Executions of Cerrachi, Topino Lebrun, Demerville and Arena ( asks for informations and theories)
So far, apart from one historian — Jacques Bourdon — all the others I’ve come across who have studied this case, including Pierre Serna, Waresquiel, Bernard Gainot, and especially Claude Mazauric, clearly affirm Topino Lebrun’s innocence. His friend Ceracchi was forced to implicate him — under torture.
I think I understand why Topino Lebrun was targeted. Bonaparte had a strong dislike for Babeuf, Buonarroti, and most of their associates. And although Topino Lebrun was never involved in the Babouvist conspiracy, he had been a friend of Babeuf and a fellow revolutionary even if after Babeuf’s imprisonment in Arras, Topino seems to have disappeared for a time — likely due to the harsh political climate. He also paid subtle tribute to Babeuf in his painting The Death of Caius Gracchus. He was one of the better-known Neo-Jacobins, though not as prominent as his Babouvist friends, such as Antonelle (his former colleague on the Revolutionary Tribunal) and Félix Le Peletier.
I believe he was an important figure in the Jacobin opposition to Bonaparte — enough to be targeted, but not influential enough to be protected. Even Félix Le Peletier narrowly escaped death in deportation thanks to his childhood friend Saint-Jean d’Angély, who held a high position under Bonaparte. Being Babeuf’s friend certainly didn’t help Topino Lebrun’s case. I believe he was chosen, in part, to illustrate the "danger" of Babouvists and revolutionary radicals — particularly someone with a known reputation as a juror during the Revolution.
I also wonder how Jacques-Louis David reacted to his execution as Topino Lebrun was his student in art.
As for Demerville, it’s odd that the secretary — and, according to Waresquiel, the nephew — of Barère was also among those executed. Especially since Fouché had managed to protect Barère. Why not his nephew?
Some still question whether the so-called “Dagger Conspiracy” was even a real threat — or just a few violent words against Bonaparte, at worst. If that’s the case, Ceracchi, Arena, and Demerville may have been innocent too. Serna believes there was indeed a conspiracy. But Gainot, Waresquiel, and Mazauric disagree. Bourdon sides with Serna, and I believe Jean Tulard does too — though I’m not entirely sure about Tulard. It's worth noting that even among those who think there really was a plan to assassinate Bonaparte, many argue that either a provocateur incited it or that the police allowed the plot to unfold until they could catch the conspirators red-handed.
Now, here's something else I’ve been wondering: how exactly were they executed?
In a rather questionable France Inter program, it’s claimed — based on a testimony supposedly by the Duchess of Abrantès — that one of the four prisoners in the execution cart (she doesn't say which) was laughing with his neighbor. The four men supposedly greeted the crowd and were executed without a word.
In a journal excerpt I found online — and sadly lost — it was said that one of the executioners motioned to the two condemned men (Topino Lebrun and Ceracchi) to wait before stepping up to the scaffold so that sketches could be made of them. If true, was this a tasteless joke because the two were artists, or was there another reason?
I honestly hope the one who laugh was Ceracchi with Topino Lebrun— I want to believe he found some inner peace before his death after having "denounced" his friend Topino Lebrun under torture, for which he should not be blamed. (I've already discussed why I find the friendship between Ceracchi and Topino Lebrun to be one of the most tragic revolutionary friendships here: Tumblr link.)
I hope they both found some kind of peace within themselves. That said, as I mentioned, the France Inter program seemed highly questionable. I couldn’t find any trace of the supposed testimony by the Duchess of Abrantès of the execution of Topino Lebrun, Arena, Demerville and Ceracchi — and even if it does exist, we shouldn’t automatically take a single person’s word as fact.
@miffy-junot please since you know Junot well, perhaps you know his wife very well and the testimonies she left (on this period in particular on the dagger conspiracy)? And that all those who have answers (or theories) about this tragic episode do not hesitate to share them...