else
where, make IL apparent that ali the interrOga
tions put TO the prisoners, with their replies wer
not ndiscrkninately shown 10 all the judges, !
order that facts should not be divulged whc
were intended solely for the information of th
king, Colbert, and of Louyois.
f Exceptionally, written on Tying sheets, thes
examinations could easily be destroyed, and thu
commission was constituted within a commi'
49, sion. IL was, besides, intended that these paper
should be burned, but, as always happens IN sue
cases, ininnctions Of this strict nature arc neye
~. obey ed ); and the originals as well as copies
them, remain 10 this hour, which enable us In
great degree reconstruct the trial. the grayit
of which the public of that day was far from suS
-pectlBg. Amongst these papers are some whc
Colbert has characterized as "sacrilege, protani
ton, Misunderstanding too execrable 70 be 81
down on paper,-but their nature may be GU esse
At by referring to Duaures "fistory Of Paris,
though he, too, speaks Of 1t with certain ret
scepee. OInitting then, all such details, we tar
TO the actual trial of La Yoisin the real object
which was 70 enable the king to ascertain If ther
zWere actually near his person, and enjoying h
rntimacy those who had conceived the idea
-a1olsoning him, or Of causing him 10 swallo
5philters which should eventually produce tn
TIhe ms agnitude OF this trial may be conceive
Ercm the fhet that no feT7er than two huBdre
fsu& Eorty-six persons were included In rtbe &C
Question: thirty-six of whom were put to deaf
after undergoing the ordinary and extTaOr6Qar
eauaslion" (0rturel, while oa those whose live
were sFared some were condeElned 10 perpetEs
tnpriso0ment the galleys and exile, and the res
arbinaKLlg detained in confinement for the r
aoinder of their days. The most guilty OF th
hf1d wefe condemned for poisoning, sorcery
end hnpIous masses accompanied BY the szcTi
nc ~ nnt-etai and fortune7tek1g, howeve
ERA hnnkE ny ioilF may appear. locke
upon A. tne root OF the gereral evil La ReyIi
tels us that IN Tue confession Of La Bosse (befor
one sAe oyrnsJ sie innoe of these expressly
voIds s--"Ihe best thing thai can he done is I,
- terminate the entire class OF dealers In nsi11is
frv who are the ruin OF wonaen al oaaiiv an,
ffrrf oHcv, their weakness being soon found ol ,s
Scsed n, son AZ once when il is discovered S' ~
TShe ~ tune-teller was, In fact, tbk grand ,e
q eorsce III All who sought 10 realize unia VII
~isbes ana the most IN vogue of these gIver
le OF bad gifts VS. the leveets wie, La NolllI
snhose former prs lession had been that Of mid