AU SPIRITUEL AUTUER DE LA FANTASIE DE LOUIS CAMILLE VIERGE ET MARTYR
To the ingenious author of the Fantasy about Louis Camille, Virgin and Martyr.
                        By Z..

A leaflet in good condition which must date from 1891 or 1892. It us unusual in that its own English translation is printed within it. When the newspapers after 1880 virtually stopped printing French poetry, the authors of poems or songs had recourse to printing them in leaflet form, apparently a less common practice in earlier years.

The poem is directed to the author of a 'fantasie' possibly written in verse about a case presided over by Sir John Gorrie who had arrived as Chief Justice on 27th of January 1886. Sir John had a rather unusual idea of justice ad loved to quote Psalm 72, 'He shall defend the children of the poor'. His administration of justice caused such a furore (as can be evidenced from this poem) that eventually in 1892 a Judicial Enquiry Committee was set p and the Chief Justice was interdicted on the 20th June 1892.

On the 3rd of July 1891 a man employed in the St. Clair Dairy was herding in the kine and his attention was drawn to a number of corbeaux hovering. He proceeded to the spot and discovered a very badly mutilated human body. It was identified by the clothes as that of a cocoa planter of Monserrat, a certain John Eligon. Later it was discovered that his skull was fractured as though by a blow, a Louis Camille, a native of Guadeloupe and a joiner, was implicated. In the Inquest which lasted for weeks and which was packed out and played up by the newspapers, it came out that Camille was also a butcher, an obeah man, and it was alleged, had seen Eligon's ghost on the day of his death! A crowbar was discovered near the spot, supposedly left there by Camille who had been digging for treasure! A charge of felony was laid against Camille. Inspector Brierly who handled the case was praised to the skies and it was suggested that he be made chief of a fully organised detective department.

The trial was presided over by the Chief Justice and eagerly followed by all in Trinidad. When it came to the summing up, Gorrie cast doubt on the identification of the corpse as that of Eligon, and viewed with a suspicious eye all the evidence except that given by Camille's sweetheart's sister. After half-an-hour the jury came out with a verdict of not guilty. There was an uproar in the court; the prisoner now released went to pray at the Rosary Church, and 'that evening the was great rejoicing and high jinks in Charlotte Street'.

Within a few weeks all over Trinidad even the little children were singing:
(1) Jige Gorrie qui mettay Camille deshors
Camille monté, Camille désann,
Camille tombé an glo.

(2) Jige Gorrie c'est Camille qui tué Eligon
Camille monté, Camille désann
Camille tombé an glo.

(See note on song, 'Kamenn Maye Sanmdi '.)
Within a year Judge Gorrie was removed from his post.
[ibid. p.152-154]