The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-08


VIC. Finding that this pursuit brought in too
itte, she resolvvd TO speculate on public cre-
lulity by telling fortunes by cards and drawing |
horoscopes, Accomplishments which were the
reeursOre only Of a more lucrative but more
dangerous profession, thht0f selling poisons aud
philters. The manner Of La Vosln's arrest was
IN this wise ;--Denouuced by one OF the first
batch Of prisoners made by La Reynie, she was
aiken the day before presenting petition 70 the
king IN favor of a lever of hers, military officer /
named Blessis, snd, once in the unreentng |
gripe Of the law, she herself became general |
accUser.
According 70 her statements, she had been con- |
suited for several years by the Countess de
Roure and Madame de Poliguac, who were dc.
sirous of seclripg the kings love, and gettingrd
Of MADE mCeelle La Valliere. She declared that
the Countcss de Soissons, desperate at seeing that
Louis the Fourteenth remained faithful 20 his
mistress In spite OF the spells employed 10 detach
him from her, had said IF he does not return
10 me, and cannot get her turned OF, my ven
Eeance shall 20 the length Of making away with
them both" But, however she might Attemptto
screen herself by denoHpcing others, enough OF
actual crime was proved against La Noisin so
cause her condemnation, and after the usual
smount Of torture she was burnt alive on tne
22d Of February, 1880 Her judges seem 70 have
been in a hurry TO execute La Voisin, while the
greater part of her titled accomplices were snlA
under arrest, with nothing proved against them
The affair was certainly complicated by her
death, as Il put stop TO further Ieyelatons ON
the part Of the person best qualified to make then:
But whether they were equally capable or not OF
throwing light on the great mystery, olher
accusers soon appeared in the person OF La
Voisn's daughter, OF a woman named tilastTei
and of two priests-Lesagc and Guibourg-who
made avowal of certain facts, which, Immediately
communicated by Colbert and LoaV9ls: inalS sp,,',
great impression on the king. letter from
Iouvois 10 La Reynie, dated the 18TH OF Octooer,
1879 informs the lieutenant general OF police that
he had been the evening before to Vincennes
where Iesage was confined, and that he had pro-
q a
To this Lesage, who was an almoner IN the
family of Montmorency, az hrst agreed, put aiVTr-
wards drew back. When, however, the gri la
Voisin spoke ont after her mothers execution,
Iesage no longer hestated, but said he must see,
in the first instance, what IL was the younger In
Voisin had revealed. According 70 her declara-
ton the object of her mother In seeking TO pre-
sent petition to the king was to take the oppor-
tunty OF ofpoisOning him by gliding certain powders
in his pocket and scattering them on his hand
kerchief. She declared that for years past her
mother had had relations with Madame dc Mon
ttspan; that one of her women, the Demoi-
selie Deso.illets, "who concealed her name,
but she knew her perfectly had been many
times with her mother. TO whom she gave
| letters that every time Madame dc Montespan
had feared "some diminution of the kings fond
ness for her." La Voisin was informed OF II, and
| instructed TO procure masses and send love pow
ders for the king 70 take and that finally, these
practices having failed. Madame de hontespan
had resolved 10 carry matters 70 extremity by
employ ing two of her mothers creatures, Romano
| and Bertrand, both of whom were arrested, to
| introduce themselves into the apartment OF Made
| moisee de Fontanges to sell her poisoned stutis
| and gloves. The girl VOisn also spoke of a
mass performed by the Able Guibourg in the
presence of an English nobleman, who bad pro-
| missed q hundred thousand liYTes II the King
| c. uld be poisoned.
