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 Causes Célèbres. was suspected of the crime of forgery, but there was not sufficient evidence against him to warrant a prosecution. In 1842, having become a widower, he married again at Bor deaux. Being out of work, he proceeded to Orleans to seek employment. Late in October Montely obtained a situ ation in the office of an insurance company. His having been without employment of any kind for so long a time had reduced him to pecuniary straits. He was largely in debt, and had even been obliged to pawn his clothes. Besides the active inquiry instituted as to the past life of Montely, the police were none the less indefatigable in their endeavors to obtain information as to his movements about the time of the crime. It was ascer tained that after taking the room No. 2 at the H6tel de l'Europe, he sent a message by one Lanvray, a lamplighter, to Boisselier, expressing a wish to see him. Meantime Montely waited at the corner of the Rue Meslee. It was then half-past seven. Lan vray witnessed the meeting of Boisselier and Monthly. Boisselier expressed surprise, saying, " What! is it you? You are still here then?" Between seven and eight o'clock Boisse lier and Monthly entered a cafe kept by one Cointepas. There they had a bottle of wine. Presently they left the cafe, and Bois selier was not afterwards seen alive. Between eight and nine, Montely, alone, entered a cutler's shop and purchased a dozen table-knives. He then asked for a carving-knife. The cutler declined to sell the knife without a carving-fork; so Mon tely bought both knife and fork, saying, "Make haste, I am keeping a coach wait ing." The cutler was certain that this was before nine o'clock; he had not yet break fasted. He was also certain about the day; it was the day before he heard of the murder of Boisselier. Notwithstanding all these overwhelming proofs, Montely persisted in denying every thing. On the 26th of February, 1843, he

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appeared before the Court of Assizes of Loiret charged with wilful murder. An im mense crowd was attracted to the trial. Every one wished to see this wretch who had murdered his friend in cold blood. It was said that since his arrest he had been affected by two things only, — the irons which they had placed upon his feet and hands; and his separation from his wife, for whom he seemed to feel a most profound love. Upon the walls of his cell he had traced inscriptions which revealed the constant pre occupation of his mind, and of which the following is an example : — Oh, Ccelina, most miserable fined in a cell he lives only suffering.

my dear wife, you possess the and unfortunate of men, — con in the prison of Orleans, where for you, alone in this place of Monthly.

It was also said that for a week he had obstinately refused any kind of food, and that it was not the fear of death but the influence of religion which had made him abandon his resolution. The accused was introduced. He was a man twenty-six years of age, low of stature, thick-set, of dark complexion, — " le front deprime, l'oeil dur et oblique." He was dressed in black and wore a mustache. He was calm and collected, and professed a per fect innocence, meeting the statements of the witnesses with a positive denial. In the course of the trial, however, he declared that he would confess the whole truth. "I had," he said, "loaned three hundred francs to Boisselier, who begged me to say nothing to his wife. I came to Orleans on the 20th of November to collect my money. I went to the H6tel de l'Europe, and sent a messenger to the bank to tell Boisselier that I wished to speak to him. He came in re sponse to my message, but he brought no money. I had been shaving, and had acci dentally cut myself with the razor. Boisselier, who had his bills for collection in his hand,