Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-10-31
A Murderer Self-betrayed.
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volo is based on tragical events
which occurred in France nearly
one hundred and seventy years ago
These facts are thus condensed from
the Court records by Paris pa
per:
At the beginning of the last cen
fury there was to be seen in the
town of Lille a very quiet house
1t was large building, but it con
tanned only small family -a bus.
band and wife and one servant girl
The Curiosites Judiciaires add thai
the married couple were advanced
in years that they lived quietly on
their income, and saw very few Wis.
itors, and admitted no one to the
house except the people who fur.
nished them with provisions or other.
wise ministered to their wants.
One night, this couple, man and
wife, were robbed and murdered in
their bed.
The servant girl had heard moth.
ing Of all this, and knew not what
was going on. The night was hot,
the air dense, and oppressively sui
try, so much SO that she had taken
refuge in her room and sat, for the
sake of GOODNESS, Invested of her
garments, before a large mirror.
While there, catching sight of her
self, she suddenly cried, "How hate
full one looks when naked ~
Having said this she retired and
slept till morning, and rose as usual,
without suspecting what had hap
prned.
She prepared breakfast as usual
for her master and mistress, but
they did not come down. She was
amazed and waited for long time.
They did not appear.
Tired of waiting, she sought their
room. A horrible sight met her
eyes. Blood was smeared every
where, and on the bed lay the poor
old couple, cruelty, horribly, vilely
butchered-mangled as only beast
or fend could find it in his heart to
mutilate victims after numbering
them.
The girl raised an alarm and the
multitude came rushing in. OF
course justice came rushing after in
the form of the police, with judi.
cial investigation. The criminal
was sought for, and, as none other
could be found, suspicion fell on the
unfortunate servant.
In those days they had a horrible
way of trying to get at the truth.
They called it questioning. The
questions were put with the rack
and thumb screws.
The Lillois servant maid was in
famously tortured, even to extreme
agony. Yet, Notwithstanding her
weakness, and her sex, she endured
the Internal torture without confess.
ing anything. This was the more
remarkable, as she was entirely in-
nocent, and was in consequence kept
much longer under torment to make
her confess. AS there were no proofs
of her having done anything, they
finally let her go, as soon as she was
healed. Unfortunately, the torture
had made her a wretched cripple.
She could only hobble along on her
broken limbs, and her arms were
withered.
And being no longer able to sew
or work, she dragged her helpless
form through the streets and begged.
She begged through the streets Of
Lille for sixteen years. This is all
historically true-nay, more than
historically; for history often lies
while these facts are drawn from the
dry and accurate records of court.
The worst part Of her suffering was
that many people believed her guilty,
and scorned her accordingly.
It appears from record that during
these long years, while she went
about with her withered arms and
bent back, her whole frame still
suffering from the torture, begging a
copper sou to buy her bread, she was
always resigned, mild, and exem-
plary in her conduct.
One day, after sixteen years of
misery, she stopped to beg before the
door of baker. She held out through
her rags her naked and mutilated
arm toward the baker, who stood on
his door sill. As she did so he OK
claimed, in a hooking tone, while
observing her want Of garments /:
"Well, Marie Anne, how hateful
one looks when naked-ha :"
Now, it is remarkable that, in all
the sixteen years which had passed,
Il