(*1) Upon the original publication of “Marie Roget,” the
foot-notes now appended were considered unnecessary; but the
lapse of several years since the tragedy upon which the tale is
based, renders it expedient to give them, and also to say a few
words in explanation of the general design. A young girl, Mary
Cecilia Rogers, was murdered in the vicinity of New York; and,
although her death occasioned an intense and long-enduring
excitement, the mystery attending it had remained unsolved at the
period when the present paper was written and published
(November, 1842). Herein, under pretence of relating the fate of
a Parisian grisette, the author has followed in minute detail,
the essential, while merely paralleling the inessential facts of
the real murder of Mary Rogers. Thus all argument founded upon
the fiction is applicable to the truth: and the investigation of
the truth was the object. The “Mystery of Marie Roget” was
composed at a distance from the scene of the atrocity, and with
no other means of investigation than the newspapers afforded.
Thus much escaped the writer of which he could have availed
himself had he been upon the spot, and visited the localities. It
may not be improper to record, nevertheless, that the confessions
of two persons, (one of them the Madame Deluc of the narrative)
made, at different periods, long subsequent to the publication,
confirmed, in full, not only the general conclusion, but
absolutely all the chief hypothetical details by which that
conclusion was attained.
(*2) The nom de plume of Von Hardenburg.
(*3) Nassau Street.
(*4) Anderson.
(*5) The Hudson.
(*6) Weehawken.
(*7) Payne.
(*8) Crommelin.
(*9) The New York “Mercury.”
(*10) The New York “Brother Jonathan,” edited by H. Hastings
Weld, Esq.
(*11) New York “Journal of Commerce.”
(*12) Philadelphia “Saturday Evening Post,” edited by C. I.
Peterson, Esq.
(*13) Adam
(*14) See “Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
(*15) The New York “Commercial Advertiser,” edited by Col. Stone.
(*16) “A theory based on the qualities of an object, will prevent
its being unfolded according to its objects; and he who arranges
topics in reference to their causes, will cease to value them
according to their results. Thus the jurisprudence of every
nation will show that, when law becomes a science and a system,
it ceases to be justice. The errors into which a blind devotion
to principles of classification has led the common law, will be
seen by observing how often the legislature has been obliged to
come forward to restore the equity its scheme had lost.”—Landor.
(*17) New York “Express”
(*18) New York “Herald.”
(*19) New York “Courier and Inquirer.”
(*20) Mennais was one of the parties originally suspected and
arrested, but discharged through total lack of evidence.
(*21) New York “Courier and Inquirer.”
(*22) New York “Evening Post.”
(*23) Of the Magazine in which the article was originally
published.