in 1579 an innkeeper at toulouse killed with his own hand, unknown to the inmates of his house, a stranger who had come to lodge with him, and buried him secretly in the cellar. the wretch then suffered from remorse, and confessed the crime with all its circumstances, telling his confessor where the body was buried. the relations of the dead man, after making all possible search to get news of him, at last proclaimed through the town a large reward to be given to anyone who would discover what had happened to him. the confessor, tempted by this bait, secretly gave word that they had only to search in the innkeeper's cellar and they would find the corpse. and they found it in the place indicated. the innkeeper was thrown into prison, was tortured, and confessed his crime. but afterwards he always maintained that his confessor was the only person who could have betrayed him. then the parliament, indignant with such means of finding out the truth, declared him innocent, failing other proof than what came through his confessor. the confessor was himself condemned to be hanged, and his body was burnt. so fully did the tribunal in its wisdom recognise the importance of securing the sanctity of a sacrament that is indispensable to salvation.