第 22 节
作者:摄氏0度      更新:2021-02-20 15:49      字数:9320
  accompanied by Ratel; Mallet; and the girl Godard。 She makes the
  journey by night。 She has a conference alone with one of the
  brothers Chaussard; an excited conference。 She is armed with a
  pistol; and threatens to blow out the brains of her accomplice if
  he refuses the money。 Then he goes with her into the forest; and
  they return with a heavy bag of coin。 In the bag are copper coins
  and twelve…sous silver pieces to the amount of fifteen hundred
  francs。
  When the woman Bryond returns to Alencon the accomplices propose
  to go in a body to the Chaussards' house and torture them until
  they deliver up the whole sum。
  When Pannier hears of this failure he is furious。 He threatens。
  The woman Bryond; though threatening him in return with Rifoel's
  wrath; is forced to fly。
  These facts rest on the confession of Ratel。
  Mallet; pitying the woman Bryond's position; offers her an asylum。
  Then Mallet and Ratel; accompanied by Hiley and Cibot; go at night
  to the brothers Chaussard; this time they find these brothers have
  left the place and have taken the rest of the money with them。
  This was the last effort of the accomplices to recover the
  proceeds of the robbery。
  It now becomes necessary to show the exact part taken by each of
  the actors in this crime。
  Dubut; Boislaurier; Herbomez; Courceuil; and Hiley were the
  ringleaders。 Some deliberated and planned; others acted。
  Boislaurier; Dubut; and Courceuil; all three fugitives from
  justice and outlawed; are addicted to rebellion; fomenters of
  trouble; implacable enemies of Napoleon the Great; his victories;
  his dynasty; and his government; haters of our new laws and of the
  constitution of the Empire。
  Herbomez and Hiley audaciously executed that which the three
  former planned。
  The guilt of the seven instruments of the crime; namely; Cibot;
  Lisieux; Grenier; Bruce; Horeau; Cabot; and Minard; is evident; it
  appears from the confessions of those of them who are now in the
  hands of justice; Lisieux died during the investigation; and Bruce
  has fled the country。
  The conduct of Rousseau; who drove the coach; marks him as an
  accomplice。 His slow method of driving; his haste at the entrance
  of the wood; his persistent declaration that his head was covered;
  whereas the passengers testify that the leader of the brigands
  told him to take the handkerchief off his head and recognize them;
  all these facts are strong presumptive evidence of collusion。
  As for the woman Bryond and the notary Leveille; could any
  co…operation be more connected; more continuous than theirs? They
  repeatedly furnished means for the crime; they were privy to it;
  and they abetted it。 Leveille travelled constantly。 The woman
  Bryond invented scheme after scheme; she risked all; even her
  life; to recover the plunder。 She lent her house; her carriage;
  her hand is seen in the plot from the beginning; she did not
  dissuade the chief leader of all; Rifoel; since executed; although
  through her guilty influence upon him she might have done so。 She
  made her waiting…woman; the girl Godard; an accomplice。 As for
  Leveille; he took an active part in the actual perpetration of the
  crime by seeking the axe the brigands asked for。
  The woman Bourget; Vauthier; the Chaussards; Pannier; the woman
  Lechantre; Mallet and Ratel; all participated in the crime in
  their several degrees; as did the innkeepers Melin; Binet;
  Laraviniere; and Chargegrain。
  Bourget has died during the investigation; after making a
  confession which removes all doubt as to the part played by
  Vauthier and the woman Bryond; if he attempted to extenuate that
  of his wife and his nephews Chaussard; his motives are easy to
  understand。
  The Chaussards knowingly fed and lodged the brigands; they saw
  them armed; they witnessed all their arrangements and knew the
  object of them; and lastly; they received the plunder; which they
  hid; and as it appears; stole from their accomplices。
  Pannier; the former treasurer of the rebels; concealed the woman
  Bryond in his house; he is one of the most dangerous accomplices
  of this crime; which he knew from its inception。 In him certain
  mysterious relations which are still obscure took their rise; the
  authorities now have these matters under investigation。 Pannier
  was the right hand of Rifoel; the depositary of the secrets of the
  counter…revolutionary party of the West; he regretted that Rifoel
  introduced women into the plot and confided in them; it was he who
