THE FRENCH MURDERERS IN PRISON. An Interview.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 89, 14 February 1885, Page 5

THE FRENCH MURDERERS IN PRISON. An Interview.

The wife of the deputy for Marseilles is detained while awaiting her trial in the St. Lazare Prison, that vast and gloomy pile which stands at the top of the Faubourg St Dcniso. It is this prison which receives all the female murderers, pickpockets, and bad characters of Pa"is and its precincts, that is continually haunted by men of the most depraved class, who await the discharge from prison of the women with whom they associate. In entering the gaol for the purposo of seeing one of the inmates, two massive doors have to be passed before arriving at the parlour where interviews tako place between the prisoners and their friends. This place, which also serves fo. 1 magisterial examinations, is furnished with the utmost simplicity. Its only ornament, if so it can be called, consists in the lock on the door, which, like oil the other locks in the establishment, is of largo proportions. The keys hanging from the girdles of the warders are in them selves formidable instruments of defence as v ell as articles of use and necessity. In the door is a glass panel, through which the warder on duty in the corridor outside can look into the parlour. From a window in this room can be discerned the court below, in which the prisoners are visible, passing to and fro, accompanied by si?ters, who direct them to their daily tasks at the game time that they endeavour to instil into their corrupted hearts the principles of morality. Now and then the huge front portal swings open and the large black van arrives, guarded by municipal troops, and bunging up a fresh contingent of palefaced but hardened criminals. Such was the place where Madame Clovis Hugues was visited by her friend. She appeared accompanied by a warder, who locked the door of the parlour when she had entered it, according to a custom which seems to havo been adopted for the purpose of perpetually reminding tho inmates of St. Lazaro that they aro between bolts and bars. Her face was pale, thin, and worn ; her eyes were haggard and sunken, and show ed many traces of the sleepless nights which the accused has passed since first she heard of tho atrocious sufferings of the unfortunato M. Morin. Madame Clovis Hug u os is still attired in the large fur cloak which she woro on the day of M. Morin's murder, and the hanging sleeves of which served to conceal tho revolver until the moment of its uso. On being asked by her friend how she had brought herself to commit the premeditated murder of which she was guilty, Madame Hugues said : " You must know that I had a reason for killing Morin at the time I did so. I had intended to kill him when the caso first came on, but people told me that if I did so then I should bo accused of hindering light from being thrown on the whole matter ; so I l'efrained from carrying out my intention?. But when I saw a new summons to the Appeal Court, all my former anger flushed up to my head. I thought to myself, all those infamous libels aro again to be repeated. In my utter ignorance of legal procedure, I was under the impression that Morin, in suffering judgment by default, would be entitled to no further appeal I accordingly had but one thought— to kill this man who wanted to rob me of something more precious than lifo, my honour a3 a woman, my happiness as a wife. Soon the thought became be setting. Whenever I met a thin man with a brown beard in the street I thought it was | Morin. I looked for him everywhere. My mother fell ill, and I went to nurse her ; but even by her bedside I boiled with impatience. It was necessary, I thought, to strike dov n this wrotch thoroughly. At each moment some new obstacle intervened. I knew my husband wsuld make sure of tho revolver I had, so I went to a gunsmith near tho Louvre, and my heart beat hard when I asked to see some revolvers. I had to tell a lie. I said I was entrusted with a commission — that, in fact, I was going to the country that evening. The man showed me two revolvers, one small, the other large. I hesitated in my choice. One of the revolvers was too large to be concealed, the other too small for my purpose. 'Take the big one,' said tho man ; ' with that you will be able to kill your man better than with the other.' I put twelve francs down quickly on the counter, and hastened away with the weapon. Up to the last moment 1 succeeded in concealing everything from my husband. I calmed him, I prevented him from doing any violence. I|had to use all my influence with him. Well, I could sleep no longer. I had but one idea -to put my whole lifehistory before an assize court. It was not vengeance only which impelled me ; I waited to have a great trial. Once, and once only, I was nearly stopped by the thought that perhaps this man had a mother. But no; after inquiry, I heard that his family had ceased all connection with him. And then I recollected again what I had suffered. You know my husband, Glovis, is impressionable, and only he and I can say what tortures those anonymous letter?, those halfexpressed and wholly-meant calumnies, caused to us, and how they tore and lacerated our feelings. All that did more injury than the bullots of tho revolver. The terrible words uttered by somebody, ' There is no smoke without fire,' at every moment haunted us ; and Morin, every time he saw me, sneered as one who should say, C I shall not have to fo to prison, you know.' But I do not now that I should have fired at the last moment had he not looked insolently at me. In descending the stairs of the Palais, my limbs seen, ed to grow weak, but my will, which is always stronger than anything else, remained so, and I fired. But I fired because I saw him distinctly before me. My preoccupation when I first resolved to kill this man was to do so without injuring anyone else. Had there been any one by his side, I should not havo fired. I had another preoccupation — I did not want to hit him in the back— l wanted to kill him face to face. At the last trial Morin came armed j he had even made me feel his revolver In passing close to me. I was persuaded that this time also he was armed. It seemed to me something akin to a duel. I would have liked him to fire at me. I assure you that I should not have been so wild, with a man

[who had endeavoured to murder me. 1 could have asked pardon for a murderer, but what this man did, was it not much more horrible than a thrust from the knife of an assassin ? .... I have had no qualms of remorso, but it 'is hard to have been obliged to do as I have done. After two days' imprisonment my strength failed, and I wept long and bitterly. The remembrance of this will sadden my life. I received a masculine education from my father in exile, but 1 am a woman, and my strength is limited. I have already suffered much, and am still suffering. During the early days after the event I was told that ho would be cured, but when I heard of his terrible sufferings, I became ill. Since that time I have not slept, and I did not wish to sleep. When I laid myself down, 1 saw him at the Palais, blood-stained, and with closed eyes. I only see him now like that. To avoid this nightmare I prefer not to sleep. I have no remorse, but the date oi this event will remain graven in my memory for ever. Only fifteen days have elapsed since then. Tears sometimes console me. I have endured a terrible tension lately. I pass whole days in the judge's room answering questions, and it fatigues me ; but the preliminary examinrtiona are now over. Yesterday I underwent a painful impression when I saw in M. Athalin's room Morin's mistress, a pretty woman, too, who was angry with me, and called me "La Femme Hugues." However, I hope that she wH be asked at the trial whether Morin had any proofs against me, because she told the judge here that he had not, and, as you know, it was said I had killed Morin through fear of his producing proofs against me at tho Appeal Court. " In conclusion Madame Hugues expressed her repugnance to the prison and its inmates, most of whom were women who had committed the most horrible crimes. — "Daily Telegraph.".