The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-08-17

Such was the indictment framed against |
her; during the reading of which the pris- |
oner was suddenly seized with hystercal
attack, and lifting her hands to Heaven fn-
riously called, in an almost inarticulate bab-
BILE, upon God and the Holy Virgin to attest
her innocence and deliver her. At the same
time the witnesses who were present began
crying aloud for justice upon her, this bid
ding her restore wife, that a mother, the
other child, making furious attempts the
while to get at the prisoner and tear her to
pieces so that it was with the utmost diff
Guilty that the gendarmes could save her and
restore quiet. The prisoner had strenuously
denied her crime, and declared that she had
never used arsenic, neither ever bought any,
neither had any one eyer seen any arsenic in
her possession. Indeed, though science
clearly showed that the deaths of the latest
victims had resulted from arsenical poison
ing, no trace of the deadly drug was to be
found, was ever found in the prisoners box
es or haunts, nor could any one be discover
ed who knew of her having it.
VI.
Her examination presented nothing that
was sensational. She denied everything, ad-
mtted that she had tended the dying beds
of those with whose deaths she was charged,
bnt laid their pershing to her ill-luck-
ill-luck which she could not understand.
Her language, strongly infused with Breton
idioms, was clear, Ineligible, and even
mocking. She recurred repeatedly to her
pet phrases, ooh, for certain !" 81 speak
truth as if it was the angelus;""I dearly love
the child, because, like myself, she had
Sainte-Helene for patroness; "The blessed
Sainte.Anne can say if am lying" and so
on. Pressed with the facts of the deaths of
her late fellow servants, she said: 'If God
ever places me beside sick person; not a
bite nor drop will give that person even
if he were dying; see what my good nature
has brought me to. l know nothing about
any poison aud, Lord willing, never will.
| have suffered much, but God will give me
grace to endure all. If 1 did not die while
in prison it was because Jesus sustained me.
He knew all about me-"
SIN three months" said the Judge, 'three
servants working with you fell asleep; all
three showed symptoms of poisoning with
arsenic; no one but you fed and nursed
them, and yet you claim to be innocent II
you are you must have very bad luck some
how or other"
Exactly, sir that is just it-I have
very bad luck"
A., There were seventy -one witnesses exam
ined. Marie Leboucher said that when sh,
T. engaged Helene her mother had whtlov
on her finger. 81 fear she will die said thu
y prisoner. impossible whitlow is triv
: ial thing" "Yes; but wherever go deatt
0 comes in at the door," The widew Cadit
l. testified that Helene had cried upon he
y neck, and said she was most unhappy
IL woman, for wherever she went death follow
l. ed her. "They said in the town." continue,
; the worthy widow Cadic, that her liver wa
IT white, so that whenever she breathed on an
one that person died. 1 was so afraid o
IL her that when we went to the confessiona
; together l would not enter it after her." !
s. doctor, M. Toussaint, whose father an
10 mother had been poisoned, and his supicion
B. especially as he had seen the prisoner usin
y awhile powder in a mess she was cooking
$. but did not care to make an autopsy. an
~ family" said he, Opposed the proposition
e. as they considered that the prisoners man
IL fest'piety removed her from the scope of su'
~ picion" woman of Auray said. wildly
y Talking with her was talking with death.
y Another had seen her in company with
lie dark man. apparently n soldier, hut "reall
rs the Devil, to whom she had sold herself
ie The Mayor of Auray testified that the cul
e. had warned him one day at dinner, whe
III Helene served the Tepast, that the woman
r presence was fatal. Two days later tt
Mayors mother-in in-law died and he had gre
at difficulty in inducing the daughter to di
,f charge the woman, because she had nurst
n, poor ma so tenderly and used to go to churt
ty so regularly" NJ. Bidard told how, wht
of Rosalie, the last victim, died in Helene
IN arms, the cure sa id to him seeing that Il
ne dying girl was kissing the hands of her mu
mt deress and insisting on having her by h
of bedside until the last 'There, sir, you s.
10 together the most perfect innocence and Il
er most complete guilt on this earth"
I'd VIII.
ng In the defense it was testified by medic
sh experts that the prisoner was an anomaly,
of that some organ must be unaccountably al
ne immeasurabIy defective, thus irresistibly il
al pelling her to crime. "If she were set
tn liberty Tomorrow she would begin again
ay take life. Killing is with her an instinct
he necessity. Her organic nature is pervers
er and her science discharges holy missi
ne in declaring, for the honor of humanity, II
er this woman is one of Natures mistakes.
W. may be objected that the murderous instr
Ter does not necessarily involve exclusive res
're TO toxic means. reply that it is with m,
ne der as it is with suicide-each does after
&C. or her temperament. Women drown ther
p selves, old men hang themselves, young f
IL asphvxiate themselves. If Helene has
ed sorted to poisoning it is only question
M temperament and a consequence of her s,
,ht edntary life."
sht December IA, after an absence of half
TO- hour, the jury found her guilty, without
ell recommendation to mercy. When sente
be- was passed upon her she said: II am I'M
'm. cent and resigned. would sooner die in
tell cent than live guilty or suspected. y
an have judged me; God will judge you.
ist- will judge M. Bidard and all the false
oy- nesses that came here to swear away
zin life" And so saying she left the hall, sh
IS ing her fist at the crowd.
'nd January IS; 1902, she was guillotineG
ok' Rennes, amid the savage exclamation of
on immense throng. To the last she der
ir her guilt, but just as shs was going to
l..ua FL ...l. !