HOW TORTURE WAS ABOLISHED IN FRANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 66

HOW TORTURE WAS ABOLISHED IN FRANCE.

(Georcie H. Westlky, in the Green Bag.) Up to near the close of the eighteenth century the laws of France were barbarously severe. When the celebrated jurist Le Page was appointed president of one of the highest courts, he endeavoured to have the rigour of these laws mitigated, and especially he sought to have abolished the statute permitting torture to 'be applied to suspected or accused persons. His colleagues, however, were for retaining the torture and employing it as often as occasion required. This stirred up had feeling between M. le President and his associates, who did not hesitate to accuse him of seeking popularity at the expense of duty. The result of this quarrel was that the" laws were enforced even move rigorously than before, and as it was M. le President's duty to pronounce the 'harsh decrees formed by his colleagues, he found himself in a position racking both to his pride and his sympathies But he was resolved that torture should be abolished, and at length he hit upon a plan to «ive France from a continuance of this disgrace. M. le Page had a foster-sister, Francoise. a beautiful young girl, who about this time had come to Paris and been installed in his house. One day after she had been there i few weeks, M. le Page misled a gold snuff-box ornamented with diamonds, an article he set much store upon as a family heirloom. A great stir was made over the loss, and at length the public prosecutor was called in to make a thoiough search. He did not have to go far ; the missing snuff box was found concealed in the bottom of the foster-sister's trunk. Her guilt was plain. She was arrested and haled before the judges for trial. M. le Page's colleagues, relying as they said on his absolute impartiality, caused him to preside, as though the case were any other. Francoise. being examined, denied everything. With pale, tearful face she told them of her innocence, declaring that she had had not even the thought of such a crime, and calling upon 'her foster-brother to save her from the disgraceful imputation. But M. le Page remained apparently unmoved by her pleading, and coldly commanded t'liat the torture be used to extract the truth from her This was immediately done. The girl's arms was bared and the terrible instrument applied to her hand. As the screws were tightened, crushing her poor fingers, she elfrieked with agony. Still M. le Page let the fearful ordeal go on, though great drops of sweat upon his face showed 'how he was suffering. At length the unfortunate girl could stand no more. She cried out that s-he was guilty and then sank upon the floor unconscious. That evening there was a ball given at Court. M. le Page appeared there and sought an interview Avith his Majesty •Louis XVI. " Sire." said he, kneeling before the King — " Sire, this day my fester-sister has been accused of theft, and being put to the torture has confessed the crime." "Very ivell, she must suffer for it.' "But", sire, this theft was n invention of my own." The king recoiled with honor. " How ! What means this?" he exclaimed. "Sire, I wished to prove to Fiance that the torture is a source of the rao<t frigh.tful injustice — the destroyer of truth and innocence. To this cause I have sao-irked the being whom I love best on earth. Oh, let her trials, sire, 'be not in vain ' " The King placed his hand on hi-- forehead ; his great officer? stood by. Turning to them, he said : " From this hour let torture no more disgrace the laws ol France."