The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-31

Murders and His TrinI-He Com
feSsed His Crimes and Was Hang
ed.
From the New York Sun.
The origin of the story of Bluebyard as
tod in the immortal "Contes de Perraulr'
| is not fixed absolutely beyond dispute, but
on the authority of the French historian
Michclet ana of numerous Breton legends
we may reasonably assume that tho blood
| thirsty and uXorous ogre who has been
| the terror of so many a nursery had his
historic prototype in The notorious GILES
| 'e Retz, baron of Brittany and mar
| sinai of France in the fifteenth century
Learned scholars and industrious delivers
amid the dusty archives of the middle
| ages may dispute among themselves as TO
whether this or that historic haracter was
the original of this cruel hero of the
"Contes de la Mere LOye" (stories of
! Mother Goose but to this day the peas
ant folk of Brittany hold to their belief
! that the tale of Buebeard and his I'M
| happy wives is founded on the life of a
human monster who lived in their coun-
try hundreds of years ago, and was tried
ties for his many crimes against human
ity. Interest in the story of this notorious
criminals life is revived at the present
moment by the publication by the Putnams
of volume on the subject. "Bluebeard
A contribution 10 History and Folklore
| Being the History of GILES de Retz of
Brittany, France, who was executed at
Nantes in l44O A. D., and who was the
original of Bluebeard in the tales of Moth
! er Goose by Thomas Wilson, LII d. Mr.
| Wilson, who IS one of the cura tors of the
| National Museum and a counsellor of the
J bar of the Supreme Court. was for some
I years United States consul at Nantes. and
| While resident there he made the inves-
! legations which resulted in this volume
! He had access to the original records of
| the trial of GILES de Retz. and. among
| other Photographs he made a COPY of a
! page of the confession of the accused TAX
en- from a Latin MSS. of the record in
| the process against him in the archives
Of Loire lnfericure. He has drawn freely
| upon the comparatively recently issued
works of the Able Brossard and NJ
! Charles Lemire, and he has judicIously
| e&purgated the criminal records in such
/ a way as to make the story acceptab
Neither the exact date nor the place of
birth of Giles de Retz is known. but the
! event occurred at one of the family
! chatauX in Southern Brittany. soneWhere
! about 1904. His father died during the
! childhood of Giles and his mother re-
married, leaving the boy 10 the care of
| an aged and iudulgent grandfather. In
| 1870 he married a rich young noble wo-
man. who brought him a number Of
chateaux and a fortune. which, together
with his own patrimony. made him one
OF the richest barons of his province The
| standard of education at that era and in
the province of Brittany was not high.
and as GILES, in after years and at his
! trial said In my youth l was allowed TO
80 always according to my own sweet
| Will" Nevertheless he spoke three Ian
/ guages, Latin. French and Breton. had
! some knowledge of chemistry. and was al
| ways addicted to the society of learned
! and intellectual men. In 1926, when he an
I peared at the court of the Dauphin his
| contemporaries represent him as a vieor-
| Gus, robust man of great beauty and rare
! personal charms, and Mchelet describes
| him as un grand seigneur, de bon enten-
! dement, belle personne ct bon facon ike
many of the Breton race he was of a fair
complexion and his eyes were large and
| blue. He had long, bluish-black soft and
! silky hair and beard, square shoulders and
! an athletic and graceful figure. In al
Effectiveness of person and manner he
| seem to have been a model of the great
! noble of his time.
At this epoch France and England were
| in the midst of the hundred years war.
/ while Brittany, Giles own duchy had
/ been, since the death of John " en-
/ gagged in civil war over the succession.
1 The family of Monitor had gained the
! victory over the party Of Penthlevres and
Blois, and Giles family which had form
/ erly fought on the side of Bios had
/ changed sides and taken up The cause Of
John ' of Montfort. Giles fought side by
! side with his grandfather at the head Of
an army of 20 con in series 1f Aott1o- 4,a.
resulted in the defeat Of the Blois party.
/ and later he appeared at court and took
/ service with the King Of France against
the hhsilsh' ne iougnt "l'h me Breton
troops ana mace ms hrst appearance on
Ihe sue OF the hlhg at the Siege Of 81.
/ Jean ue beuVroh' re aHacked and cap
tureu tne loilIess OF kaiheiort' IN Antou.
ana d. me siege OF MohIargs ne covered
hinseA WIN glory by sealing the wall in
advance OF nus solalets ana Killing the
commander OF the English forces in hand
/ to-hahd COMBAT. Ihen, IN i29' the heteor-
. rod Il.