No Spark of Malice: The Murder of Martin Begnaud [Paperback]

William Arceneaux (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2004

On April 22, 1896, Martin Begnaud was brutally murdered in his general store in Scott Station, Louisiana. He was bound, gagged, blindfolded, stabbed more than fifty times, and robbed of over $5,000. Ten months later, after one of the most extensive manhunts in nineteenth-century Louisiana, public shock and outrage reemerged when two teenage brothers from France, Ernest and Alexis Blanc, were arrested for the crime. William Arceneaux sets the story of Begnaud’s murder, the Blanc brothers’ trial, and the media circus surrounding it all against the backdrop of Acadian history—from the 1604 establishment of a French colony in the Canadian maritime provinces to the eventual creation of a "New Acadia"in South Louisiana. By intertwining a suspenseful account of this heinous crime with an exploration of the citizens it affected, No Spark of Malice provides insight into a fascinating people, place, and era.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Readers expecting a straightforward account of the grisly murder of Martin Begnaud in 19th-century rural Louisiana are in for a surprise. Two brothers, Ernest and Alexis Blanc, murdered Begnaud on April 22, 1896 in Scot Station, LA. The brothers were 20 and 19, respectively, and had come to America as orphans from France. They were subsequently hanged for their crime. But there's more to the story than that. The author, himself an Acadian (we know them as Cajuns), is Begnaud's great-great-nephew, and the incident was told to him by his mother. In recounting this story, he provides background information about the cultural history of the Acadian people and explains how they ended up in Louisiana after their expulsion from Nova Scotia. At the same time, he gives the reader the Begnaud family's genealogical history. While this well-researched and well-written book may have strictly regional appeal, libraries where there is an interest in genealogical stories or the cultural history of the Cajun people should consider purchasing.AMichael Sawyer, Northwestern Regional Lib., Elkin, NC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

In April 1896, the owner of a Scott Station, Louisiana, general store was bound, gagged, and stabbed more than 50 times. The killers stole $5,000--a small fortune in the late nineteenth century. Two men were quickly arrested and brutally tortured, but they never confessed, and eventually the police focused on two other suspects, who were tried for the crime. It was one of the most spectacular trials in American history. It's difficult to tell the full story of events that occured more than a century ago, but Arceneaux (whose great-great uncle was the murdered man's brother) does an admirable job not only of presenting all the facts, but also of re-creating the time in which the players lived. By its nature, this is a rather distasteful story--the murder was vicious, and many people believed the killers got what they deserved--but Arceneaux presents it as history and tells the tale with a historian's eye for detail. A compelling story. David Pitt --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807130257
• ISBN-13: 978-0807130254
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,144,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, November 19, 1999

By 

Jonathan Brown (Fair Oaks,, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Spark of Malice: The Murder of Martin Begnaud (Hardcover)

This is the story of a crime in the last century in a rural part of Louisiana. But it is also much more. It includes a fine series of chapters explaining the history of the Acadian people (Begnaud was an Acadian in a whistle stop) and of all the major players and of Louisiana history. In a short set of chapters the author gives us both the history and the interest. By the end I was sorry to see it finish - but I learned a lot about both the "crime of the century" and also the context of the events. It was hard to put down - even when I came to the end. Arceneaux did a thorough history but also took care to make it a fascinating book.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Spark than Malice, February 1, 2000

By 

Anne Carman & Robert Stevens (Annapolis MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Spark of Malice: The Murder of Martin Begnaud (Hardcover)

A well woven tapestry of the history and sociology of the Acadians of Louisiana, the South in post reconstruction years, and the genealogy of the authors family all neatly tied together in the telling of the tale of a murder which at the time was an international sensation even though it took place in the back waters of Louisiana. William Arceneaux is a smooth talker in person and has proved himself a skillful writer and clever story teller. There is one vignette on euthanasia that you may not want to read because it will haunt you when you wake up in a dark room at 3 o'clock in the morning. This an entertaining, even educational, well conceived and organized book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars COMPLETELY COMPELLING, June 28, 2001

By 

Ann M Edelman (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Spark of Malice: The Murder of Martin Begnaud (Hardcover)

You don't have to be from Louisiana to find this book completely compelling. Any fan of non-fiction, history or true crime will be unable to put it down. Arceneaux presents a fascinating story of murder and justice in a most captivating way. The author's attention to detail is amazing - scholarly but never intimidating. I was captivated by the twists and turns the story took along with Arceneaux's insightful positioning of the events and their import. This book will leave a lasting impression on you. Read it...