New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18

b 49, '''N7 NT'AtitHr fufu0TS or ppigouf,--
ara Investigations, led 70 the stupefactio,
king at the secret crimes which were - 'he
I being committed within his realm An, .P
establishment Of the "chanhre 49,. 70 us
which the whole question Of poisoni,,. - u
. threshed out. The chamber met e- Il, D.
time on April TO- 1919. The meetings ~ "'st
pended from October I. 1850 20 Nav ia les, 'ls-
reasons which VIII appear below. and NJ, -
1852, its doors were permanently closed ~, Il
viii be seen that its labors were limited 49,.
explaining the causes NJ. Fuuck- f:-ertar, - 20
Wide field. He shows us q society y,...'s
at once in superstition and c0rrurfior -
sheltered numerous seekers after the ma
piers stone. whose transactions were 60.
way another connected with 81"
men and women who frankly devoted tbe,,..,
to sorcery in it's most infamous b-a,cha-
Voisin is the salient figure In this Internal =
pany, creature of the lowest type. but -
the "magicians" there men Of birth -.
among the clients of all the practitioners -, -
evil art were not only the ignorant co,o
people but half the great persOnages arount =.
I throne Of France. Ladies Of the court cam :.
La Voisin for charms 10 win back the heart,.,
| their recalCitrant lovers; they came for noi
with which to remove rivals and husbands an.
for other things hideOus La Voisin vras -
! rage. among a horde Of charIatans ana 90
erS- she boosted after her ~
burned in her furnace buried in her gar5.'
the bones Of more than twenty five hundred =,
fants. many Of them sacrificed for the psrs,-,-
ance of the "messe noire." La Reyne -
magistrate under whose hands the investiga,,o-
passed. found crimes more and more terribls -
he probed deeper into the situation He for-4
things which caused the king percmptorlv =.
suspend the activities of the "chambre arder-a-
! 1t was all very well TO convict a popular a..
Ceress of poisoning. or some other nanoalss.
crime. and. after tOrturing her. % have h..
executed and burned. II was another thing p,
reveal the great names behind these miserab.
wretches. and proceed inexorably with the la
| against every one involved La Reyne shivar.s
as he realized the responsibility that had fsna-
upon his shoulders. He was an honest man an. Il
able He would have had the truth told ever
about the kings favorite if h. had had hi
way. But even La Reynie. since h.. too. held n
name of his king and country in honor. nus
have breathed sigh Of relief when Louis too.
the documents that proved the guilt % Nm.
De Montespan and burned them on his hearth
stone. The king thought h had buried f1ravs-
the secrets that left trail Of poison across bis
| encourage. But La Reynie had made notes O..
his Investigations and from these and orb--
sources NJ. Funck- Brentano has reconstruct
the story Of Mime. De Mont-span's relations win
the prisoners.
| The kings mistress was as jealous as she vas .
charming and proud. When she felt her s7lp.-s
slipping she turned in the spiri- ~ her tine q,
the dens in which the powers - Satan were H. .
voked by his devotees. To la Vois.u o. Ia Ness.
noire" Thrice she played the leading ro,a ia
that indescrbabIe ceremony. a thing uhrs
would seem incredible if The evidence were M
| crushing. In the letters of Nm DE Seyigr~ a.
read Of her anger when the allegiance " The s.g
wavered. The appearance Of Mile. De Fontang-s /
| on the scene. AM Louis XIV's evident delight |
in that radiant girl" beautiful as m angel Au-
head 10 foot" in the words Of the Princess Pah-
tine-gave the last drop 10 her cup II misery
the last hllip To her resolution La mssss +
noire." COMPUTATIONS. love powders and all he 4
rest We're plainly useless. She would end Al .
though she persisted in the +. and with Ia
Voisins aid she prepared 70 poison both he
king and Mile De FontdnEtS. La Voisn was 70
hand a poisoned petition 20 tn king the nzx.
time he received in person, as was cUst0may
. the requests OF his subjects and his hands com
I ing in contact with the deadly coating Of The /
paper his death would ensue The plan mis-
/ carried, and although Nine. D. 5I3ntespan hal
the comfort of hearing Of Nile De Fon-ar-ess
death from pneumonia. after vain attempts q
| strike her through foul means. she heard |
the arrest of La Voisin the kr-U If her os-
I doom.
The king could not permit her 10 BE- L.
nounced and tried. Her children had ben
legitimized They belonged 20 him and