d for half an hour, and was found dead the next day, but
when opened no part of it was found to be affected by the poison. A
second trial of the same poison was made upon a pigeon, which soon died.
When opened, nothing peculiar was found except a little reddish water in
the stomach."

These experiments proved that Sainte-Croix was a learned chemist, and
suggested the idea that he did not employ his art for nothing; everybody
recalled the sudden, unexpected deaths that had occurred, and the bonds
from the marquise and from Penautier looked like blood-money. As one of
these two was absent, and the other so powerful and rich that they dared
not arrest him without proofs, attention was now paid to the objection
put in by Lachaussee.

It was said in the objection that Lachaussee had spent seven years in
the service of Sainte-Croix, so he could not have considered the time
he had passed with the d'Aubrays as an interruption to this service. The
bag containing the thousand pistoles and the three bonds for a hundred
livres had been found in the place indicated; thus Lachaussee had a
thorough knowledge of this closet: if he knew the closet, he would know
about the box; if he knew about the box, he could not be an innocent
man. This was enough to induce Madame Mangot de Villarceaux, the
lieutenant's widow, to lodge an accusation against him, and in
consequence a writ was issued against Lachaussee, and he was arrested.

When this happened, poison was found upon him. The trial came on before
the Chatelet. Lachaussee denied his guilt obstinately. The judges
thinking they had no sufficient proof, ordered the preparatory question
to be applied. Mme. Mangot appealed from a judgment which would probably
save the culprit if he had the strength to resist the torture and own to
nothing;

[Note: There were two kinds of question, one before and one
after the sentence was passed. In the first, an accused
person would endure frightful torture in the hope of saving
his life, and so would often confess nothing. In the
second, there was no hope, and therefore it was not worth
while to suffer additional pains.]

so, in virtue of this appeal, a judgment, on March 4th, 1673, declared
that Jean Amelin Lachaussee was convicted of having poisoned the
lieutenant and the councillor; for which he was to be broken alive on
the wheel, having been first subjected to the question both ordinary and
extraordinary, with a vi