FAHMY BEY’S MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1923, Page 1

FAHMY BEY’S MURDER

FURTHER EVIDENCE. AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION LONDON, Sep. 14. '1 he trial of Madame Falnny was continued. Ihe police made a strenuous attempt to disperse the queues waiting throughout the night to get into the court- gallery, and only abandoned the effort at nine in the morning, when hundreds made a wild rush and formed a queue at the gallery door. Madame Falnny was cross-examined by Sir Percival Clarke, who banded her a revolver. She handled the weapon with obvious repugnance, while she answered questions regarding its construction, and finally hurst into tears exclaiming: “I don’t know anything about automatics.” Counsel: “ Hid you press the trigger intentionally ? ” Madame: “ I never noticed I pressed the trigger, or that any shooting had been done. 1 was being half strangled, and just waved my hand during the struggle in order to stop him. 1 did not want to do him any harm. Sometimes Falnny was nice. I did not want a divorce. I did hate my husband. I hated what he wanted to do.” Sir P. Clarke then handed the witness an evening gown that Madame wore at the time of the tragedy, asking her to point out where it was torn. She showed where beads were torn off.

Sir Marshall Hall, re-examining the prisoner, caused the sensation of the day by reading a sealed document which .Madame had deposited with her lawyer in Cairo in January, and instructed that it should only he opened ill the event of her death or disappearance. Her lawyer broke the seal when he heard of Ali’s death. The document read:—“Marie Marguerite Alihert, being of sound body and mind, in the event of my death by violence, formally accuse Ali Falnny of having contributed to my disappearance. Yesterday lie took his hible, or Koran, I do not know what it is called, kissed it, and swore to avenge liimself on me to-morrow, eight days, or a month, or three months, but that I must disappear by his hand. This oath was taken without any reason of had conduct or scene on my part. I demand justice for my daughter and my family. To-day he wanted to take my jewels, liciue there were fresh scones.” This concluded Madame’s evidence, after being in the witness box for a day and a half. Amy Pain, a Frenchwoman, who was

prisoner’s maid, ooiToliornted t-lio story ' of her mistress’s life with Knhmy, and ! her fear of her husband. She had seen 1 a hrui.se on Madanie’s body. Yvonne Alihert, the prisoner’s sister, rave similar evidence. She had heard Eahm.v threaten to strangle her sister, who had to use cream and powder to hide her bruises on her neck and back. Sir Marshall Hull, addressing the jury said the issue was whether this was a deliberate premeditated murder, or a shot tired by the prisoner from a pistol which she believed unloaded, at a moment when she thought her life endangered. The cause of the ease was the Eastern feeling of possession in relation to women. Ali said: “You arc my chattel. I will take you.” Marshall Hall was still speaking when the Court adjourned. LONDON, Sept. 15. At the trial of Madame Falnny, Sir E. Marshall Hall addressed the jury for two and a half hours. He graphically painted the terrors of the thunderstorm on the night ol the tragedy, for the frightened woman, who w»» stung to retaliation after six months of outrage and abuse. He reminded the jury of Hitcheu’s play “Belladonna," saying: “f want to open tho .olio ''here thi western woman can go out. not into the dark night of tho desert, hut hack to friends who love her, despite her weakness. I ask you to open the gate, and lot this western woman go hack into the light of God’s great sun.”

Sir lVrcival Clarke's f|«iet reply was in striking contrast to Sir Marshall 1 rail’s address. He said the reference to “lkdladonna” eras strangely unfortunate, because a Western, woman there planned and nearly succeeded in murdering her husband. So far from Kahmy being tho heinous brute described, Sir Perciral said liis consent, to a civil marriage eontraet was in conformity with his letters of endearment, lie was genuinely fond nf his wife.

The judge, summing up. said that; if tile prisoner’s story were not true there would he no answer to the accusation of wilful murder. Site hml told her story immediately after the event. It wits not concocted by her legal advisers wltile she was awaiting her trial. She had told it the very morning of the tragedy to the first .person to whom she spoke, and it was corroborated in several respects. I.OXDOX, Sept. 14. in the Kahmy ease, the jury told the judge they fell tliiahle to do justice to the ease, if expected to give the verdict in the evening. 1 fence the adjournment was made. Madame Sahmv had shown amazing self control, evidently expecting to-day would end her awful ordeal. She broke down ai the end of the sitting. The wardress sitting next her in the dock also hurst into tears, when it was explained That the case had again hocn adjourned, Madame fainted, and was carried below by wardresses.

MADAMK FAHMV ACT)FITTED. LOXDOX, Sept. 15. Madame Falimy was acquitted. The verdict was cheered by a crowded court, which the .Judge ordered to be cleared.