Volume 1

Eccentric personages / by W. Russell.

  • Russell, William
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Eccentric personages / by W. Russell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    general had been poisoned, and was dying in great agony. He could only ejaculate with much difficulty, and a word or syllable at a time, in answer to M. Portalis, “ Mafemme—mufemme m a empoisonne-—lecaje—le cafe:' (My wife—my wife has poisoned me—the coffee—the eoffee) —and died with the last word upon, his lips. The wife, who passionately protested her inno- cence, was immediately arrested and taken to prison. * A long inquiry into all the circum- stances of the case ensued. The main facts established were, that a subtle tasteless poison had been mixed with the coffee of which M. d’Estrees had partaken—Madame d’Estrees, as was her custom, had previously breakfasted —the coffee was prepared in the kitchen, but of course Madame d’Estrees, who was in the breakfast-room where it was served two or three minutes before her husband came downstairs, and left it immediately he did, which she was also proved to be in the habit of doing, had full opportunity of mixing the poison with the coffee. It was also proved that Edouard Cazo had been seen prowling about near M. d’Estrees’ residence for several days previous to that on which M. d’Estrees was murdered. No one had, however, seen him and Madame d’Estrees together. The only person in the farmer- 1—2