These three men were Flessiere, Gaillard, and Jean-Louis.  Flessiere was a deserter from the Fimarcon regiment:  he it was who knew most about the plot.  Gaillard had formerly served in the Hainault regiment; and Jean-Louis, commonly called “the Genevois,” was a deserter from the Courten regiment.

Flessiere, who was the leader, felt that it would be a great disgrace to let themselves be taken without resistance; he therefore pretended to obey, but in lifting up his clothes, which lay upon a trunk, he managed to secure two pistols, which he cocked.  At the noise made by the hammers the provost’s suspicions were aroused, and throwing himself on Flessiere, he seized him round the waist from behind.  Flessiere, unable to turn, raised his arm and fired over his shoulder.  The shot missed the provost, merely burning a lock of his hair, but slightly wounded one of his servants, who was carrying a lantern.  He then tried to fire a second shot, but Jausserand, seizing him by the wrist with one hand, blew out his brains with the other.  While Jausserand and Flessiere were thus struggling, Gaillard threw himself on Villa, pinning his arms to his sides.  As he had no weapons, he tried to push him to the wall, in order to stun him by knocking his head against it; but when the servant, being wounded, let the lantern fall, he took advantage of the darkness to make a dash for the door, letting go his hold of his antagonist.  Unfortunately for him, the doors, of which there were two, were guarded, and the guards, seeing a half-naked man running away at the top of his speed, ran after him, firing several shots.  He received a wound which, though not dangerous, impeded his flight, so that he was boon overtaken and captured.  They brought him back a prisoner to the town hall, where Flessiere’s dead body already lay.

Meanwhile Jean-Louis had had better luck.  While the two struggles as related above were going on, he slipped unnoticed to an open window and got out into the street.  He ran round the corner of the house, and disappeared like a shadow in the darkness before the eyes of the guards.  For a long time he wandered from street to street, running down one and up another, till chance brought him near La Poissonniere.  Here he perceived a beggar propped against a post and fast asleep; he awoke him, and proposed that they should exchange clothes.  As Jean-Louis’ suit was new and the beggar’s in rags, the latter thought at first it was a joke.  Soon perceiving, however, that the offer was made in all seriousness, he agreed to the exchange, and the two separated, each delighted with his bargain.  Jean-Louis approached one of the gates of the town, in order to be able to get out as soon as it was opened, and the beggar hastened off in another direction, in order to get away from the man who had let him have so good a bargain, before he had time to regret the exchange he had made.