Causes Célèbres. father and son; he had not only recognized them, but he had spoken to them. As to the father, he could not swear positively, but he was sure as to the son. Such a revelation, falling like a thunder bolt upon the heads of two men already objects of suspicion, left no room for hesi tation or doubt. Daignaud, a poor devil, a simple peasant, who could have no possible interest in accusing these men, accused them in a most positive manner. If they had attempted this crime, was it not more than probable that they were the authors of the other? Justice did not hesitate, and father and son were at once arrested. On the 6th of December a search was made by the authorities in the Lesniers' house. There they discovered a waistcoat and a cotton shirt, both of which had sus picious-looking spots upon them which closely resembled human blood. In the cellar were found four casks of wine, but a cooper who had repaired the casks belonging to old Gay only a short time before, declared that these casks had never passed through his hands. Although the Lesniers had been arrested, there was still really nothing tangible as yet discovered to connect them with the murder of old Gay, and the magistrates were greatly relieved in their minds when the probabil ities at last resolved themselves into absolute certainty. A demonstration of the guilt of these two men was offered to the perplexed officials. A woman furnished it; and this woman was no other than the wife of Lespagne, Marie Cessac, with whom, as we have already stated, Lesnier had been on very intimate terms. On the 28th of December the mayor of Fieu called on the juge de paix of Coutras, and informed him that Marie Cessac had made the following confession to him : — "About a year since I unfortunately made the acquaintance of young M. Lesnier. I say unfortunately, for it was he who by his suggestions, his counsels, and his threats, finally occasioned a separation between my
husband and myself, — a separation which I bitterly regret. M. Lesnier, always advising me treacherously, ordered me to preserve an absolute silence regarding himself. If I did not, he said that I should repent it. As he always carried a pistol, I was in great fear. . . . From that time, by his menaces, he kept me completely under his power." Coining to the matter of the murder of old Gay, Marie Cessac stated : " After the fire M. Lesnier met me in the street and joined me. He made me a present of a piece of cloth, telling me that if I was sum moned as a witness to be sure not to men tion his name." She said, further, that on the night of the fire she had seen Lesnier go out from his house, cross a field, and take a little path which led to Petit-Masse. He was walking very rapidly. What was most remarkable in this explicit statement was, first, that it was entirely vol untary; then, that although Marie Cessac had been questioned before with the other witnesses by the juge d'instruction of Libourne, she had then stated nothing worthy of attention. In regard to this last singu larity she said : " I forgot all these different facts when I was at Libourne, but when they came to my mind I thought it best to make them known." On the 4th of January, 1848, Marie Ces sac again appeared voluntarily before the juge de paix of Coutras. She wished to add to her former statement. She said that three days after the fire Lesnier approached her during recess; he appeared disturbed. "What is the matter with you?" she asked. "Oh, I have passed several bad nights," he replied, " but last night was better. I have been much worried because I feared that they might make a search for old Gay's wine, but I think they have now given it up, and I begin to be less uneasy." Four or five days before the fire, she stated, Lesnier said to her, " You shall come and stay with my father and his family at Petit-Masse, I am going to re build the house." " And old Gay, where
