she stands accused(她是被告)-第56节
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were tedious to follow the course of this long argument。 After a lengthy
dissertation on the progress of an acute indigestion and the effects of a
strangulated hernia M。 Devergie said that； as the poison existed in the
body； from the symptoms shown in the illness it could be assumed that
death had resulted from arsenic。 The duration of the illness was in
accord with the amount of arsenic found。
M。 Flandin agreed with this； but M。 Pelouze abstained from expressing
an opinion。 He； however； rather gave the show away； by saying that if he
was a doctor he would take care to forbid any arsenical preparations。
‘‘These preparations；'' he said moodily； ‘‘can introduce a melancholy
obscurity into the investigations of criminal justice。''
Some sense was brought into the discussion by Dr Molas； of Auch。
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He put forward the then accepted idea of the accumulation of arsenic taken
in small doses； and the power of this accumulation； on the least accident；
of determining death。
This was rather like chucking a monkey…wrench into the cerebration
machinery of the Paris experts。 They admitted that the absorption and
elimination of arsenic varied with the individual； and generally handed the
case over to the defence。 M。 Devergie was the only one who stuck out；
but only partially even then。 ‘‘I persist in believing；'' he said； ‘‘ that M。
Lacoste succumbed to poisoning by arsenic； but I use the word ‘poisoning'
only from the point of view of science： arsenic killed him。''
％ VII
The speech of the Procureur du Roi was another resume of the acte
d'accusation； with consideration of that part of the evidence which suited
him best。
This was followed by the speech of Maitre Canteloup in defence of
Meilhan。 The speech was a good effort which demonstrated that；
whatever rumour might accuse the schoolmaster of； there were plenty of
people of standing who had found him upright and free from stain through
a long life。 It reproached the accusation with jugglery over dates and so
forth in support of its case； and confidently predicted the acquittal of
Meilhan。
Then followed the speech of Maitre Alem…Rousseau on behalf of the
Veuve Lacoste。 Among other things the advocate brought forward the
fact that Euphemie was not so poorly born as the prosecution had made
out； but that she had every chance of inheriting some 20；000 francs from
her parents。 It was notorious that when Henri Lacoste first broached the
subject of marriage with Euphemie he was not so rich as he afterwards
became； but； in fact； believed he had lost the inheritance from his brother
Philibert； this last having made a will in favour of a young man of whom
popular rumour made him the father。 This was in 1839。 The marriage
was celebrated in May of 1841。 Henri Lacoste； it is true； had hidden his
intentions； but when news of the marriage reached the ears of brother
Philibert that brother was so delighted that he destroyed the will which
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disinherited Henri。 It was thus right to say that Euphemie became the
benefactor of her husband。 Where was the speculative marriage on the
part of Euphemie that the prosecution talked about？
Maitre Alem…Rousseau made short work of the medico…legal evidence
（he had little bother with the facts of the illness）。 Poison was found in
the body。 The question was； how had it got there？ Was it quite certain
that arsenic could not get into the human body save by ingestion； that it
could not exist in the human body normally？ The science of the day said
no； he knew； but the science of yesterday had said yes。 Who knew what
the science of to…morrow would say？
The advocate made use of the evidence of a witness whose testimony I
have failed to find in the accounts of the trial。 This witness spoke of
Lacoste's having asked； in Bordeaux； for a certain liquor of ‘‘Saint…Louis；''
a liquor which Mme Lacoste took to be an anisette。 ‘‘No；'' said Lacoste；
‘‘women don't take it。'' Maitre Alem…Rousseau had tried to discover
what this liquor of Saint…Louis was。 During the trial he had come upon
the fact that the arsenical preparation known as Fowler's solution had been
administered for the first time in the hospital of Saint…Louis； in Paris。 He
showed an issue of the Hospital Gazette in which the advertisement could
be read： ‘‘Solution de Fowler telle qu'on l'administre a SAINT…LOUIS！''
The jury could make what they liked of that fact。
The advocate now produced documents to prove that the marriage of
Euphemie with her grand…uncle had not been so much to her advantage；
but had beenit must have beena marriage of affection。 At the time
when the marriage was arranged； he proved； Lacoste had no more than
35；000 francs to his name。 Euphemie had 15；000 francs on her marriage
and the hope of 20；000 francs more。 The pretence of the prosecution；
that her contentment with the abject duties which she had to perform in the
house was dictated by interest； fell to the ground with the preliminary
assumption that she had married for her husband's money。
Maitre Alem； defending the widow's gayish conduct after her
husband's death； declared it to be natural enough。 It had been shown to
be innocent。 He trounced the Press for helping to exaggerate the rumours
which envy of Mme Lacoste's good fortune had created。 He asked the
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jury to acquit Mme Lacoste。
The Procureur du Roi had another say。 It was again an attempt to
destroy the ‘system' of the defence； but by making a mystery of the fact
that the Lacoste…Verges marriage had not taken place in a church he gave
the wily Maitre Alem an opportunity for following him。
The summing…up of the President on the third day of the trial was； it is
said； a model of clarity and impartiality。 The jury returned on all the
points put to them a verdict of ‘‘Not guilty'' for both the accused。
％ VIII
Another verdict may now seem to have been hardly possible。 The
accusation was built up on the jealousy of neighbours； on chance
circumstances； on testimonies founded on petty spite。 But； combined
with the medico…legal evidence； the weight of circumstance might easily
have hoisted the accused in the balance。
It will be seen； then； how much on foot the case of the Veuve Lacoste
was with that of the Veuve Boursier； twenty years before。
It is on the experience of cases such as these two that the technique of
investigation into arsenical poison has been evolved。 In the case of
Veuve Boursier you find M。 Orfila discovering oxide of arsenic where M。
Barruel saw only grains of fat。 Four years previous to the case of the
Veuve Lacoste that same Orfila came into the trial of Mme Lafarge with
the first use in medical jurisprudence of the Marsh test； and based on the
experiment a cocksure opinion which had much to do with the
condemnation of that unfortunate woman。 In the Lacoste trial you find
the Parisian experts giving an opinion of no greater value than that of
Orfila's in the Lafarge case； but find also an element of doubt introduced
by the country practitioner； with his common sense on the then moot
question of the accumulation； the absorption； and elimination of the drug。
Nowadays we are quite certain that our experts in medical
jurisprudence know all there is to know about arsenical poisoning。 What
are the chances； however； in spite of our apparently well…fou
