310 
MISCKLLANEA. 
before them. The charge, however, did not appear to be suffi¬ 
ciently proved, and he was set at liberty. 
Some months afterwards, a labourer, returning from his work, 
passing before the house of a person named Levignac, perceived a 
horribly nauseous stench. He went into the house, and found that 
the smell proceeded from an oven. In despite of the horrible fears 
which began to steal over him, he opened the oven, and there he 
saw a quantity of bones almost consumed. Doubtless, thought he, 
these are the remains of the unfortunate Laroque; Boredon was 
not his murderer, and was falsely accused. This, this is the crimi¬ 
nal, who is now endeavouring to destroy by the fire the proofs of 
his crime. The news of this horrible discovery soon spread 
abroad: it was first whispered from one to another—the popular 
clamour increased, and the storm was about to burst. It is im¬ 
possible to say what would have happened, if a magistrate had 
not arrived, and substituted the regular process of law for the 
summary justice of an exasperated populace. Levignac was ar¬ 
rested, and conducted to prison. He vainly protested his innocence. 
Were there not the most overwhelming proofs against him! The 
bones which he was attempting to reduce to ashes! was he not at¬ 
tempting to destroy the last trace of his crime 1 He, endeavour¬ 
ing to avert the fate which justly awaited him, would make 
them believe that these fearful relics never belonged to a human 
being, and that he was only trying to make some animal charcoal. 
The falsehood was too gross to be for one moment believed, and 
the examination of some scientific men would soon dissipate the 
delusion. 
The medical men of Lauzerte assembled, and, after a long and 
conscientious inquiry, they declared that the bones were portions 
of a human skeleton. 
The judges, unwilling to neglect any thing that could develope 
the mystery, summoned all the scientific men of the district, and 
held a second inquest at the court-house of the arrondissement. 
The opinion of the practitioners of Lauzerte was confirmed. A 
tibia particularly attracted the attention of the medical men. 
“ This could only have belonged,” said they, ‘‘ to a man of very 
considerable bulk, and it was recollected that the unfortunate La¬ 
roque was a man of Herculean form. In the face of proofs like 
these, justice could do no other than pursue its course; and the 
accused was sent to the dungeons of Moissac, to commence the 
expiation of his crime. 
While these proceedings were going forward, a case of robbery 
brought as one of the witnesses a veterinary surgeon, living at 
Tarn-et-Garonne, some leagues from Moissac, and who enjoyed a 
