reason of her dismissal from the convent, expelled her from the house. It was al ready too late; Madame Hertel, seized with vomitings after eating some meat prepared by Helene, died a few days after her departure. Helene could find no other situation in Auray. She went to Pontivy, and engaged herself as cook to one M. Jouanno. She had been only a few months in his employ when fimile Jouanno, aged fourteen, died of an illness which lasted only five days, and which was characterized by vomitings and convulsions. The autopsy revealed an in flamed stomach, but as the child was in the habit of drinking vinegar, the physician as cribed to this pernicious beverage the dis orders shown by the autopsy. Helene was, nevertheless, dismissed by her master. She then entered the family of M. KeYallic, at Hennebon. M. Kerallic was just recovering from an intermittent fever. A cup of tea prepared by Helene was fol lowed by a relapse. Helene alone cared for the sick man, who expired in a few days. This was in 1836. Toward the end of 1839 we nnd Helene in the service of one Madame Veron. Here there was still another death preceded by vomiting. In the month of March, 1841, Helene en tered the service of M. Dupuy at Lorient. M. Breger, a son-in-law, who lived in the same house with his family, presently lost his little daughter two years and a half old. The very next day Madame Breger, M. Dupuy, M. Breger, and in fact all the mem bers of the family, were seized with vomit ing. All these persons escaped death; but for some of them the consequences were very serious. Forced to abandon Lorient, Helene went to Port-Louis to the house of a M. Duperron. There she was accused of having stolen a dress belonging to a relative of M. Duperron. Twenty-three deaths, five serious illnesses, several thefts, — for others were discovered later, — such was the terrible list of crimes
which the investigation revealed against Helene, during the period between 1833 and 1841. But all these crimes were covered by the Statute of Limitations, and Helene could be called to account for them only to God and to her conscience. Here commences a new series of crimes of which, fortunately, justice could take cognizance. In March, 1848, Helene took up her resi dence at Rennes. Her predisposition to evil still continued to manifest itself, and the several families in which she lived were the victims of numerous thefts. But if she was guilty of robbery, Helene had not escaped the frightful fatality which sowed death about her path. Three deaths and many illnesses made up the record to the time that she entered the service of M. Bidard. We have already related the new deaths which marked her stay in this house. Helene, however, persisted in denying all the facts as to these deaths by poison which were imputed to her. " I do not know what arsenic is," she repeated constantly; " no one can say that he ever saw any in my possession." No witness, in fact, appeared to deny this assertion. In vain science as serted the presence of arsenic in the bodies of her victim; the authorities could not dis cover where Helene had procured this sub stance. It certainly was not at Rennes; the most active searches failed to reveal the slightest clew. Was it not, probable, then, that she had had it in her possession for a long time, and that, on the first suspicion of which she had been the object, she had made disappear all traces of it? This sup position was all the more admissible, since at Locmind, where seven deaths had sig nalled her passage, there had been found in a box, which she had used, three packages, one of which contained a white powder like gum-arabic. The Court of Appeals at Rennes sent He lene Jegado before the Court of Assizes of Ille-et-Vilaine, under the accusation of hav ing committed eleven robberies, three poi
