Antoine LeBlanc

In 1833, Antoine LeBlanc was convicted of a horrible triple homicide and was sentenced to hang. Since then, multiple newspapers, the Town of Morristown and the internet have managed to keep Antoine's name and his disturbing story alive and well for over 193 years. I have questions, the confession, conflicting newspaper articles, the death mask, what were Antoine's last words while on the gallows, where is Antoines passport, where is his skull? Nobody talks about these things. Lets do a deep dive...

Antoine description & characteristics are all over the map as reported in newspapers of the day:

The most detailed description from Charleston Courier, South Carolina: He was 5'5" in height, somewhat corpulent; generally thick set; with the muscle in his arms and legs fully developed; His face in shape and expression was that of a brute; a replusive compound of sullenness, malignity, and cunning. His hair was almost black, short shagged and bristly; his forehead like that of a dog, low, wrinkled with a very heavy brow, his nose flat, very much indented at the junction with the forehead and turning up at the end; his eyes gray; his mouth, cold and cruel, the lips thin and undefined, more like a slit in his face worn by his tongue, than lips chiselled by the hand of nature; his chin, short and round, his neck short, thick and red. When to this is added, that he usually carried his head down with his eyes upon the ground, you may form a very correct image of his general appearance.

The Alexandria Gazette of Virginia (17 Aug 1833) described Antoine as such: The formation of his head, according to the maxims of Dr. Spurzheim, is decidedly bad; the upper part of his face broad; high cheek bones; the lower part of his forehead much sunken; and the eyes contracted towards the center almost to deformity

The Boston Morning Post (24 Aug 1833) wrote: Upon the whole LeBlanc is an eccentric character, occasionally the most passionate and malicious in his looks and exclamations that can be imagined, and withal as artful as he is malignant.

Another description from The Charleston Courier (24 Aug 1833): a broad smooth faced young man apparently about 22. He sits by his councel, looking on with an open countenance, and the greatest apparent unconcern.

The Phenix Gazette (20 Aug 1833) Antoine is excessivly ignorant and stupid, or affects to appear so.

And yet another, 32 years of age, 5' 6", dark brown hair, eyebrows and whiskers

The Kennebec Journal of Augusta Main wrote: He is thirty-one years of age, about 5', 5" high, a round face, and an open, frank countenance. he could speak very little English.

(1833 Aug 26) Charleston Daily Courier, South Carolina: The prisoner, with the eye of a hawk, watches attentively every circumstance that transpires; not the smallest occurance in court escapes his observation; he is continually on the alert-scrutinizing closely and fiercely the witnesses as they speak, his face become frequently flushed with excitment, and he often springs on his feet when matters contrary to his interest are interpreted to him and expresses himself in his own language with the greatest vehemence. At other times, he is disposed to be more courteous, occasionaly nodding and smiling to such as he recognizes in court.

Antoine's Death Mask?

I'm going to say it right away, I'm not convinced that the death mask in question is Antoine. Between the drawing of Antoine on the Trial report and the elaborate descriptions of him in the newspaper (see the image top right of this page), the mask really does not resemble those images and descriptions at all..

Portraits of Antoine, there are 3 images of Antoine supposed to exist.

1. "In a sitting posture, which gives him the expression of an honest man and the air of a gentlemen. Apparently it is no likeness at all". I believe this image is the common picture on the front of the pamphlet that recorded the trial report.

2. Antoine while being sentenced, with one hand uplifted, said to be a tolerable correct likeness.

3. Taken by the French gentleman that acted as interpreter on the trial, is exceedingly true, both in the general formation of the face, the individual features and the character of the countenance. If any fault can be found with the likeness, it all arises with the position of the head; as I observed he usually carries his head down, his eyes upon the ground, never looking you directly in the face: now in consequence of the postion, in which the head is taken, the face appears a shade larger; and the chin seems somewhat longer. Still it is an admirable portrait.

Trial details