River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-04-13

was going to pay visit 10 a lady whose
castle was only short distance from
her own.
Come, saddle my horses, and Gallup
my men 7 was the order she instantly
gave.
She set out in carriage with six
horses. She took with her her com.
panion, Mademoiselle Villermartin.
-Four men, on horseback, armed with
| pistols and swords, preceded her. and
three Others followed the carriage.
She could not. however, oyertake the
lady, so she determined to wait and in.
! tercept her on her return.
When Lady Liancour saw at some
! distance such Formidable escort. she
became alarmed and ordered her
ccoaehman 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
carriage, but not succeeding, she gave
orders to attack her. The unfortunate
lady tried to urge her people to speed
homeward, but. seized with fright,
they He'd in 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.
ltnce. Then followed scene which
it is hoped, is without parallel i'm his.
tory. The two unprotected women
We're mercllessly beaten, and the last
injuries and outrages inflicted upon
them. The Marquise gave the brutal
ruiilans 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. hertwo 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 a 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
Llancour 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 Of the King him
self. But it will be readily under
stood why Lady Liancom 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 ont. As the quaint
chronicler before mentioned saws. Lady
Liancom then came forward and ''de-
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 Marquse, 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
lndlgnity, except the heating. had been
put upon her. She felt, she said in
conclusion, that bold and cruel hands
mad executed with fury the infamous
and barbarous orders of the Marquise.
1 ms was not all the truth. but a more
explicit statement would have cost the
unhappy lady so much humiliation
tllat Il IS not to be wondered at: such
wrongs rs she confessed to have suf-
lefed were sufficient, and the plaintiff
demanded 100000 damages and costs.
The defense of the Mar0uise was diff.
ficult, and her lawyer. without at
tempting to Justify her conduct. dwelt
i4Igeiy on her wrongs. He urged that
tile satlrlcal verses directed against his
elleht were aimed at her honor. while
those OF Lady LiHcour were only those
OF beating which she had richly de-
served. Taking advantage of Lady liz
aiieour refraining from telling the
whole story, he pleaded that as neither
hef wealth nor life nor honor were
menaeed, his noble client had com.
United no oifense meriting the applica.
tlon OF the penal law. This was a spe-
clous defense, but the Judges saw in
the case what the plaintiff had con-
cealed.
Robbing the laws decree of its tech
meal verbiage, this was the punish.
iheht INFLICTED upon the Marquise and
hef followers. Before the Grand Cham
Der, IN full audience, she was SEN
fenced to confess on her knees to LADY
Llancour, that willfully and malicious
" she had been guilty of innictjno ON
Llancour' ON the King high road. an
the lndlgnities she was accused Of
tllat Tor the insults put upon her. the
hdfqllse domestlcS, by her order and
IN her presence. she humblv besouobt
pardon. That done, the NIarouise vas
lorhidden to appeal to Parliament for
any legal redress whatever for any in.
Jury done her, TO forfeit her life II she
attempted to eyade the order. ana fnr.
termore TO pay Il, 500 to the King.
Two OF the principal men had all
tllelr goods of whatsoever nature. con.
nscated' and We're themselves con.
delnned to the galleys for life. Three
Others were banished for the snace of
lhIee yeal + another sentenced to hard
work ON the high road for nine wears
ma altogether. including the AIarquise.
% pay To Lady Liancour the sum of
$1,000 damages and costs.
The lady's companion. Mile VILE.
martin, was sentenced 10 beg 900 from
ne prisoners in the Conglerperie an
'alals TO pay her share. The f8O 600
we're to be collected from the estate of
ne Marquis de 1resnel: the sentence
ID bp pVhibfteI 90, 800