The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-02

hence, to prevent her from demanding
such a thing. he kept the: Marquis de
Brinvilliers alive. -
The Marquise added her sisters to the
list of her murders, and is credited also
with having administered poison. to
number of other persons in no way
connected with her family: She is said
to have reveled in a sort of insane
pleasure in thus destroying her fellow
creatures. She carried poisoned cakes
and food to the sick In hospitals, and
also distributed them among the poor,
her object seeming to nave been to as
certain the exact effect. of the poisons
upon persons whose sudden death was
not likely to create suspicion. r.
ST. CroiX became the victim of his
own criminality, dying suddenly in 1872
from the effects of accidentally breath
ing the eff1uvta of a poison which he
was preparing. Among his papers: were
found some that pointed to the guilt of
his mistress, who fled. TO England and
afterward resided for: some time In
Liege, where she was captured. In
searching her general: confession was
found on her person, which,, though
not received as actuaI proof against
her by the judges, furnished the means
of discovering sufficient evidence. Of her
crimes to convict her beyond all doubt
She was sentenced to be beheaded and
to have her body burned, and this SEN
tence was carried out in Paris July 16,
1916. The poison used by her.is thought:
to have been common arsenic. So
The execution of the .MarQuise de
Brinvilliers did not check these terrible:
crimes. The mania. seemed to spread
more rapidly than ever. +. ..:S'.. :. ::
The police, who were kept busy in In.
vestigating the mysteries, found that
the madness, which had originally de
veloped among the higher. CLASSES. had.
infected the lower ranks, even the peas
antry. Death was everywhere No
one knew Whose.turn would come next.
Friends became suspicious of each
other; fathers nnfstrusted their: sons;
wives had no confidence in their hus-
bands; rivals in love were never at
ease; state. of dreadful unrest pre-
vailed throughout: Paris. The police
finally secured evidence that the traf-
fic in these poisonous. drugs was car
ried on principally: by a woman named
La Vosin,. in company with two priests,
LIE Sage and D'Avaux, and another wo-
man called Ia Nigoreaux ..-. az. ! !:
La Voisin was. a popular fortune
teller who had among her clients the
nobility of Paris. She had. conceived
the idea of predicting to the expectant
heirs the exact date of the death of
their wealthy relatives, and having her
predictions fulfilled by means of poison
She was so successful in this occupa-
ton that she was compelled, to take
into her confidence and partnership the
two priests and La AVigoreaux. who
was also fortune teller The pofsons
that they sold were called succession
powders, truly most significant
name.
AS a cloak to the nefarious traffic.
this association of prisoners practiced
the So called black art pretending to
discover secrets, to recover things lost,
stolen or concealed; spirits. were. made
to appear; the stars were consulted;
horoscopes We're given;' lost. love was
regained for detected lovers, and so on.
These persons and their numerous
accomplices carried on their operations
for nearly three years after the execu-
ton of Madame de. Brinvtlliers. AT
last the sudden death, without any ap-
parent cause of large number of. per-
sons of high rank and great wealth
brought matters to- a crisis, resulting
In the arrest of La Voisin, III Vigou-
reaux, the two priests and about forty
of their 'accompliceS.
An irregular tribunal called. the
Chambre Ardente, because. the. punish
ment inflicted by it was by burning,
was appointed to investigate the.whole
affair OF these extraordinary crimes: it
was authorized to inquire into all cases
of poisoning. witchcraft, irnriety. sacri-
lege, PROCLAMATION and coming The
principal evidence was obtained from
the compounders and retailers. of the
poisons themselves. The most de-
PRAYED and villainous of these was Ste
phen Guiborg, priest II years. of age
and almoner to the Count. de Montgona-
cry, who revealed everything In his
confession.