The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-05-14
Extorted Confessions.
A Thrilling Story of the Abolition OF
Torture in France

WuaJ epOcu, marianne asked the proSl-
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."
g At an early period of life," said he,
" was appointed president of one 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 1 may say that had distinguished
myself in my studies more than most of
my young contemporaries. Placed near
the summit of society by the Office
which 1 filled, strOve upon entering on
1T to mitigate the rigor of the laws
which it was my duty to cut in force.
These laws were at the time barbarously
severe and although the execution of
them was often sOftened, the edicts still
remained, a disgrace to our national
code, and judges had it in their power,
If they so willed, to push them to ex-
tremity. The most cruel OF the laws to
which / allude was the edict permitting
the question, or torture, to be applied
to suspected or accused persons, which
edict, up to 178-, formed part of our
national code. This particular remnant
of barbarism was seldom put in prac-
tice but others, not so openly savage,
perhaps, were frequently put in force,
and these l stroVe, as I have said, to
mitigate. 1 had colleagues, however,
who neither concurred with me in opin-
ion or practice, and who accused me of
seeking popularity at the expense of my
duty. AS l would not yield to them.
nor alter my conduct, I 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-
crees were, the UnpOpularity consequent
upon them fell principally upon me. At
last, as a contamination to their sever
ity, they decreed the revival of the tor
ture in certain branches OF the criminal
law, and L was obliged to submit to
their wishes and announce the revival
OF the cruel practice from my seat of
Office. I did nOt-sit down tamely and
see this barbarity put in force, which
shocked me to the soul. But all nv
remOnstrances and applications for its
suppression were fruitless. I must
now turn back and relate a circum-
stance which occurred five years before
this revival OF custom that threw dis
honor on a civilized land. I was then
n student of law, and attending the
lectures at the Sorbonne. One day, on
issuing with q number of nv com
panions from the scene OfEour studies,
a young girl met me on the stairs of
the SOrbonne, threw her arms around
my neck and called me 'her brother. ,
lie was FRANCHISE, my foster sister
Her mother, my good nurse, had died,
and FRANCHISE had come all the WaV
from MOntereau to Paris, a Journey of
twenty leagues, and across the snow, to
see me and to claim my love- She did
not ask in vain; [ became indeed a
brother to her, established her in nv
house and gave her an education which
fOstered into strength all her naturally
noble qualities. This occurred, I have
said, some years before the revival OF
the torture. That t .rture, as l have
also said, L struggled in vain to sup
press, believing it, and, alas seeing it,
to be the scOurge of innocence, and at
tended ever with cruelty and Injustice.
But my voice and my influence were
exerted to no purpose. At this epoch
1 was robbed. 1 carried my complaint
before the public prOsecUtOr-whO was
my friend and fellow official. The ar
ticle stolen was a snuff box, set with
diamonds and of great value, both be-
cause of it's richness and because it had
been my fathers. The public prosecu.
tor first searched my own house, and If
was not necessary to go further, fOl
there the box was concealed in the
trunk of FRANCHISE, my foster sister. ,
At this part of the pTesid ent's recital
there was a general movement of sur
prise among Nine. de HacquevilIe's
guests. The president himself appear
ed much affected by the recolIections
called up in his mind. He continued
" FRANCHISE, my foster sister, she who
had come over the snow from Monte
reau, was dragged before the Judges
my colleagues, who relying, they said
upon my impartiality, caused me tC
preside over them as usual. Francoist
at first denied all, declaring her ignor
ance of the robbery and anything con
nected with it, and calling upon me t.
recOllect her mother, Mentereau, tht
now she had traversed to embrace me
on he steps of the Sorbonne, and ouI
hrving fed on the same breast. II
prosecution of my duty I ordered tn,
Uucoure to be applied. The arm o
FRANCHISE was barred and the terribl,
ils,rnment was applied to her hand
IdINOlSS SnTl6EGu NJ The contest anl
oh, those cries and that looked ixeC
upon me A sword has passed through
u.e, but that look pierced me NOR
seenly. AS the torture proceeded Fran
.oise cried less and less. The official
III she'd, according to custom, finge
otter finger, until the whole hand wa
bruised. Friends" said the presiden
at this part of his story, " Francois
was innocent. I knew it. 1t was VIII
had placed the box in the trunk OF tn
undetermined girl, in order to make he
be tried and condemned I" Horror per
vaded the minds of Madame de Hacque
viile's party on hearing this shocking
confession, but the president, afte
passing his hand over his eyes, contin
ued In a broken voice " FRANCHISE a
l,ngth avOwed herself the author o
the theft, and tainted, crying that wa
her foster brother, and that she hat
come across the snow to embrace M
upon the stairs of the SOrbOnne
Friends" continued the president
the sufferings to which that innOcen
girl was subjected, through my instru
mentality, mad the object in view O
freeing the land from a dreadful evil
and sacrifice had the effect which wa
contemplated. WOult that the victim
who, on her Liberation afterSari, fee
unknown o me from Paris. and whom
never again saw, knew that her fos Q