By leaving the herd to Sebastien’s responsibility, Vallentin has set a real trap for his slave. After Félicien’s denunciation, he used the death of one of his finest oxen as a reason to lock him up in the dungeon. Sébastien knows he’ll never get out of there alive, and begs his master to kill him right away. It’s Sébastien’s last and only plea: rather be shot at once than suffer this slow, agonising death.
Vallentin seems to be waiting impatiently for the fatal outcome. Louis, his commander, informed him of Sébastien’s deteriorating condition: “So much the better,” he said, “I won’t lose any more of my cattle!”
8 days after Louis’ warning to his master, Sébastien no longer existed. Thus, the defendant’s threat was fulfilled: “You will tell me who is poisoning my cattle, or you will die in the dungeon”. Finally, Vallentin welcomed the news of Sébastien’s death.
On the stand, Louis, the overseer, describes the terrible spiral which will lead Sébastien toward his death.
Examination of Louis, overseer. Hearing of january 21th 1842
The Master had received 7 oxen from Puerto Rico. Sébastien had custody of them. Sometime later, one of these oxen died; sheep, pigs and mules also perished. The master had the slaves assembled. Everyone said: “It’s not us. You mustn’t take it out on us, since Félicien denounced Sébastien”. – “So it’s you,” Monsieur told Sébastien, “who’s responsible for the death of my cattle. I’ll make you die in the dungeon.” (…)
Then Monsieur ordered me to take him to the dungeon. He also told me to feed him well. In addition to what I’d been giving him every day, Adeline asked me to let him carry some food too. I said to myself: “I’ll have to talk to my master about it”. He told me to let her do what she wanted, but to act as if he didn’t know. So I brought Sébastien everything Adeline gave me for him. He was complaining of leg pain, because the bench we’d given him was too short for him. I gave him a piece of wood. Some time later, Sébastien complained of an upset stomach. I gave him a bottle of rum and some tobacco that Adeline had bought for him. He got sicker and sicker, always complaining of stomach pains. I didn’t tell Monsieur, because he didn’t want to see her, but Madame Vallentin sent him onion soup and a bottle of wine. I warned Monsieur that he had only a few days to live. “So much the better,” he said, ”he’ll die a fine death “. Several days later, I went to tell Monsieur that Sébastien had died: “So much the better,” he said, “he’s finally died a natural death ».
Adeline and his two sons take turns visiting Sebastien and bringing him food whenever they can.
Laurent.
My brother Réville and I would often, at least once a week, take food to my father. We’d make him sit up, and I’d support him by the shoulders. When he fell ill, Madame Vallentin sent him soup, but I think it was only once.
Q : But he had a board and a straw mat to lie on?
Laurent.
Oh sir, there was no mat. Réville brought straw every day, because of the mud in the dungeon.
The President.
Did your father complain of stomach pains? Did you hear him say he had been hit in the stomach with a pestle?
Laurent.
No, sir, he never said that; he never complained to me about stomach pains.
Q : Did you see Sébastien after his death?
Laurent.
Yes, sir, his body was all stitched up from the bites of little white beasts, “tritris”. The flesh was soft on the side where he lay. This side was dirty with mud, the other side was not dirty. Three weeks before he died, I saw my father, he couldn’t speak any more.
Louis, in his testimony, does not hesitate to insinuate that Sébastien’s death could be linked to the food provided by Adeline. Vallentin and Louis even claim that a blow to the stomach with a wooden pestle, given by Adeline to Sébastien during an argument, could have caused his death.
In vain, the accused claimed that Sébastien’s death could have been caused by a blow to the stomach with a pestle from his concubine Adeline. There is nothing in the evidence to suggest that he was ever struck by this woman. While Louis asserts this, Adeline and all the blacks deny it. Moreover, Sébastien never complained of this act of violence, and the robust state of his health at the time he was incarcerated demonstrates better than any human testimony the implausibility and falsity of this tale. It was not a blow from a pestle, but the foul dungeon of the Balisier that killed Sébastien.
Examination à Réville, aged 13, Son of Sébastien.
Hearing of February 2nd
The Court President to Réville.
Did your mother come with you, when you carried food to your father?
Réville.
No, sir, not always. She only came to the dungeon when she had time, when Louis opened the door, so that I could give my father something to eat. She’d hold his head up.
(…)
Président.
Did you tell your master Vallentin about your father’s illness?
Réville.
No, sir, the negroes didn’t talk to Mr Vallentin. (…) Mr Vallentin never went to see him. (…) One day, I don’t know which day, when it was midday, the hour when Louis opened the dungeon to give my father something to eat, we found him dead. We bathed him in the dungeon; he was thin, his flesh was falling off, he was lying in the mud; the dungeon gave off an insipid odour; it was very hot.
Begun in February 1836, Sébastien’s torment lasted less than 4 months. When the corpse was removed, it was a hideous sight. The face was eaten by insects, the limbs were desiccated, the bones had no flesh, the eyes were filled with pus, the skin hung down and fell under the hands of those in charge of the burial.
Mr. President.
Adeline, can you tell us if Sébastien was given a coffin?
Adeline.
No, sir, we didn’t. After washing him, we put him in a shirt, breeches and a handkerchief. As soon as he was buried, I put a cross on his grave.