mm1980
Onlooker
Hi everyone
My first post (except of the Hello-message), so please be understanding
I'm not so creative, but I enjoy reading, and I was very surprised that the following text hasn't appeared on the forum yet. I found the story of Louise Mabre on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_burning, and the source of the story is: https://books.google.de/books?id=DIsfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA522&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
The cruel midwife, with her horrible punishment
In the year 1673, an eminent midwife in Paris had, by her great skill in her profession, obtained the favours of the greater part of the inhabitants - the gentee1er of whom she delivered at their own houses; but for those, whom either inclination, or a worse cause, made it necessary to be secretly delivered, she had provided accommodations at her own house, to which great numbers resorted.
It happened that a gentleman who lived next door to the midwife had observed, that although many pregnant women went to be delivered at her house, yet very few children were brought out, and his suspicions of foul play towards the infants increasing daily; he at length consulted with some of his neighbours, who joined him in requesting a warrant from a magistrate to search for some plate, which they pretended to have lost. In order, however, not to alarm the midwife, they began their sham search at the distance of nine or ten houses from her's.
When they came, however, to her abode, she affected the utmost unconcern, desiring the gentlemen not to hurry themselves, but to proceed in their search, with all possible circumspection; -they did so-and oµ their coming to the necessary-house, they put down a hook, which they bad brought with them on purpose, and took up the body of a child newly destroyed. They continued the search, till they had found no less, than sixty two children - some of whom were in great measure decayed; but many of them appeared to have been deposited in that place within a very few weeks at the most.
The consequence of this was, that the midwife was immediately apprehended, and brought to trial, and condemned on the fullest evidence, besides her own confession. She was sentenced to be executed in the following manner, and she suffered accordingly on the 28th day of May, 1673.
"A gibbet was erected, under which a fire was made, and the prisoner being brought to the place of execution, was hung up in a large iron cage, in which were also placed sixteen wild cats, which bad been catched in the woods for the purpose.-When the heat of the fire became too great to be endured with patience, the cats flew upon the woman, as the cause of the intense pain they felt.-In about fifteen minutes they had pulled out her intrails, though she continued yet alive, and sensible, imploring, as the greatest favour, an immediate death from the hands of some charitable spectator. No one, however, dared to afford her the least assistance; and she continued in this wretched situation for the space of thirty-five minutes, and then expired in unspeakable torture."
At the time of her dead, twelve of the cats were expired, and the other four were all lead in less than two minutes afterwards.
However cruel this execution may appear with regard to the poor animals, it certainly cannot be thought too severe a punishment for such a monster of miquity, as could calmly proceed in acquiring a fortune by the deliberate murder of such numbers of harmless innocents.
The abbve story is strictly true in every part of it, and as well known in Paris, as those of Mary Blandy, or Eliz. Jefferies in England.
My first post (except of the Hello-message), so please be understanding
I'm not so creative, but I enjoy reading, and I was very surprised that the following text hasn't appeared on the forum yet. I found the story of Louise Mabre on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_by_burning, and the source of the story is: https://books.google.de/books?id=DIsfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA522&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
The cruel midwife, with her horrible punishment
In the year 1673, an eminent midwife in Paris had, by her great skill in her profession, obtained the favours of the greater part of the inhabitants - the gentee1er of whom she delivered at their own houses; but for those, whom either inclination, or a worse cause, made it necessary to be secretly delivered, she had provided accommodations at her own house, to which great numbers resorted.
It happened that a gentleman who lived next door to the midwife had observed, that although many pregnant women went to be delivered at her house, yet very few children were brought out, and his suspicions of foul play towards the infants increasing daily; he at length consulted with some of his neighbours, who joined him in requesting a warrant from a magistrate to search for some plate, which they pretended to have lost. In order, however, not to alarm the midwife, they began their sham search at the distance of nine or ten houses from her's.
When they came, however, to her abode, she affected the utmost unconcern, desiring the gentlemen not to hurry themselves, but to proceed in their search, with all possible circumspection; -they did so-and oµ their coming to the necessary-house, they put down a hook, which they bad brought with them on purpose, and took up the body of a child newly destroyed. They continued the search, till they had found no less, than sixty two children - some of whom were in great measure decayed; but many of them appeared to have been deposited in that place within a very few weeks at the most.
The consequence of this was, that the midwife was immediately apprehended, and brought to trial, and condemned on the fullest evidence, besides her own confession. She was sentenced to be executed in the following manner, and she suffered accordingly on the 28th day of May, 1673.
"A gibbet was erected, under which a fire was made, and the prisoner being brought to the place of execution, was hung up in a large iron cage, in which were also placed sixteen wild cats, which bad been catched in the woods for the purpose.-When the heat of the fire became too great to be endured with patience, the cats flew upon the woman, as the cause of the intense pain they felt.-In about fifteen minutes they had pulled out her intrails, though she continued yet alive, and sensible, imploring, as the greatest favour, an immediate death from the hands of some charitable spectator. No one, however, dared to afford her the least assistance; and she continued in this wretched situation for the space of thirty-five minutes, and then expired in unspeakable torture."
At the time of her dead, twelve of the cats were expired, and the other four were all lead in less than two minutes afterwards.
However cruel this execution may appear with regard to the poor animals, it certainly cannot be thought too severe a punishment for such a monster of miquity, as could calmly proceed in acquiring a fortune by the deliberate murder of such numbers of harmless innocents.
The abbve story is strictly true in every part of it, and as well known in Paris, as those of Mary Blandy, or Eliz. Jefferies in England.
