Frederick Schiller - The Pitaval Casebook

This incidence kept Saint Croix ready for the right moment when all the advantages which he has intentioned for himself in the crime would come. He exhibited two letters from the Marquess, the first one of 30 000 Pounds in his own name and the other one of 25 000 Pounds in Martin’s name. So great were hence the sums which the Marquess paid for the murder of her brothers!

In the meantime, the civil Lieutenant's condition would worsen day by day. He observed an insurmountable aversion for any dish and his vomiting continued. Three days before his death, he felt a raging fire in his stomach, which seemed to devour him totally. He died, finally, on June 17th, 1670. During his autopsy, people found the stomach and the bladder totally blackened and dried, as if they were burned by an intense fire; and the liver was deformed and gangrened. It was concluded that he must have been poisoned. But who should be the suspected man? People did not have yet the least suspicion.

The Marquess has taken the precaution, during this incident, to go to the countryside. Saint Croix reported to her, now, the death of the civil Lieutenant by adding: the Member of Parliament's condition would allow to hope that he soon will follow his brother.

In fact, the Member of Parliament had also the same symptoms as his brother. He must, however, still spend one month longer in this deplorable situation.

His mind was not lesser martyred by a painful fear, than his body by violent pains. Unceasingly suffering from inside and outside, he found every position uncomfortable. Staying in bed was a martyrdom to him; and yet, has he hardly left it, that he demanded to return there again to seek relief which he found only in the arms of death. People opened his corpse and found his stomach and liver in the same condition as his brother's. That LaChaussée was the murderer, he guessed so little for he bequeathed him a rather large sum of 300 Pounds in his will, which would be given to him without any difficulty.

Yet, the Marquess' thirst for inheritance was still not quenched. Until now, she has worked for half for her sister with whom she has to share their brothers' inheritance. To have everything for herself, this latter must also be gotten rid of, and hence, her work was still only half done, if a fourth murder would still not follow the previous three. She saw, hence, to it that her sister would also succumb with the namely weapons. Only that this one, warned by so many terrible examples which happened so rapidly, one after the others in her family, was on her guard and faced all the subsequent events with intelligent precaution.

However, the Marquess' husband would also be involved in the worst manner. “Lady Brinvillier”, told Lady Sévigné in her 270th letter, “wanted to marry Saint Croix and gave many times to her husband poison to be able to execute this plan. Saint Croix, however, who really did not have any envy to marry a woman who was equal to him in abomination, sought every time to hinder the execution of this plan, and brought him antidote. Only in this way would the unfortunate husband be able to maintain his life: targeted by two monsters, he would sometimes be poisoned, sometimes be given antidote.”

People were speaking, now, only about these three rapid death cases, and the circumstances under which they took place, did not allow any doubt that the father as well as the two sons have died of poisoning.

However, people only had empty presumptions about their authors. Saint Croix was not the least suspected. Every one believed that his relationship with the Marquess was already over for a long time; why should he, hence, have committed these crimes? LaChaussée was also not suspected. He has observed so much innocence in covering his culpability not lesser than as in executing the same crimes that it did not occur to anyone to prescribe them to him.

A fortuity uncovered, finally, the whole infernal plot. Saint Croix had, in truth, fulfilled his goal with the Aubray family.

Only that for a man whose desires would only become ever insatiable with every satisfaction, an art which offered such easy means to reach any goal, had too much attraction to be left aside unused immediately after the first attempt. Rather more, he now only furthered the study of the same art with even greater zeal. The poisons which he concocted were so fine that they could kill with a single inhalation; for that reason, he always wear during his preparations a glass mask to keep himself from the poisonous emanations. One day, however, his mask fell from his face, and he was killed on the spot.

No one knew whether he still had relatives. The authority allowed, hence, his belongings to be sealed and made an inventory of them. Among other things, was also discovered a small coffer in which, by its opening, people immediately found on its top a writing with the following content:

“I ask the person in whose hands this coffer could fall, to have the graciousness to deliver the same coffer, by hand, to the Marquess of Brinvillier, on the new Paul Street, because everything that it contains concerns her alone and belonged to her alone, and no other human being can have an interest in it apart from her. Should, however, this Lady already have died before me; hence, I ask that the same little coffer neither be opened, nor its content be tested, but rather, to burn it immediately with all its content.

Should, however, the person in whose hands this coffer shall fall, take as an excuse that people hence cannot know whether all this is true or not; hence, I swear to God whom I pray and to all that is sacred, that it is the real truth. Should such person, however, despite all this, act contrarily to my good intention and careful instructions; hence, I put the consequences on his conscience in this and the other world, while I declare that this is my last will.

Written in Paris, on May 25th, 1672, in the afternoon.

Signed by Saint Croix.

Further down was still written: “Parcel intentioned for Mister Penautier who should deliver it.”

The authority did not have any reluctance to examine the coffer; and we will, now, give our readers a description of its treasures under the protection of God and all that is most sacred, in the words of the affidavit communicated about it.

“1. In the little coffer was found a pack with eight seals of different types with the inscription: “Papers which are to be burned after my death, as they cannot be of any use to anyone. I ask very appropriately, for that reason, and I put it on the conscience of the person in whose hands they will fall, that he should follow the instructions, but without opening these letters.” In this pack were two other parcels which contained sublimated mercury.

“2. Another pack with six seals of different designs and labeled in the same manner, in which a half pound of sublimated mercury was equally found.

“3. A pack sealed and labeled in the same manner, with three smaller packs: the first contained half an ounce of mercury, the second two ounces of sublimated mercury and one fourth pound of Roman vitriol, and the third one contained calcined vitriol.

“4. A large square bottle containing a nettle in a clear water, but which as Mister Moreau, the doctor, assured, cannot be ascertained until it is analyzed.

“5. Another smaller bottle with the same clear water, on which bottom a white deposit was found. Mister Moreau made the same remark about it.

“6. A small pot of porcelain in which were two or three ounces of prepared opium.

“7. A folded paper container in which were found two drams of sublimated corrosive mercury.

“8. A box of infernal stones.

“9. A folded paper containing an ounce of opium.

“10. A three-ounce piece of Regulus Antimonii.

“11. A pack of powder on which cover was written: “To calm women's blood”. Mister Moreau said, it is made of dried quince burgeons and leaves.