The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-04-20
POISONING ART IN THE REIGN OF XIV.

Tn starve Of bankruptcy, pour csmbJeS h
dsfei< kings and ministers had recourse to
strange e1pedients. Even Louis XIV was
sadly pinched for money; and, sincealchemy
was the order Of the day, he caught batch
Of achemists and sent them to the Baslile to
work under government surveillance. They
we're allowed % much sulphur, anthony,
arsenic, and anything else as they wanted,
and they were expected to give gold in re-
turn. Hence one Of the most notabls dis
ooyeries Of that time Of course the police
found no gold, VI they found (whst they
had long suspected) that these seekers for
the philosop hers stone we're PRISONERS, and
that their customers were to be found in the
very highest ranks Of society. Arsenic,
which il often said 70 kill by accumulation
Of many small doses, was incapable Of aetec-
ton in those days, when postmortems were
unknown; and thus poudre de succession
became favorits way Of getting rid Of any
one who stood between man or woman
and tho estate Or the human being whom
they coveted- Ne have al heard Of the
Brinvilliers. voisia was plebsian initA-
tor Of hers. doing for the common people
what the other did for the noblesse, TO which
she herself belonged. The humber artist
did her work in just % artistic style - did
the Marchioness. A butcher in 81. Antoine
..administers eerr. elton to his CAD shout
wife; she goes 81 straight % Voisin and
Quiesly buys packet Of powder, which made
her il few weeks froliosome widow A
earpester, dying, leaves little money;
neither and soa east sgrss shout il; the
mother gees - Voisin and gets powder,
but before she has come for the next the
son has been there too. Voisin keeps them
both in hand, determined that whoever pays
her highest shall win; tbs mother gains The
day. Besides poisoning, voison vas ready
for every kind Of villainy. She and : mid
wife named Lepere are stated 70 have pro.
cured abortion ia 10000 eases, and the
number Of newborn children burned By
Voisin in her magical rites j. reckoned 81
800 The whole story il % horrible that
were it not legally assested in these archivei
| one could not credit it; il ID worse than th<
worst Of the foul dreams Of witches Ths
confessions Of Voisin and accomplices were
made long before they were tortured, yel
one would fain hope that some Of the re
voting details we're due 70 diseased i'm
agitation. Spirituaiisn 10 contemplate
enough: - may oe thankful that il 10 only
consempiibls when ~ read Of the method
which these vrstshss ussd to call mp Ii,
devil aad to yin from him for their dupe,
..the Ayisg dollar" which VS. no seonel
spsat than il fosnd IL way back into II
owners pocket 70 draps room il blael
eleth, and ea black altar, lighted will
black candles, 70 shay . newborn babe
while priest flor priests were found /,
! lend theaselves % TIE work. went threugl
. vile tssvesty q the mass, VS. one u q.
ieast horrible sfihe ssreDoniea; eene q,
10 bad svea 70 hint ~ Il y litsJe Doaoo
Iasisn that vsisin. ~hs had made 1Oo, O0(
crowns, asa - lsaving Yrssss snar I
falss ssoe, was caught, tSisd, and y ~
bsrssd (Rshrsary, 1851. She ssppsd
gsyIy IL night begere, aad ssagpsssdi0 q
The church hynas; 'sEsve hsr ssul = III
devil il good ssyls, "(esatinsai. - NJ iana
a. 0svigns has i 1st I'll voisin's clients
w4s NJ bUshsr1 and earpsntsss' wives
aad lswd yoasg wemsn d The baeer sesl
uhs had '.got int trouble" Marie Aanc'n
Csuntess q Scissors, vss convicted q has-
ing gone 70 her in order to Ct rid q q
valhers her saecessfal rissl il Louis XIV
| affections There VS. no doabt about II
The proofs are n record 1ne order ~
issued 70 arrest the Counties. but Louis toll
the Duxs of Douillon to give her shint, an
she escaped Nor was she the only one VI
escaped; for there VS. such % epidemic 2
poisoning nat the Msgiarsts De h keysi
hesiiaied 10 70 % with his inquirer y
foand they ue<s likely 70 ssnproniss YER.
exalted pasonseeeindeed- II very sAos
tine y hsd ~ psissasn % biz hands, -
4 - enan0snnn. Gwaoe1nee = + - 0o6s0r1o9,