The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-31


that Barberon had been expelled from a
private school for insubordinatien; tn a
he had frightened an old lady, his fathers
neighbor, by his ungovernable temper;
that, being student, he bad borrowed
iifty francs from cemrade and had for
gotten to repay it; also that on various
occasions during his scholastic life he had
expressed atheistical opinions. There
was great deal more to the same effect,
and the indictment took two hours to
read. When it was ended the witnesses
were ordered out of court during the
prisoners examination, and retired with
them.
Not knowing how soon l might be
called, | was obliged to linger about the
waiting-room, where old Grassier and his
daughters began to hold forth about
their woes. They had been struck with
CONSERVATION at learning that even if
Barberon was guillotined his proper
ty would not 90 to them, but to
heirs Of his own kith. They called this
monstrous, and had constituted them
selves Ipartie eivile,' i. e., plaintiffs joint
ly claiming damages for Madame Bar
beron's death. They wanted 4,000l.
DIR. Lenoir joined me and explained lis
theory OF poisoning by inhalation. He
was nervous as an actor about to tread
the boards for the first time, and every
time door opened he started, cleared
his throat and pulled down his wrist
bands, expecting to be called. Towards
four, however, we were all released from
attendance till the morrow, for the pris-
oner's examination WAS net likely to be
concluded that day. In the evening /
saw M. Farcy, who was worn out with
fatigue, and told me that Barberon's at
titude had been 'deplorable.'
The newspaper reports published next
morning confirmed this. Goaded to
fury by the Presidents questions, insin-
uations, and sneers, (for French Judges
always act is if they were retained by the
prosecution), Barberon had repeatedly
lost his temper. Farcy had been obliged
to jump up twenty times and entreat
him to be quiet, and he had begged the
indulgence of Bench and jury for the
wretched mans behavior. 'Barberon is
lost if he goes on in that way remarked
the counsel, dejectedly. He is sharpen
ing the knife for his own neck. | trem-
bic at the scene we shall have when
the doctors are called
The medical evidence was, of course
to be the capital point of the trial. It
was on the second day that the doctors
were called, and the scene that ensued
justified Farcy's forebodings. l was not
an eyewitness of it, but I am enabled to
relate the particulars of it from the
newspaper reports, and from Maitre Far
cy's own account.
The expert in toxicology was the first
to be sworn, and during his deposition
Barberon remained quiet enough. biting
his nails, and only struggling his should
ers in contemTiuous spasms; but when
the Insurance Office Doctor, pompous
man, stood forth to affirm his belief in
arsenical poisoning, the prisoners
patience snapped short. Bounding up
from his seat in the dock, he cried, in
voice that rang through the court like
trumpet:
what do you know about poisons, sir?
What dose of arsenic do you think suffi-
cient to kill womanp
Tit depends stammered the Insur-
ance doctor.
Have you ever seen person die of
arsenic without vomiting or convulsions
during sleepY
I-I-really-
I tell you it WAS of chloral she died,
and you are nothing better than an idiot.
You may take it, if you like, that I ad-
'ninistered,the chloral willfully. won't
pretend that | didn't know the strength
Of the dose | mixed
Here Maitre Farcy started up in dis
may. 4 beg the gentleman of the jury
to pay no heed to my unhappy clients
rawlings hesaid. will urge in nv de-
Tense that he is not accountable for all
his actions
That's it-say that Pm madman at
once,' shouted Barberon, Indignantly.
No, | am tired of all this. You are
mistaken if you think l will consent to
be shut up all my life in lunatic asylum
to avoid losing my head on the scafold.
Even if you acquit me, of what
value will my life be to me now you have
III befouled it together? | prefer telling
The truth. did poison my wife-wit6
,hloral, not with arsenic. We lived un-
happily together. She was i'll, and put
1er painlessly out of her misery. If there
De a Heaven, she is there, and better off
,han if she was with me; if there be
lone, she is asleep, and l wish no better
ate for myself. ,
An indescrbable sensation siezed upon
he audience as this sinister confession
vas made. Some of the ladies screamed
rom nervous emotion; an explosion of
nurmurs burst from the men. The
resident restored order and exorted the
ury, for FORMS sake, not to be guided
~ the prisoners hysteric avowals, but
'nly by the evidence. 1t was patent,
however, that from this hour Barberon's
loom was sealed, The jury showed as !
much by the looks they interchanged. |
That day, and the next, and the next,
procession of witnesses filed through the
court to satisfy the exigencies of French
n