Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-06
Famous Trials
AN EXTRAORDINARY 1MPosToR.


In the year 1850 a bill of complaint
was prepared before the criminal judge
of Rieux. in France, by a woman of the
name of Bertrand de Rois, whose ca Sc
of grievance was Of a most extraordi-
nary nature. She said that at an early
age she had been married to one Martin
Guerre, who had lived with her about / 0
years, and then disappeared. At the end
of eight years afterward a man came
who had so exactly the features stature
and complexion of Martin Guerre that
she had taken him for her true husband
and had hnsuspectingly lived with him
as such for the space of three years, dur
Ing which she had two children by him
that to her surprise she now found out
that the man was not the real Martin
Guerre- but one Arnaud du Tilh of Sa-
gas commonly y He'd Pansette, who
had artfully taken the advantage of his
resemblance to her husband to impose
himself upon her, and besides usurping
the conjugal rights of Martin Guerre had
obtained possession of all the property
that belonged to him.
In answer to this strange story the
man said TO be Arnaud du Tilh protest.
ed that the prosecution was nothing hnore
than wicked conspiracy which his wife
and relations had Matched to get rio of
I
Guerre he did not know who he was:
that he had had this name so far back as
he could remember; that it was he who
had married, when a youth, the COM
plainant, Bertrand de Rois. and had lived
win her so many years that she had not
only received him upon his return with
all the warmth of a loving and affection
ate wife, but among others four sisters
had instantly and gladly recognized him
as their own long lost Martin Guerre.
The judge made both parties undergo a
severe personal examination. first sen
arately, and then in the presence of each
other, and the answers Of the man were
on every point, even of the most minute
and private description, such as, in all
human belief none but the real Martin
Guerre could have given.
witnesses were then examined to this
number of nearly Is. OF these, between
! 80 and 40, including the four sisters,
| sWore that he was the true Martin
Guerre; that they had known him and
conversed with him from his infancy ;
that they were perfectly acquainted
with his person. manners and tone of
| voice, and that they were, moreover. con
WINGED OF the truth Of what they asserted
oy certain scars and secret marks, which
| 1t was impossible for time to efface.
| a great many, on the contrary. swore
quite as positively that he was no other
| than Arnaud du Till called Pansette. and
| they had known him as long and and ba RI
been as Familiarity acquainted with him
as those who pretended that he was Nor
tin Guerre. The rest of the Witnesses
| declared that there were so MANY strono
resendbl ances between the two persons in
question that 1t was impossible for them
| to determine whether the accused wa
Martin Guerre or Armand tfu Tilh
The Judge. on weighing the whole "a So
| inclined to the belief that fine man v.e
not the real Martin Guerre hrt Arnerd IA,
Hill, and condemned him as Ure+cba I'D
| inseostor to suffer the punisS,rnez,t al
death.
From this sentence the accused ANIMAL.
| ed to the Parliament of Toulouse which
ordered an inq1isition be taken as tn the
principal facts in dispute. with this 1irnita
ton, that none. but new witnesses sbculf
be examined But SO far was this crai
nance for eIicitinR anv new lights that i
served only TO render the affair still NOR,
obscure than It was before. OF 30 new