The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-05-13
Extorted Confessions.
A Thrilling story Of the Abo'i''o" oi
Torture la France

"COme, NJ, 10 President dc rage,
said Nine. do Ha%cqueville, as we sat
around the fire, "tell us a story Of what
0 have seen in past times" "Of
what epoch, madame ?" asked the presi.
dent, "fOr there are three in my
life the first Of my presidentship, the
second Of my exile, and the third Of my
soldiership."
"Tell us a story Of your first era
your presidentship."
at an early period Of life," said he,
81 was appointed president Of n Of
the highest courts Of France. The rank
of my family, it must be admitted, was
the chief cause Of my being elevated to
that high situation, though without van
ity / may say that i had distinguished
myself in my Rtudics more than most Of
my young contemporaries. Placed near
the summit of society by the office
which ! filed, ] stroye upon entering on
it to mitigate the rigor Of the laws
which it was my duty to put in force,
These laws were at the time barbarOusly
severe and although the execution Of
them was often softened, the edicts still
rGmairel, Il disgrace to Our national
code, and Judges had il in their power,
if they 40 willed, to push them to eX-
tromity. The most cruel OF the laws to
which / aIllde was the edict permitting
the question, or torture, to be applied
TO suspected or accused persons, which
cdict, up TO l7S-, formed part OF our
national code. This particular remnant
Of barbarism was seldom put in prac-
tice but others, not 30 openly savage,
perhaps, were frequently put in force,
and these | Btroyc, as | have said, to
mitigate. | had colleagues, however,
who neither cOricurred with me in opin.
ion or practice, and who accused me OF
seeking popularity at the expense OF my
duty. As | would not yield to them,
nor alter my conduct, | acquired their
deepest dislike, and they endeavored,
by concerning among themselves, to
thwart me in every possible way.
They seemed to grow more and
more severe every day and as it was
my duty TO pronounce the DEGREES
which they formed, whatever these de-
crces were, the unpOpularity consequent
upon them fell principally upon me. At
last, as n contamination to their sever
iLy, they dGcrccd the revival Of the tor
ture in certain branches Of tho criminal
law, and I was Obliged to submit to
their wishes and announce the revival
of the cruel practice from my seat of
Office. | did not sit down tamely and
see this barbarity put i'll force, which
shocked me to the soul. But all my
rcmonstrances and applications for it's
suppression were fruitless. / must
now turn back and relate II circum-
stance which occurred five years before
this revival OF II custom that threw dis
honor on Il civilized land. | was then
Il student of law, and attending the
lectures at the SOrbOnnG. One day, on
issuing with II number Of my com
panions from the scene ofEour studies,
II young girl met mo on the stairs of
the Sorbonnc, threw her arms around
my neck and called me her brother.
1t was FRANCHISE, my foster sister.
Her mother, my good nurse, had died
and FRANCHISE had come all the way
from MOntereau to Paris, II Journey o
twenty leagues, and across the snow, Il
see me and to claim my love. She die
not ask in vain | became indeed
brother to her, established her in m,
house and gave her an education which
fostcrGd into Il rongth all her natural,
noble qualities. This occurred, | hay,
said, some years before the revival o
the torture. That I rturo, IA | hav,
also snid, | struggled in vain to sup
press, believing it, and, alas seeing it
to be tho scourge Of innocenco, and at
tended ever with cruelty and injustice
But my voice and my influence wer,
excrtcd 10 no purpose. At this epocl
| was robbed. | carried my complain
before the public prOsecntor-wh who was
my friend and fellow official. The ar,
ticlc stolen was n snuff box, set with
diamonds and of great value, both be.
cause of it's richness and because it had
been my father'g. The public prosecu.
tor first searched my wi house, and II
was not necessary TO go further, foi
there the box was concealed in thu
trunk OF Franchise, my foster sister.
At this part OF the Presidents rccita
there was II general movement of sur
prise. among Nine. de llacqueville'
gnegts. The president himself appear
ed much affected by the recollection
called up in his mind. He continued
"Francoise, my foster sister, she VIII
had come over the now from Mont,
renu, was dragged before the Judges
my colleagues, who relying, they SAID
upon my impartiality, caused me {
preside over them as usual. Francois
1T first denied all, declaring her ignoI
ance Of the robbery and anything col
ncctod with it, and calling upon me
rccollect her mother, Montcreau, I'll
q she had traversed to embrace m
on he steps Of the SOrbonne, and OF
having fed on the same breast. |
prosecution Of my duty | ordered tl
,Druro to be applied. The arm {
Franchise was barred and the terribl
Instrument was applied to her hanG
Fran oise shrieked Mt the contest an
oh. those cries and that looked IKE
upon mel A sword has passed throug
n,c. but that look pierced me nor
trcniy. As the torture proceeded Frai
o'se cried less and less. The OiiiciaI
III ihod, according to custom, fling,
uftcr finger, until tho whole hand WI
bruised. Friends" said the presidel
at this part of his story, Z" Francois
was innocent. | knew it. ID was | VIII
had placed the box in the trunk of I'll
noble-mnded girl, in order to make he
be tried and condemned T. Horror pc
vaded the minds Of Madame de Hacqu,
ville's party on hearing this shockin
confession, but the president, aft,
passing his hand over his eyes, contiI
ued in II broken voice FRANCHISE
length avowed herself the author ,
the theft, and tainted, crying that 1 W,
her foster brother, and that she ha
come ncross the snow to embrace n
npon tho stairs of the Sorbonn