Pierre Picaud

Pierre Picaud was a 19th century shoemaker in Nimes who became the basis for the character of Edmond Dantès in Alexandre Dumas, père's novel, "The Count of Monte Cristo". In 1807, Picaud was engaged to marry a rich woman, but three jealous friends -- Loupian, Solari, and Chaubart -- falsely accused him of being a spy for England (a fourth friend, Allut, knew of their mendacity but did not report it). ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.19] He was imprisoned in the Fenestrelle fortress for seven years, not even learning why until his second year there. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.20-21] During his imprisonment he ground a small passageway into a neighboring cell and befriended a wealthy Italian priest named Father Torri who was being held there. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.22] When, a year later, Torri lay dying, he bequeathed to Picaud a treasure he had hidden in Milan. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.23] When Picaud was released after the fall of the Imperial government in 1814, he took possession of the treasure, returned under another name to Paris and spent ten years plotting revenge against his former friends.

Picaud first murdered Chaubart, or had him murdered. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.27] Picaud's former fiancée had, two years after his disappearance, married his former friend Loupian, who became the subject of his most brutal revenge. Picaud tricked Loupian's daughter into marrying a criminal, whom he then had arrested. Loupian's daughter promptly died of shock. Picaud then burned down Loupian's restaurant, or arranged to have it burned down, leaving Loupian impoverished. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.28] Next, he poisoned Solari to death and either manipulated Loupian's son into stealing some gold jewelry or framed him for committing the crime. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.29] The boy was sent to jail and Picaud stabbed Loupian to death. He was himself then abducted by Allut and killed.

Allut's deathbed confession forms the bulk of the French police records of the case. The detailed description of Picaud's experiences in prison, which could not have been known to Allut, were supposedly dictated to him by the ghost of Father Torri. ["True Stories of Immortal Crimes," H. Ashton-Wolfe, 1931, E. P. Dutton & Co., p.33]

References

*www.nst.com : Blazing the Movie Trail [http://www.nst.com.my/blogs/fillips/108]