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 Causes Célèbres. recalling to the magistrate remarkable exam ples of grave judicial errors. An autopsy made upon the bodies of the young victims demonstrated that their death was caused by the blow of an instrument resembling a knife. Dame Jean furnished one of the eleven knives remaining of the dozen out of which had been taken the one sold to Papavoine; and this knife applied to the wounds fitted perfectly. The investigation added new facts to those already known. It was ascertained that Papavoine had always exhibited a strange character; he was of a taciturn nature, but at the same time 'kindly-disposed and obliging. He had never manifested any of the small vices which are almost inevitably met with in young men. Very uncommunicative, sen sible, faithful to his duties, respectful to his superiors, he had always been noted as an unsympathetic man, but as an excellent em ploye and as a reliable, peaceable person. It was discovered, it is true, that when, on his journey from Beauvais to Paris, he wrote to his mother asking for more wearing ap parel and also begging her to send him two sharp table-knives. These knives were found in the Rue Saint-Pierre-Montmartre. Papavoine, then, had not departed for Vincennes with the intention of committing a murder. As for the knife bought of Dame Jean, it was impossible to discover any trace of it. Suddenly, on the 15th of November, Papa voine renounced his denials. He confessed that he committed the crime; he confessed even more than was asked of him. He declared that he had been deceived in killing the son and datighter of the woman Herin, and that it was his intention to have mur dered the Enfants de Fiance. Four years only had elapsed since the fatal day on which the Due de Berri had been struck down by Louvel. France had not yet recovered from the impression made by that attempt; and at the first word of Papavoine, the authorities believed that they had found a new fanatic. Papavoine, in

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making these strange confessions, spoke of great revelations; he demanded an interview with Madame la Duchesse d'Angouleme and with Madame la Duchesse de Berri. This demand being refused, he insisted on ap pearing before one of the two princesses, which was also refused him. Presently a new series of acts called atten tion again to Papavoine. In his prison he attempted to set fire to his bed. Interro gated as to this attempt, he coolly declared that he wished to burn the fleas. On the 17th of November he violently seized a knife which he found near his door and' struck a young prisoner by the name of Labiey. As a motive for this new act, he said that Labiey belonged to the Orleans faction. The young prisoner was not seri ously wounded. The authorities saw in these acts the de velopment of a new system. In their eyes, Papavoine was simulating madness and seek ing in other crimes the justification of his first. But the motive for the first crime had not been discovered when the trial took place, in February, 1825, before the Court of Assizes of the Seine, M. Hardouin presiding. We give a portion of the examination of Papavoine by the President. The President. " Papavoine, in what year did you enter the navy?" Papavoine. "In 1805 I was employed in the Navy Department at Brest." "Then, after your father's death, you and your mother were reduced for subsistence to the three hundred francs' pension which you had from the navy?" "Yes, Monsieur." "Why did you go from Mouy to Beau vais?" "I was uneasy; I was sick, tormented, ill at ease." "Why did you come to Paris?" "Because my mother sent me some orders from the War Department which were not in proper form, and I wished to have them made so."