SHOT LOVER AND HER HONOUR

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1928, Page 1

SHOT LOVER AND HER HONOUR

THE CHARLESTON IN PRISON. MARSEILLES, Jan. 20. After an impassioned appeal in l.er defence by Maitre de Moro-Giafferri, the famous Paris criminal lawyer, Alba Bia.nclii, the pretty 19-yoars-old student, was acquitted at the Aix Assizes this evening of the murder of her former lover, Dr Rene Desvignes, a professor of philosophy, whose classes the girl Used to attend. The girl is tlie daughter of a prominent Corsican family known more than a century ago as among the most devoted followers of Napoleon. Maitre do Moro-Giafferri is also a Corsican. “ LONG LIVE ALBA ! ” When the verdict was announced the girl fell fainting on to the floor of tho dock. People in court burst into loud cheers and shouted, “Long live Alba!” Tlie girl and the professor met at Marseilles two years ago and a warm friendship sprang up between them. Last .summer they quarrelled, and one night at 1 a.in., after she had waited for him outside a theatre, she demanded that he should retract aspersions which she said lie had made upon her honour. They had a violent altercation, during which the professor was fatally shot by a. revolver which the girl was holding with the intention, she declared, of committing suicide. He said he was shot from behind, but “ L forgive her.” The girl said the revolver went off accidentally when he pushed her. JURY’S REFUSAL. The presiding judge, M, Bringuier, while admitting that the girl was justified in defending her honour, caused her to break into hysterica] tears when lie questioned her regarding a photograph of herself. This was taken by another girl while Milo. Bianohi was at a hoarding-school at Aix, and it showed her wearing very few clothes. In spite of counsel’s vehement protest it was handed round to the jurymen, most of whom passed it along without looking at it. Brushing away her tears. Mile. Binnclii said that the photograph was taken merely as a college joke and next day she obtained the negative aim broke it. • Counsel for the prosecution brought as evidence against her character the fact that she used lipstick and occasionally had been seen walking bareheaded'in the streets of Aix smoking a cigarette. In reply to the judge, who pressed her as to why Professor Desvignes had slandered her after the breaking off of their engagement, Mile. Bianchi replied amid tears, “ He wanted to marry me and I loved him, but 1 doubted his sincerity when lie made certain suggestions to me. and 1 thought we had better part.” “ It has been said that you danced the Charleston in prison with your fellow prisoners,” remarked the president. “ I do not like dancing.” the girl replied. “ I can (lance only the Charleston. nnd as a discussion arose about it among us in tlie prison and one of the women said she had never seen it. I showed the dance to them.”