1 5 ... ", ▁to ▁introduce ▁Jean ▁Val je an . ▁ ▁Hugo ' s ▁sources ▁ ▁An ▁incident ▁Hugo ▁witness ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 ▁involved ▁three ▁str angers ▁and ▁a ▁police ▁officer . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁str angers ▁was ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁st olen ▁a ▁lo af ▁of ▁bread , ▁similar ▁to ▁Jean ▁Val je an . ▁The ▁officer ▁was ▁taking ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁coach . ▁The ▁th ief ▁also ▁saw ▁the ▁mother ▁and ▁daughter ▁playing ▁with ▁each ▁other ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁an ▁insp iration ▁for ▁Fant ine ▁and ▁Cos ette . ▁Hugo ▁imag ined ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁man ▁in ▁j ail ▁and ▁the ▁mother ▁and ▁daughter ▁taken ▁away ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁Val je an ' s ▁character ▁is ▁lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁ex - conv ict ▁Eug ène ▁François ▁Vid oc q . ▁Vid oc q ▁became ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁an ▁under cover ▁police ▁unit ▁and ▁later ▁founded ▁France ' s ▁first ▁private ▁detect ive ▁ag ency . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁business man ▁and ▁was ▁widely ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁social ▁eng agement ▁and ▁phil anth ropy . ▁Vid oc q ▁also ▁inspired ▁Hugo ' s ▁" Cla ude ▁G ue ux " ▁and ▁Le ▁D ern ier ▁jour ▁d ' un ▁cond am né ▁( The ▁Last ▁Day ▁of ▁a ▁Con dem ned ▁Man ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁Vid oc q , ▁already ▁p ardon ed , ▁saved ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁workers ▁in