CRIME OF PASSION

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2136, 30 April 1914, Page 5

CRIME OF PASSION

SCANDAL & TRAGEDY

AMAZING INTRIGUES REVEALED

Paris, the city of surprise!?, excelled itself on the evening of Monday, IM.irjh 17. The beautiful wife of the most prominent politician in France shot the famous editor of the best-known Paris paper. The editor disd. The beautiful woman was arrested. Ail extraordinary story of intrigue and love and hate has sinco been given to the world. For two months (writes the London correspondent of the Sydney "Sun") the "Figaro" had bent all its energies to tho defamation, denunciation, and destruction of 11. CaiHaus, the French Minister of Finance. On its front page appeared day after day scarifying articles accusing M. Caillaux of all manner of infamous practices. All articles appearing in Frcnoh papers are signed by their author. These bore the signature of "Gaslon Calmctte," managing editor of the "Figaro." In brief, these articles took the shape of reiterated assertion that M. Caillaux had replenished tho funds of his party by knavery at the expense of tho State, that he liad caused Franco to be humiliated, at Agadir. and that though to-day ho was the champion of the income tax, he had, thirteen years ago, boasted to a lady friend that- he had secretly defeated a j-jrsposal to inspose this system of taxation. M. Caillanx is' still a young, middleaged man. He is tho dominant personality in the Doumerguo Ministry. Hβ did not enter politics until he was 35 years of age. After only one yeav of sen ice he became Minister of Finance, and during the last fifteen years he has had charge of the French exchequer for over seven years. He was born in the political purple, since his father wits Pre- , mier of France before him. Ho is a Radical-Socialist, and liis. pdt nostrum in national finance is to apply a heavy income tax plaster to tho propertied classes. France has recently been faced with a terrific deficit. M. Cailkux advocated a swinging income tax to balauce tho nation's accounts.

The Forgotten Love Letter. He is an exceptionally ambitious, energetic, concentrated man. M. C'iemeiicMu once summed him up by saying: Caillaux thinks himself Napoleon." He earned the reputation of being the bestdressed man in Paris, and ho also found time for love affairs. It'was one of these—perhaps long since forgotten— which precipitated Monday's murder. Thirteen years ago ho was friendly in a French ivay with a pretty woman. H« wrote boastfully from tbe House that he had craftily defeated tho Income 'fas. This letter, long forgotten, was published in tho "Figaro." It incited Madamo Caillatix to her desperate deed. M. Caillaus lias been married twice; Madame Caillaux thrice. Their union in October, 1911, was a romance which greatly fluttered tho Boulevards. Madame Caillaux, a pretty, brisk blonde, was the divorced rife of 31. Leo Claretie, tho novelist and dramatic author and"' director of the Coffiodie Francais. Nobody was taken into the secret of the marriage, and M. Caillaus, then Prime Minister, went with his bride quietly to a registry office. Since then Madame Caillaux has conducted a salon in the most brilliant Parisian style in tho interests of her husband's political career. M. Gaston Calmettc was a dapper, excitable, voluble, masterful Frenchman. He was associate editor of the "Figaro" when the Dreyfsis affaire distracted France. The policy of the paper —it was tho organ of tho bourgeois—did not coincide with tho ideas of its conservative clientele. Large shareiioldovs rebelled. The editor was expelled. SI. Gaston Cahnetto was elevated to the editorial chair. After that fortune showered gifts upon him. Among other things ho received several million fraiiej under the will of the eccentric proprio tor of the biggest haberdashery business in Paris. Ho entertained this old gentleman with his racy gossip, and was amongst tho heirs.

Violent Journalism, But it , was as a journalist thai h<? won niost distinction. Ho succeeded in making the "i''igaro" thorouglily reprcscntativo of tlio fashionable and smart life of Paris. Bjit ho wished to tlo more than this. Ho wanted to reslore the Conservative causo in and out of Parliament. Ho was a man of strong friendships and bitterest hatreds. He coukl bo tolerant to a fault, and iutolorant to the last degree. He fastened upon one or two public men slid hounded them down with vituperation and vile insinuation in the ".Figaro." The last man for whom he developed unstinted dislike was M. Caillaux. The latter was attacking the rich Conservative classcr., who, to M. Calmettc, were sacrosanct In his paper for two months he published articles intended to dishonour and defile the French Minister, and to associate his name with an odium and obloquy that would drive him 'from public life. The most vile, base, and lew actions were attributed to 51. Caillaux. There is practically no law or libel in France, and liberty very quickly becomes , license. To all these stories 31. Caillaux returned a categorical and circumstantial' denial. His statements were supported by other men of standing whose honour was implicated. The "Figaro" attack recoiled on the head of its splenetic managing editor, but his vongefuluess did not abate. On Saturday he publisliod the letter which M. Caillaux had written to his lady-love thirteen years ago, telling her how, in the Senate, ho had frustrated an attempt to introduce an income tax Bill.

