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doctors were summoned by the Procureur…General； who questioned them
closely regarding Boursier's illness。 To the mind of the official
everything pointed to suspicion of the widow。 Word of the growing
suspicion against her reached Mme Boursier； and she now hastened to ask
the magistrates for an exhumation and a post…mortem examination。 This
did not avert proceedings by the Procureur。 It was already known that
she had refused the autopsy suggested by the two doctors； and it was
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stated that she had hurried on the burial。
Kostolo and the Widow Boursier were called before the Juge
d'instruction。
％ II
There is about the Greek Kostolo so much gaudy impudence and
barefaced roguery that； in spite of the fact that the main concern of these
pages is with women； I am constrained to add his portrait to the sketches I
have made in illustration。 He is of the gallery in which are Jingle and
Montague Tigg； with this differencethat he is rather more sordid than
either。
Brought before the Procureur du Roi； he impudently confessed that he
had been； and still was； Mme Boursier's lover。 He told the judge that in
the lifetime of her husband Mme Boursier had visited him in his rooms
several times； and that she had given him money unknown to her husband。
Mme Boursier at first denied the adulterous intimacy with Kostolo； but
the evidence in the hands of the Procureur was too much for her。 She had
partially to confess the truth of Kostolo's statement in this regard。 She
emphatically denied； however； that she had ever even thought of； let alone
agreed to； marriage with the Greek。 She swore that she had been
intimate with Kostolo only once； and that； as far as giving him money was
concerned； she had advanced him but one small sum on his IOU。
These confessions； together with the information which had come to
him from other investigations； served to increase the feeling of the
Procureur that Boursier's death called for probing。 He issued an
exhumation order； and on the 31st of July an autopsy on the body of
Boursier was carried out by MM。 Orfila and Gardy； doctors and professors
of the Paris faculty of medicine。 Their finding was that no trace existed
of any disorders to which the death of Boursier might be attributedsuch；
for example； as cerebral congestion； rupture of the heart or of a larger
vesselbut that； on the other hand； they had come upon a sufficiency of
arsenic in the intestines to have caused death。
On the 2nd of August the same two professors； aided by a third； M。
Barruel； carried out a further examination of the body。 Their testimony is
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highly technical。 It is also rather revolting。 I am conscious that； dealing；
as I have had to； with so much arsenical poisoning （the favourite weapon
of the woman murderer）； a gastric odour has been unavoidable in many of
my pagesperhaps too many。 For that reason I shall refrain from quoting
either in the original French or in translation more than a small part of the
professors' report。 I shall； however； make a lay shot on the evidence it
supplies。 Boursier's interior generally was in foul condition； which is not
to be explained by any ingestion of arsenic； but which suggests chronic
and morbid pituitousness。 The marvel is that the man's digestion
functioned at all。 This insanitary condition； however； was taken by the
professors； as it were； in their stride。 They concentrated on some slight
traces of intestinal inflammation。
‘‘ One observed；'' their report went on；
about the end of the ileum some grains of a whitish appearance and
rather stubbornly attached。 These grains； being removed； showed all the
characteristics of white arsenic oxide。 Put upon glowing charcoal they
volatilized； giving off white smoke and a garlic odour。 Treated with
water； they dissolved； and the solution； when brought into contact with
liquid hydrosulphuric acid； precipitated yellow sulphur of arsenic；
particularly when one heated it and added a few drops of hydrochloric
acid。
These facts （including； I suppose； the conditions I have hinted at）
allowed them to conclude （a） that the stomach showed traces of
inflammation； and （b） that the intestinal canal yielded a quantity of arsenic
oxide sufficient to have produced that inflammation and to have caused
death。
The question now was forward as to where the arsenic found in the
body had come from。 Inquiry established the fact that on the 15th of
May； 1823that is to say； several weeks before his deathBoursier had
bought half a pound of arsenic for the purpose of destroying the rats in his
shop cellars。 In addition； he had bought prepared rat…poison。 Only a
part of those substances had been used。 The remaining portions could
not be found about the shop； nor could Mme Boursier make any
suggestions for helping the search。 She declared she had never seen any
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arsenic about the house at all。
There was； however； sufficient gravity in the evidences on hand to
justify a definite indictment of Mme Boursier and Nicolas Kostolo； the
first of having poisoned her husband； and the second of being accessory to
the deed。
The pair were brought to trial on the 27th of November； 1823； before
the Seine Assize Court； M。 Hardouin presiding。 The prosecution was
conducted by the AvocatGeneral； M。 de Broe。 Maitre Couture defended
Mme Boursier。 Maitre Theo。 Perrin appeared for Kostolo。
The case created great excitement； not only in Paris； but throughout
the country。 Another poisoning case had not long before this occupied
the minds of the public very greatlythat of the hypocritical Castaing for
the murder of Auguste Ballet。 Indeed； there had been a lot of poisoning
going on in French society about this period。 Political and religious
controversy； moreover； was rife。 The populace were in a mood either to
praise extravagantly or just as extravagantly to condemn。 It happened
that rumour convinced them of the guilt of the Veuve Boursier and
Kostolo； and the couple were condemned in advance。 Such was the
popular spite against Mme Boursier and Kostolo that； it is said； Maitre
Couture at first refused the brief for the widow's defence。 He had already
made a success of his defence of a Mme Lavaillaut； accused of poisoning；
and was much in demand in cases where women sought judicial separation
from their husbands。 People were calling him ‘‘Providence for women。''
He did not want to be nicknamed ‘‘Providence for poisoners。'' But Mme
Boursier's case being more clearly presented to him he took up the brief。
The accused were brought into court。
Kostolo was about thirty years of age。 He was tall； distinctly good…
looking in an exotic sort of way； with his dark hair； complexion； and
flashing eyes。 He carried himself grandly； and was elegandy clad in a
frac noir。 Not quite； as Army men were supposed once to say； ‘‘the clean
potato； it was easy enough to see that women of a kind would be his ready
victims。 It was plain； in the court； that Master Nicolas thought himself
the hero of the occasion。
There was none of this flamboyance about the Widow Boursier。 She
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