The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-11-03
his T1RY'S.
|MY.S
sTHE RIDDLE OF THE POISONED
a1 GLOVES"

THE author OF even the most sem
= sational type Of detective stories
would probably balk AT Introducing
n)i0 his iictional r0mances the means
OF murder generally supposed TO have
been used to accomplish the death OF
Jane, queen OF Navarro, for here was
en- Instrument OF death worthy OF the
Bcrgias--a pair Of poisoned gloves
which left not the slightest trace OF
their deadly purpose.
Just previous to her death, the queen
came 10 Paris 10 attend the ceremonies
connected with the marriage Of her son,
the prince Of Navarro, to Margaret,
sister OF the French king. While en-
gagged with preparations for the APP
preaching ceremony, Queen Jane was
overtaken with malignant fever
which ended her life, after IN illness
Of only Ave days. and Nathaniel Wrax-
well, In his Memories Of the Kings
Of France" writes: The Multitude,
ever disposed to attribute the death
of great personages TO unnatural
causes, held TO the belief that poison
had been used in this case. A per.
fumer named Rane, who had followed
the queen mother from Florence, OF
which place he was q native, was ac-
cused as the author Of the crime, and
IT Is stated that he even avowed him
self as such, and boosted OF II pub
licly--declarlng that those who had
instlgated the crime would protect him
from punishment.
Some perfumed gloves, which Queen
Jane had purchased from this Floren-
tine. are generally credited with hay.
ing been the medium through which
the poison was administered. and Cath
crime de Medici was freely named as
the lnstigaior Of the murder. though
no direct proof that she was ever con.
nected with the affair has ever come to
light.
Wraxwell, continuing his account OF
the strange illness OF the queen, states
that 'Dayilla asserts, In the most posi-
Tive WI t,s mat tAt Nht'i VI
was poisoned The deadly dose was
administered, 1t was reported. In the
trimming Of pair Of gloves, but In
4 manner so lmperceptible and In SO
nice proportion that after having
worn them for only few days the
queen mother was seized with vl0-
lent fever, which put an end to her
life In FIVE days.
! When news Of the death Of the queen
mother reached the Huguenots, whose
cause Queen Jane had espoused. they
Instantly made the charge Of foul play,
aud the king. cognizant OF the fact
that the poison had left no traces. or
dered the body to be publicly exam.
lned. Historians whose accounts are
accepted ms authoritative declare that
the two persons who examined the
queens body were not permitted to
touch her head. where It was supposed
that traces OF the poison were still Wis.,
ible, and D'Aubigne makes no secret
OF the statement that the queen was
muruered-though lie Is rather vague
as to the means used.
I During her entire life Queen Jane
had been subject to violent head.
aches, attended by an extreme itch.
ing sensation. and repeatedly ex-
pressed the wish that the cause Of
this malady might be looked into,
With the intention of relieving her
children II they should be subject TO
the same disorder. This may have
explained the reluctance of the king
TO permit an examination OF the head
Of the queen mother, though popular
opinion at the time lays 1t to fear OF
the discovery Of the poison used to
hasten the death OF strong-minded
woman who was extremely antagon.
istic TO many of the ruling Catholic
families of Europe.
y In spite of the death OF Queen Jane,
the royal nuptials we're celebrated at
the cathedral Of Notre Dame, Margaret