Piano Preparation. This exposure of inconsistency on the part of the insistent advocate ai incouw taxation instantly imperilled the preeminence and position of M. Cailiaus. li was rumoured in the lobbies that the "Figaro" was following it up next day with documentary evidence, that he had blunted justico on behalf of a' rascally confidence-trickster banker who had contributed to the funds of file Radical Party. There was nothing to show that either this denouement or this threat had disturbed the serenity of the Caillaux household. The Minister of Finance went down to the House on Monday and fought strenuously for his Bill. Madame Caillaux spent the early hours of the afternoon playing the piano. She instructed her husband's , secretary to send out a number of invitations for a reception which she was to give oh Monday. At 5 o'clock she liress-cd with greatest care, and drove in ijcr gorgeous motor-car to tho oilices of tho "i'igafo." There are no other newspaper offices like them in the world. They have re-ception-rooms gorgeously decorated liko thoso of a fashionable hotel, or tho foyer of a famous theatre. The proprietors of tho "Figaro" entertain their constituents at delightful afternoon teas. But Monday was not the day for oneef these functions, and the arrival of a beautiful woman in a handsome car created Some sensation in the building. Curiosity was further piqued when the lady would not give- her name, but asked for M. Calmctte, and sat iu siege. .After .an hour's wait she became- restk-ss. ' She handed the messenger boy a clesed onvelopo with her card in it. M. Calmettc, who had boon talking in his editorial room with M. Paul Bourget, the well-known novelist, was leaving tho oflico in the company of his friend wheu the letter was handed, to liiw. The name on the card gave him an electric thrill. M. Bourget exclaimed, "Surely you will not rcceivo her!'" 13titr M. Calmeitc was u gallant man, aftd replied, "She is a woman, I must." The Woman's Revdngft. M. BouTßct left him as he returnee] to his room. The boy. cosduefcd

Madame C'aillaux to it. Wliat h»pnwn;d subsequently is chiefly conjecture. Tiio story most credited is that as M. Calinette took olf his overcoat to liiiiifS it behind the door,- Jladamo Cailliiux drew ;■ Urow'niug pistol from her mull ami tired rive times.' She herself states tliat wlicn slio entered the room -il. Calmelto was most polik , , and asked wliat lie' could do for her, to which she replied,-"It is needless to pretend that lam making a friendly tall," and suddenly, moved beyond control by thought of the humiliations heaped ,o!i tier husband, drew the automatic pistol and emptied its ijve barrels, M. Cslnwtlo, surprised at the iirst report, scekiUK shelter behind his desk, '' Her aim was too true. Three of iho five bullets found lodgment in the editor's- body.-'" The. ■: messenger ■ seized Madams) Caillaux, who .was"standing ciilni and unperturbed; , not".;, far ■ from the man who liml collapsed,' bleeding and unconscious, upon the . floor. Other members of the' literary'' staff rushed into the room. ; Doctors " and police were summoned. .■: Madame Caillaux quietly stated her. identity: Ibo gendarmes hesitated to lay hands upun her. Their respect for tile wife oi a Minister of State was so great that they' , eren saluted her. ■ It whs only tho insist-ence of the staff which mado them psjlitcly escort Madame, to her automobile. Cool suid collected, an if sunuiiig herself on the Boulevards,. sheen tered it, and was driven to the polio. , station.'■'.'■' ? : i'%'.f ■:. ■■■■■■ There to- the Magistrate she said, tlint she had no intention of killing, 'she only meant- to hurt.-' , - 51. Caliuette, borno downstairs to bo taken to a hospital, whispered faintly, "1 have jiever done anyone any harm, J. have merely done my duty." . Tho Minister for Finance was cut short in a fervid oration in tho Clumber, to be- toici the fell nows, He hastened to tho police station to see his wife. To her lie saidj realising the price of her v madness, "Madame, you hare.rained my life." Outside, as he left the station, an angry crowd shouted, "Caillaux! Murderer! Murderer! Kill him!'!. . ■■'"' ■ ■ ' . ' .■:

Prison Fare. Madame Caillaux was lodged in prison', but she lias been accorded all the perquisites and privileges of a distinguished misdeinennimt. Her cell was refurnished, the brown blankets of the bed wore stripped, and while blankets were substituted, a carpet with thick pile was spread over the bare floor, the black iron stove was replaced by ono of porcelain, her maid was permitted to tend her, her meals have been ordered from a fashionable restaurant. In tho same cell Louise Michel, Madame Humbert, and Madame SteLnhcil, aiso awaited trial, Latest revelation? show that the "Figaro" intended publishing a document which would have inflicted M. CaiUaus for delaying justice three years ago, on behalf of a bank swindler named Bochette. The Public Prosecutor solemnly affirmed this in the Chamber of Deputies. Thou it was learnt that M. Briand and M. ikrthou, both cxI'remiers, had had this document in their possession and taken no _ public action, Mr. Barthou only usinn; it tluougli the "Figaro" when l»o wished to overthrow M. Caillaus! It is an oktraordinary disclosure of a most amazinjj; intrigue. A committee has been appointed under the presidency of . sf. Jiiitres to inijuire into tho incident, and the famous Socialist orator, maintaining tlio dramatic atmosphere, lias declared, "I shall be a Judge of Bronze with a Sword of Steel," Aftor intrigue, passion; after, passion, tragedy; after tragedy, political crisis; and after that, who knows?