▁not ▁present : ▁two ▁royal ▁body gu ards ▁were ▁murder ed , ▁and ▁the ▁palace ▁itself ▁was ▁for ci b ly ▁entered , ▁and ▁the ▁queen ' s ▁ch amb ers ▁pen etr ated .) ▁ ▁N amed ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁guard ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 0 , ▁he ▁signed , ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 7 9 1 , ▁the ▁pet ition ▁of ▁the ▁Cham ps - de - M ars , ▁which ▁proc laimed ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁Republic . ▁Ch arg ed ▁by ▁the ▁Comm une ▁of ▁Paris ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 7 9 2 ▁to ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁recent ▁wh oles ale ▁mass ac res ▁of ▁prisoners , ▁he ▁would ▁play ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁role . ▁ ▁He ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁a ided ▁and ▁ab ett ed ▁the ▁mass ac res , ▁having ▁loan ed ▁them ▁an ▁air ▁of ▁leg ality ▁with ▁his ▁presence . ▁O thers ▁credit ▁him ▁with ▁having ▁a ▁“ prov ident ial ▁role " ▁in ▁the ▁affair . ▁Post er ity ▁knows ▁him ▁as ▁“ the ▁grand ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁Abb aye ” ▁or ▁“ Ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Mur der ers ”. ▁ ▁While ▁serving ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁impro vised ▁trib unal ▁at ▁the ▁Pr ison ▁de ▁l ’ A bb aye , ▁he ▁released ▁the ▁mar quis ▁Charles ▁François ▁de ▁V iro t ▁de ▁Som bre uil , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁saved ▁by ▁his ▁daughter ▁Marie - M aur ille , ▁to ▁whom ▁legend ▁conf ers