The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-04-11
ellancntls.
The Story Of a Crime.

The well-known opera of Era Diavolo"
is based on tragical events which occurred in
France nearly one hundred and seventy years
ago. The facts are thus condensed from the
Court records by a Paris paper:
At the beginning of the last century there
was seen in the town of Lille very quiet
house. 1t was large building, but it con-
tanned only small family-a husband and
wife and one servant. The married couple
were advanced in years, lived quietly on
their income, saw few visitors, and admitted
none to the house, except the people who
furnished them with provisions, or otherwise
administered to their wants. One night this
couple, man and wife, were both robbed and
murdered in their bed.
The servant girl had heard nothing of all
this and knew not what was going on. The
night was hot, the air dense and oppressively
sultry, so much so that she had taken refuge
in her room, and, for the sake of GOODNESS,
Invested herself Other garments before large
mirror. While there, catching sight of her.
self, she suddenly cried:
"How hateful one looks when undressed?"
Having said this, she retired and slept till
morning, and rose as usual without suspect
ing what had happened.
She prepared breakfast as usual for her
master and mistress, but they did not come
down. She was amazed and waited for some
time.
They did not appear.
Tired of waiting, she sought their room. A
horrible sight met her eyes. Blood was
smeared everywhere, and on the bed lay the
poor old couple, cruelty, horribly, ySileIy
butchered-mangled only as as beast or
fiend could find it in his heart to mutilate
victims after numbering them.
The girl raised an alarm, and the multitude
came rushing in.
OF course justice came rushing after in the
shape of the police, with q judicial investiga
ton. The criminal was sought for, and as
none other could be found, suspicion fell on
the unfortunate servant.
In those days they had horrible way of
trying to get the truth. They called it ques-
tioning. The questions werepu with racks
and thumb-screws.
The Lillois servant. maid was UNANIMOUSLY
tortured even to extreme agony. Yet not
witnstanding her weakness and her sex, she
endured the Internal torture without confess
ing.
This was most remarkable, as she was en-
tirely innocent and was in consequence kept
much longer under the torment to make her
confess. AS there were no proofs of her hay
ing done anything they finally let her go as
soon as she was healed. Unfortunately the
torture had made her wretched cripple. She
could only hobble along, and her arms were
terribly withered.
And being no longer able TO sew or work,
she dragged her helpless form through the
| streets of Lille for sixteen years. This is
historically true-nay, more than historically,
for history often lies, while these accounts
are drawn from the dry and accurate records
of court. The worst part of her suferngs
was that many people believed her guilty
and Stunned her accordingly.
1t appears from the record that during
these long years, while she went about with
her withered arms and bent back, her whole
frame suffering from the torture, begging a
sous TO buy her bread, that she was always
resigned, mild and exemplary in her conduct.
One day, after sixteen years of misery she
stopped at the door of baker She held out
through her rags her naked and mutilated
arm toward the baker, who stood at his door
sill. AS she did so, he exclaimed, in mock
| ing tone, while observing her garments:
well, Marie Anne, how hateful one looks
when undressed-hal haw
Now, it is remarkable that in all the six
teen years which had passed. Marie Anne
had not forgotten those words which she had
spoken when alone on the night of the muir
der. 1t flashed upon her mind that the real
murderer might have III ard them, and that
he stood before her. In brief, the journey.
man baker when arrested, confessed the
truth. He had regularly supplied the old
couple, and knew the ways of the house. He
was hidden there on the night of the MUIR
der, and heard the girl when she made the
remark on nakedness. And as the criminal
is often, by the will of Providence, his own
accuser, so this man following one of those
eccentric and dangerous impulses, which
man often experiences, to say the most dan
gerous things, had uttered to the girl the
words of that fatal night. He was convicted
of the crime for which Marie Anne had beer
tortured and suffered living death.