Marquise De Ganges: Celebrated CrimesDumas, Alexandre
General
Marquise De Ganges: Celebrated Crimes
Dumas, Alexandre
Crime
M. Catalan, the very moment he was informed of the marquise’s death,
having with him twelve guards belonging to the governor, ten
archers, and a poqueton,—despatched them to the marquis’s castle
with orders to seize his person, that of the priest, and those of
all the servants except the groom who had assisted the marquise in
her flight. The officer in command of this little squad found the
marquis walking up and down, melancholy and greatly disturbed, in
the large hall of the castle, and when he signified to him the
order of which he was the bearer, the marquis, without making any
resistance, and as though prepared for what was happening to him,
replied that he was ready to obey, and that moreover he had always
intended to go before the Parliament to accuse the murderers of his
wife. He was asked for the key of his cabinet, which he gave up,
and the order was given to conduct him, with the other persons
accused, to the prisons of Montpellier. As soon as the marquis came
into that town, the report of his arrival spread with incredible
rapidity from street to street. Then, as it was dark, lights came
to all the windows, and people corning out with torches formed a
torchlight procession, by means of which everybody could see him.
He, like the priest, was mounted on a sorry hired horse, and
entirely surrounded by archers, to whom, no doubt, he owed his life
on this occasion; for the indignation against him was so great that
everyone was egging on his neighbours to tear him limb from limb,
which would certainly have come to pass had he not been so
carefully defended and guarded.
Immediately upon receiving news of her daughter’s death, Madame de
Rossan took possession of all her property, and, making herself a party
to the case, declared that she would never desist from her suit until
her daughter’s death was avenged. M. Catalan began the examination at
once, and the first interrogation to which he submitted the marquis
lasted eleven hours. Then soon afterwards he and the other persons
accused were conveyed from the prisons of Montpellier to those of
Toulouse. A crushing memorial by Madame de Rossan followed them, in
which she demonstrated with absolute clearness that the marquis had
participated in the crime of his two brothers, if not in act, in
thought, desire, and intention.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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