  received the stolen money from the woman Bryond and conveyed it to
  Rifoel。
  As for the conduct of the two gendarmes Ratel and Mallet; it
  deserves the severest penalty of the law。 They betrayed their
  duty。 One of them; foreseeing his fate; committed suicide; but not
  until he had made important revelations。 The other; Mallet; denies
  nothing; his tacit admissions preclude all doubt; especially as to
  the guilt of the woman Bryond。
  The woman Lechantre; in spite of her constant denials; was privy
  to all。 The hypocrisy of this woman; who attempts to shelter her
  assumed innocence under the mask of a false piety; has certain
  antecedents which prove her decision of character and her
  intrepidity in extreme cases。 She alleges that she was misled by
  her daughter; and believed that the plundered money belonged to
  the Sieur Bryond;a common excuse! If the Sieur Bryond had
  possessed any property; he would not have left the department on
  account of his debts。 The woman Lechantre claims that she did not
  suspect a shameful theft; because she saw the proceedings approved
  by her ally; Boislaurier。 But how does she explain the presence of
  Rifoel (already executed) at Saint…Savin; the journeys to and fro;
  the relations of that young man with her daughter; the stay of the
  brigands at Saint…Savin; where they were served by her daughter
  and the girl Godard? She alleges sleep; declares it to be her
  practice to go to bed at seven in the evening; and has no answer
  to make when the magistrate points out to her that if she rises;
  as she says she does; at dawn; she must have seen some signs of
  the plot; of the sojourn of so many persons; and of the nocturnal
  goings and comings of her daughter。 To this she replies that she
  was occupied in prayer。 This woman is a mass of hypocrisy。 Lastly;
  her journey on the day of the crime; the care she takes to carry
  her daughter to Mortagne; her conduct about the money; her
  precipitate flight when all is discovered; the pains she is at to
  conceal herself; even the circumstances of her arrest; all go to
  prove a long…existing complicity。 She has not acted like a mother
  who desires to save her daughter and withdraw her from danger; but
  like a trembling accomplice。 And her complicity is not that of a
  misguided tenderness; it is the fruit of party spirit; the
  inspiration of a well…known hatred against the government of His
  Imperial and Royal Majesty。 Misguided maternal tenderness; if that
  could be fairly alleged in her defence; would not; however; excuse
  it; and we must not forget that consentment; long…standing and
  premeditated; is the surest sign of guilt。
  Thus all the elements of the crime and the persons committing it
  are fully brought to light。
  We see the madness of faction combining with pillage and greed; we
  see assassination advised by party spirit; under whose aegis these
  criminals attempt to justify themselves for the basest crimes。 The
  leaders give the signal for the pillage of the public money; which
  money is to be used for their ulterior crimes; vile stipendiaries
  do this work for a paltry price; not recoiling from murder; then
  the fomenters of rebellion; not less guilty because their own
  hands have neither robbed nor murdered; divide the booty and
  dispose of it。 What community can tolerate such outrages? The law
  itself is scarcely rigorous enough to duly punish them。
  It is upon the above facts that this Court of Criminal and Special
  Justice is called upon to decide whether the prisoners Herbomez;
  Hiley; Cibot; Grenier; Horeau; Cabot; Minard; Melin; Binet;
  Laraviniere; Rousseau; the woman Bryond; Leveille; the woman
  Bourget; Vauthier; Chaussard the elder; Pannier; the widow
  Lechantre; Mallet; all herein named and described; and arraigned
  before this court; also Boislaurier; Dubut; Courceuil; Bruce; the
  younger Chaussard; Chargegrain; and the girl Godard;these latter
  being absent and fugitives from justice;are or are not guilty of
  the crimes charged in this indictment。
  Done at Caen; this 1st of December; 180。
  (Signed)   Baron Bourlac;
  Attorney…General。
  X
  PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DESPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU
  This legal paper; much shorter and more imperative than such
  indictments are these days; when they are far more detailed and more
  precise; especially as to the antecedent life of accused persons;
  affected Godefroid deeply。 The dryness of the statement in which the
  official pen narrated in red ink the principal details of the affair