New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-17
Fouquier TinrilLe, Public Prosecutor
IN the French Revolution.
Paris. October 9.

upon the French Revolution. the more pct
uresoue features OF which he has treated Win
anecdotsc skill and dramatic force IN ms Vi"
F5auses Old Documents" His new volume, lie
Tribunal Revolutionnaire." lays claim 10 more
serious historic value than did his previous pub
1ica,,on II shows that the author is capable
Of dealing with unpublished documents, CORE
spondence end the arid details of municipal
archives with the skin OF sn expert ana III 'i7
true spirit OF scientific research. Thus he throws
q food OF light on many of the most obscure
rysssases of the Terror. and pictures It's san
culinary heroes FouQuier Tinville. the feroclouS
public prosecutor. and the pitiless humans WIZ
composed the Revolutionary Tribunal WIN
,-,,-,dness which not even the most successful
Of the historians of the Revolution has hlther'',
achieved So many OF the great families OF
Fnce number among their ancestors one or
more victims Of the Terror that NJ. LenotreS
hook has made a social sensation, quite apar-
from the legitimate notice which It has attract
ed as an historical study OF first class lmpor-
lance His chief aim has been not TO tel over
again the sanguinaTy tale Of the ReNoiutioii'
but to evoke the aspect of the Palals de JUS
tioe. where so many noble and innocent per-
=onages were condemned the guillotine, as
compared with what It had been in the dig
nifed days az royalty. when it was the home OF
the PARCHMENT" that corporation of the judi
cial authorities Of the kingdom. whose power
not ;nfreouent!v outbalanced that OF the mon
arch himself In this solemn old building sat
the bard Of villains who composed the Revolt
tionary Tribunal and Of them NJ Len6tre gives
r,ortraits which live Particularly the tigerish
public prosecutor. Fouquier Tinvlle, is drawn
with g wonderful mastery Of detail
Like many of the Revolutionary leaders.
Antoine Fouauier de TinviIle not only of
noble birth but man OF the law. Seigneur OF
MIA he
father when thirteen years Of age, and though
his mother had inherited considerable fortune
she was so misery that Antoine. when serving
his apprenticeship with lawyer in Paris. haa
hardly the necessary clothes to his BACK IN
curious letter TO his mother, which NJ. Lenotre
publishes Cor the first time, he complains bit
serly that she has refused to supply him with
the shirts that he needs. the robbie de chanbre
and the -'rhodinguotte" without which it viii be
Impossible for him 10 keen warm in winter o.
his three shirts two are completely worn out
both as TO the body and the cuffs. and II Is
obvious he SAYS tusing the legal expression
CONSTANT that he cannot go without a shirt
and he would Ike TO know with what money
he is 10 buy one. AS TO the robbie de chamoTe'
he needs it in the cold weather. and it IS Of no
use II there are holes in It, is the case with
the only one ne possesses, which he is una bic
even TO patch W. owing 10 lack Of material
and moreover. il no longer has lining. How
ever he saws there is no denying the fact
.hat from in the morning till 9 at night l
must be either dressed undressed.' As for
-he "rbodine1Iotte" he wants it as an overcoat
to walk out with. and 10 protect him from the
cold rather than TO cut q smart figure WITH
and he urges that. after all there is nothing
more natural than that he should ask for shirts
a robbie de chaTnbre' and ''rhodinguotte'
VIXEN he needs them. that at least his mother
should send him the money to buy them with
In the hope that she will recognize this, he has
the honor to be, with the most respectful ven
GRAFTON and respect Madame, and very dear
Mother your very humble and very submissive
son Fouquier Detinville." No doubt the sons
gambling habits were as much TO blame for
this awkward situation as the mothers near
ness
Five years after the date this letter
Fouquier Tinviue purchases for 5000 Hvres
Cf-ancsl. the business Of his master. who is
-'ProcureUr au Chatelet de Paris position
somewhat similar to that Of Assistant District
Attorney. To 90 this his mother lends him 5000
iivres out OF the heritage which Is TO come TO
him from his father. and the rest Of the is
made UP by g loan from aristocratic priest,
the Abbe Collier de ia Morere. who is to
ceive in excha nge an annuity of 200 livres Fou-
ouier proves himself he very clever. hut also
cutie interruptions. lawyer, and IN eighteen
months he has realized profit Of 5000 ivres.
He now marries his first cousin, with dspen-
sation from Pope Plus W. and passes with her
seven years Of apparent happiness and pros
perity until her death in childbirth. after which
his fortunes begin 10 decline. Four months
later he marries again hut in less than year
he decides to sell his business. out Of disgust
&C, ording 20 his OWN explanation. hut there is
no doubt that in consequence of some discredit-
ehIe action the hororah BILE corporation Of pro
cureu-s' TO which he belonged had practically
expelled him from their midst
Gambling and debauchery soon bring him to
complete ruin, and for seven years he leads the
life OF broken down and penniless pettifogger.
hunted by his creditors from lodging to lodging,
and practising the most dishonest expedents.
The outbreak Of the Revolution proves the sal
walton Of Foucuie- Tinville he has dropped the
nobiliary de-. II does that Of countless
other struggling reprobates like himself. He
becomes a professional patriotic and after the
fall OF the Monarchy, claiming, there is doubt
falsely 10 be the cousin OF Camille Desmoulins
then the hero Of the hour. he obtains from his
dear relative an appointment as judge Of the
Criminal Tribunal More than anybody" says
II Len6tre. must Fouquier Tinviue have en-
toyed destiny's revenge as he assembled the flight
OF steps leading 10 that Palace Of Justice whose
every nook and corner familiar TO him. and
where for nine years past he had only managed
10 sneak in as an intruder. He could now walk
about there a his ease. without fear Of meeting
any OF his former colleagues whom he had
Quilted out OF disgust These had dis
appeared. and were. in their turn. wandering
about Paris hunted and in fight" Fouquier
T1nviIle re-enters the Palais de Justice with the
pride OF a conqueror. Eighteen months later
Camille Desmoulins is sent to the guillotne after
nv ,pa1fer