The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-04-06

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my men!" was the order she instantl,
gave. .'~-s: s,1'' 15'1 S's e: ~
She set out in a carriage with sia
horses: She took with her her com
panion, Mademoiselle s,Villermartin
-Four men, on horseback, armed with
pistols and swords, preceded her., and
three others followed the carriage
She could not, however, Overtake the
lady, so she; determined to wait and in.
tercept her on her return. u.! @...
When Lady ;Liancour. saw, at some
distance such a FORMIDABLE escort, she
became alarmed, and ordered her
coachman to gallop past, but the four
horsemen barred the way. When the
two carriages came together, the Mar.
qulse ordered her coachman to turn
short and overturn Lady Liancour's g
carriage, but not succ eding, she. gave
orders to attack her. The unfortunate
lady tried to urge her people to speed
homeward, but, seized with fright,
they fled in a body, leaving her alone
with her dressing.maid, to the ferocity
of her bloOd.thirsty enemy. The arm.
ed men dragged the lady and servant
from the vehicle with insults and VIC.
lence. Then followed scene which
it is hoped, is without parallel in his
tory. The two unprotected women
were mercilessly beaten, and the last
injuries and outrages inflicted upon
them. The Marquise gave the brutal
ruffians encouragement by her laugh
ter and cries of appreciation, urging
them to renued acts of violence.
When this beautiful fiend had fully
glutted her vengeance, her two victims
were flung back into the carriage
more dead than alive. Her menials
then by her command cut the traces
OF the horses, and the springs of the
carriage, so that the least movement
would topple it over; she then depart
ed with loud laugh of triumph, shout
ing to her disgraced victim that she
would not leave a lady of quality on
foot on the highroad.
Soon after some passerS-by found Lady
Lianc0ur in her helpless condition and
conveyed her to her home, disgraced
and ruined, her husband separated
from her. The news flew fast, and
came even to the ears of the King him.
self. But it will be readily under
stood why Lady Liancour hesitated to
to appeal to the law for redress. Was
there any redress for injuries such as
hers! She preferred to suffer her
great shame in silence. In such a
case, however, it is not simply one of
individual wrong, but of public safety.
The law having nosed out the affair
demanded reparation, even though the
party most injured sought it not, and
so inquiries were made, or, as we
should phrase it now, Lord and Lady
Liancour were interviewed and all the
facts were brought out. AS the quaint
chronicler before mentioned says, Lady
Liancour then came forward and ssde.
posted her confession in the bosom of
justice.''
She related first the origin of the
quarrel, declaring that all the provo
cation came from the Marquise, while
she (Liancour) had done everything to
avoid a climax; but what was embar-
RAISING was the recital of. the fact.
When she came to that her language
became obscure, but it was evident that
she wished to deny that any personal
indignity, except the beating: had been
put upon her. She felt, she said in
conclusion, that bold and cruel hands
had executed with fury the infamous
and barbarous orders of the Marquise.
This was not all the truth, but more
explicit statement would have cost the
unhappy lady so much humiliation
that it is not to be wondered at; such
wrongs as she confessed to have suf-
fered were sufficient, and the plaintiff
demanded 100000 damages and costs.
The defense of the Marquise was diff
ficult, and her lawyer, without at
tempting to justify her conduct, dwelt
largely on her wrongs. He urged that
the satirical verses directed against his
client were aimed at her honor, while
those of Lady Liancour were only those
of a beating which she had richly de-
served. Taking advantage of Lady Ii
ancour's refraining from telling the
whole story, he pleaded that as neither
her wealth nor life nor honor were
menaced, his noble client had com.
mitted no offense meriting the applica-
tion of the penal law. This was spe-
cious defense, but the Judges saw.in
the case what the plaintiff had con-
cealed.
Robbing the laws decree of its, tech
nical verbiage, this was the punish
ment inflicted upon the Marquise and
her followers. Before the Grand Cham
ber, in full audience, she was SEN
fenced to confess on her knees to Lady
Liancour, that willfully and malicious
ly she had been guilty of inlicting on
Liancour, on the Kings high road, all
the indignities she was accused of ;
that for the insults put upon her, the
Marquise's domestics, by her order and
in her presence, she humbly besought
pardon. That done, the Marquise was
forbidden to appeal to Parliament for
any legal redress whatever for any in
jury done her, to forfeit her life if she
attempted to evade the order, and fur
termore to pay fl, 500 to the King.
Two of the principal men had all
their goods of whatsoever nature, cen.
fiscated, and were themselves con-
demned to the galleys for life. Three
others were banished for the space of
three years, another sentenced to hard
work on the high road for nine years,
and altogether, including the Marquise,
to pay to Lady Liancour the sum of
E3O. 900 DAMAGES and costs. .,...