There were numerous inconsistencies and seve-
| raj lies no doubt, in the girls declaration, but
| La ReyDie laid stress upon It tbecause-WhateVer
| they might have been wOrth-it was, in many re-
| spects in conformity with the revelations after
wards made by more credible witnesses. The
| Able Lesage, for instance, declared in his in
| terrogatoTy of the 10th November 1880, that he
| had seen the Demoiselle Desnilets with q
| foreigner at the house of La VOsin. Their pro-
ject TO poison the king, that they might share
| large sum of money which the foreigner haC
| promised them, and then escape from France
1esage added that, were he at his lates
tOImt nts he was able TO say nothing else
except this that in the carly part OF tn
summer of 1875, Madame de Montespan
being desirous of maintaining her credit
La Voisn and Despillets worked, or made pre-
tense of working, for her; bus that in reait
powerless TO insure the Kings love for the Mar
cbiOness, they turned her TO account by gfvin
her powders which, taken in constant doses
would have been certain poison. For this puI
pose, mixtures containing arsenic and corrosiy
subhmate, had been given TO DesGillets, and
person named Vautier, an artist in poisons, ha
manufactured similar powders combined wit
| snuff. The facts stated by the Abbe Guib0ur
| confirmed the preceding depostions, whic
assumed character OF greater gravity IRON u
, | circumstance of the connection between DesGi
{ | lets and La Voisin, the latter having alway
4 form ally denied that they knew each other.
this respect, therefore, it was clear that LIT Vols
: had lied, unless, indeed the dispositions OF h'
: daughter and the priests we're false.
Y The revelations OF Filastre were still mol
compromising. This woman, worthy rival {
: La VOisiD, carried on regular trade in poison
and was convicted, besides the most eXecrlb
acts of wickedness of having sacrificed one
/ her own children TO obtain It's blood. One wi
| ness declared 10 have seen writing in which 81
2 had made a formal compact with the devil
| insure her all she desired 10 obtain from peop
| OF quality that the DHchess de Viyonne, WI
, | sought 10 succeed her ii ter. in-law, Nadine {
| Montespan, in the kings fayor, was named IN tn
| psper; and that there was something in 1t aoo
Fouonet being re. established in the place OF Co
: | bert, whose death was demanded. According
4 the Able Lesage, Madame de NiVonne had NOR
s over signed paper, in conjunction with q
/ | Duchess dAngouleme and Madame dc Vitry,
, | which it was formally agreed 10 procure Il
!, death of Madame de MOntespan.
= But 10 the question-on the 30th OF Septembi
"a | 1880 La Fllastre declared amongst other thing
II that the Able Guibourg had said mass in cell
Il | over a comI act between Madame de Montesp
and person of quality, having for its object q
n | death of Colbert. Upon these and similar rev
/, laiiOns however, no reliance could be placed, I
il in her last confession, shortly before her exec
ton, La IAlastre told the priest that what she b.
Il said of Madame de Montespan was not true, ben
> | Influenced 10 make them by the severity OF {
l., tortnre, and the dread of its being relpplied.
3, There were discrepancies enough in these q
1. cusations, but they produced very painful etie
d on Louis the Fourteenth's mind, as appears fro
D. a yOluminous series of extracts from the eXlp
l. nations made by Colbert himself; from the O
ID servations of Cl6ude Duplessis, q celebrated a
rs yocate of the time, to whom they were subm
ted and from the letters written on the subj,
Of by LOuTois 10 the king ana the lieutenant-ger
rt raj of police.
y, II did. however, plainly appear that the high
D" personages at court, the king, the queen,
TO | dauphin Cobeu, the Ducbe,s de Ia Nallisre, {
rs Duchess de FOnanges, might have been tho O
s. jeCts Of criminal attempts, the presumed auth,
he Of which were the Countess DC Soissons, the NJ
III ChiOness de MOnespan, the Duchess de Niyonl
d, and Fouquct or his agents, while Madame
Ill | Montespau was herself in danger from mpati'
c. rivals The situation of Colbert wac quite pee
a- liar, numerous WITNESSES cOneurling in the ass
re- ton that his life WAC threatened, and one .ef
in own letters has n tendency 10 eontirm ksar dee
ch | TatOus. "As my stomach s III at ease"
be wrote, on the 18th of November, 1872, u hf
for tome time adopted very ,reful regim
Sc ! dine alone, and take only chicken and 50
as at thai meal. In the evening eat bit Il brt
Is and some broth"
rs This regimen, which was communicated 20
ch Ileynie, made him suspicious Of the cause. a
er In one of his instructions he directs attention
of "the time when NJ. Colbert was ILL., and desi
o that search may be made for "a servant who &
~ been tamTered with" One thing is cariouR
s- | this business ] OuvOis never once mentions