GW community gathers to hear tales of murder and nobility at special presentation in honor of National Library Week .

May, 2009 -- Members of the GW community gathered last month in the Michael K. Young Faculty Conference Center to hear Jennie Meade, director of special collections at the Jacob Burns Law Library, present the details of the 1847 Paris society murder, "L'Affaire Praslin."

Detailed in a French antiquarian law book purchased at a 2001 London auction, L’Affaire Praslin served as a catalyst for the French Revolution of 1848 and has since provided juicy material for novels and the silver screen.

The unassuming book, with a plain red cover and simply entitled Procedure, contains a large folding diagram, depicting the grisly beating and stabbing of the Duchesse de Praslin by her husband, the Duc.

“It’s an innocuous designation for a book of primary materials documenting perhaps the strangest, and most sensational, officially unsolved murder of 19^th century France,” said Meade.

The Duc, a descendant of French nobility, and the Duchesse, the daughter of one of Napoleon’s generals, were prominent figures of French high society, making the murder all the more shocking.

While an exact motive remains unknown, the combination of an unraveling marriage and a charming governess, Henriette Deluzy, spelled disaster for the noble couple.  The Duchesse became increasingly emotionally fragile in response to rumors that the Duc was engaged in a love affair with the governess.  The Duchesse fired the governess.  One month later, on August 18, 1847, the Duchesse was dead.

Though the Duc denied involvement in the murder, blaming an alleged intruder, authorities discovered him washing and burning blood-stained clothing shortly after the deed had been committed.

Six days after the Duchesse’s death, and before the Duc would stand trial, he poisoned himself with arsenic.  The case was extinguished by the Court of Peers, and the murder remains officially unsolved.

The book contains certified documents from the Court of Peers, and includes the interrogation of the Duc and governess, the autopsy report, depositions and letters.  The book’s diagram, bespeckled with red paint representing blood, illustrates “a hideous struggle to the death.”

“It was the official story of the case,” said Meade.

As word of the scandal spread throughout France, the people’s distaste for French aristocracy grew.  The murder served as the tipping point for the French Revolution of 1848, which brought down the July Monarchy.

“It gave important insights into how French society and history has evolved,” said Ann McClellan, director of communications for the Law School Development Office, who attended the event.  “It’s interesting to think about how the world was changing.”  

The piece marks another noteworthy addition to the library’s award-winning French collection.  Presently one of the largest collections of French historical legal materials in the United States, the collection focuses on coutume, or customary law, which formed the basis for early French law.

More than 16,000 works dating from the 15^th to 19^th century comprise the Law Library’s special collections. 

The presentation was held in celebration of National Library Week, which commemorates the contributions libraries make to society.  This year’s theme is “Worlds connect @ your library.”

Meade said Procedure was an unexpected find among books purchased in a lot and “provides an example of how serendipity operates in collection development, and how worlds connect at our library.”