Source note

TOPINARD, born about 1805; officer in charge of the property of the theatre managed by Felix Gaudissart; in charge also of the lamps and fixtures; and, lastly, he had the task of placing the copies of the music on the musicians' stands. He went every day to the rue Normandie to get news of Sylvain Pons, who was suffering from a fatal attack of hepatitis; in the latter part of April, 1845, he was, with Fraisier, Villemot and Sonet's agent, one of the pall-bearers at the funeral of the cousin of the Camusot de Marvilles. On leaving the Pere-Lachaise, Topinard, who was living in the Cite Bordin, was moved to compassion for Schmucke, brought him home, and finally received him under his roof. Topinard then secured the position of cashier with Gaudissart, but he almost lost his position for trying to defend the interests of Schmucke, of whom the heirs-at-law of Pons had undertaken to rid themselves. Even under these circumstances Topinard aided Schmucke in his distress; he alone followed the German's body to the cemetery, and took pains to have him buried beside Sylvain Pons. [Cousin Pons.]