PARIS MURDER MYSTERY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 331, 25 January 1909, Page 4

PARIS MURDER MYSTERY.

A CRUEL PLOT. AOOUSED VAWST INNOCENT. MADAME STELN'UKIL, DAUGHTER, AND SERVANTS ARRESTED. London, November 21). Few things have so stirred Paris as the happenings on Thursday in connection with what is known as the Studio murder mystery. On the. accusation of Mine. Stcinheil, the widow of the murdered artist, the valet of the latter, Roiny Couillard, was on Friday, 20th November, detained by the police, it being alleged that a pearl stolen at the time of the crime was found in his pocket-book. 1 Throughout Couillurd stoutly protest- j ed his innocence, and asserted that the j pc'M'L had been placed where it had been j found in order to inculpate him. When Couillard was on Monday confronted before the magistrate with Mine. Stcinheil, the latter made many wild statements, including one to the effect that Couillard was in love with her daughter Marthe. It was then seen that Mine. Stcinheil was in a highly nervous condition. and on Wednesday night she made the dramatic, confession to two journalUts which resulted on Thursday in the arrest of herself, her daughter Marthe, Alexandre WollV, and his mother, Mariette, the Sleiuheil cook. The vrime was committed on tM)Ui May in a detached house belonging to M. 'Steinlie.il. situated in a wide blind alleyway in the suburbs of Paris, known as the. Impasse Roiicin. M. Steinheil, tlie artist, and Mine. Japy, his mother-in-law, were found strangled in their beds, the murderer or murderess having used line cords. "Mine. Steinheil was found at the same time tied tightly to the post of the bed on which lay the bodv of her husband, seemingly insensible and gagged with a scarf and a quantity of cotton wool. When *he recovered she told a strange story. She had been awakened from her' sleep, and. going to discover tho cause, was suddenly seized and bound as she was foiuld. ' Her assailants, she said., were three in number, two men and a woman, the latter red-haired, and the men wearing long "'Levitical garments and sandals," The house, she alleged, had. been ransacked and a quantity of jewellery stolen. This story caused a great sensation at the time, and the -police failed utterly to trace the. assailants as described by Mm-:. Steiinheil, or any of the. stolen jewellery. -1 KNOW THAT I AM LOST!"

On Wednesday night two journalists, M. llutin, of the Echo do Paris, and M. Labruyere, of the Matin, had an interview with Mmc. Steinheil, aud pointed out the many discrepancies of the story she told which led to the arrest of the valet Couillard. Madame listened with great nervousness to the reporters, and then with great suddenness confessed is follo'ws: ''Moral aud mental depression, as well as the pangs of conscience, make me tell you that Remy Couillard is innocent of the crime: of which [ have- accused him. No! It was not he who placed the pearl in his pocket-book. 1 ; put it there. The jewels were never stolen. It was a sham burglary, and so that they might not be found I hid them at J3elle-Vue towards the middle of June, and then, fearing that they might be found in the course of the judicial inquiry, 1 gave them to M. Sauley, the je\yeller." Threatened with arrest, Mmc. Steinheil finally broke down and said:— '•Then I will confess. I am a coward. I was afraid. The murderer is Alexandre Wolff, the son of Mariette, the servant, who came to the house on the night of the crime, I swear to you that I was not his accomplice. I am sure thai be will say that it was L who incited him to kill my husband and my mother. Hut that is not true, It is the fear of this that has made me keep the silence which J. now break. He came to rob us, thinking that we were all at lleUe-Yue. As soon as lie saw me he threw himself upon me and gagged me. My husband, aroused by thv- noise, tried to help me, while my mother shrieked.' He killed them both. ,1 remained the, only witness, lie took advantage of this fact, the scoundrel, aud said, 'if you denounce me 1 w.:lil say that it was you who bade me hither to kill your luislmnd and your mother.' I know that I am lost, but nevertheless I should like it known that it was the threats of this man, who wished to ruin me, besmirch the name of myself and my daughter, which have forced me to keep silent." "Yes, monsieur, he will bespatter me. I prefer to kill myself. Nevertheless, I. believe that now I have fully confessed my fault, which consists in having said nothing, everyone will believe my confession. What should I do?" "Go at dawn to .)1. Leydet, the examining magistrate. Tell him all without reservation, the wiiole truth. Let the innocent man bt> released at once, and reply with scrupulous truth to the questions of the magistrate. It is the only way for \ou to save yourself aud to gaiii for yourself the pity of the 'public. That is what you must do." "•lust one more i|Uestion, however. You loathed your husband?'' "Yes, but it was not J —not I who had him killed.'' "You loved someone? His name?"

Mine. Steinheil murmured his uame after a great effort, but the journalists concluded that there was no reason for is to be published.

Early on Thursday morning -Mine. Steinheil repeated to*M. Hamard, Chief •of the Paris Detective Department, the story she had told to the representatives of the Echo ile Paris and the Afatin. She afterwards went through her confession before M. Graudjean, the Deputy-lProsecutor, and M. Leydet, the examining magistrate. M. Leydet, believing that Mine. Steinheil was sincere in her confession, signed a warrant for the arrest of Wolff, who }vas found in an hotel in the Rue Brianeon and allowed lulmself to be taken without ofl'eriug resistance. His mother, who was with him, was also taken into custody.

At nine o'clock on Thursday morning Wolff, a man of medium stature, redhaired and coarse-featured, was confronted with Mine. Steinheil by the magistrate, M. Leydet. He emphatically denied that he was the author of the crime, and demanded that proofs in support of the charge should be at once produced. He bitterly reproached Mure, Steinheil for accusing him, and asked her how it was that if she knew him to be guilty she received him in her house but a few dwys before, and affectionately called him "My dear friend." In spite of Wolff's reproaches Mine. Stcinhoil persisted in her accusations." and in \m presence once more confirmed the .statements she had made to the reporters and to M. Hamard.

She further confessed to having placed the pearl in Couillard 1 !} pocket-hook, and also to having placed the gem in the garret of the houso in order to throw the police off the scent.

M. Leydet subsequently summoned 'Mariette .Wolff, who was confronted with Mine. Steinheil. The confrontation was a most poignant scene, but was without result. Directly after 'these examinations the majitistr«ite signed an order for the immediate release of Remy Couillard, (lie valet, who had been in custody a. week. At the same time 'Mine. Steinheil was ordered into close custody, and her daughter Marthe was also arrested a little later.