STRANGE DRAMA IN PARIS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 223, 8 February 1913, Page 2 (Supplement)

STRANGE DRAMA IN PARIS

ALLEGED SHOOTING AFFRAY

MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR. The Paris correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph, writing on December I;"i. states: —Pari* lias been startled by (he revelation of a -ociefy love drama. It is nearlv three days now since, according to the reported statement 01. M. Walter de Munnn, the young American, Mrs. Hanie*. fired upon him in the Hue des P.elles-Keuilles. in the rich quarter „f Passv. I'-iit the thing is only now 1 )( ..,j„ n j,;.j to emerge at all fully to the li.lit of nuiilic 'lav. and even yet it is „ol clear exactly what occurred. M. -Walter de Muinni, suffering from the bullet wounds which, he alleges, were indict- ,,,| iiv Mrs. Panics, lies in a nursing |,„me', from v.hicli reporters have so far !„,,„ excluded, and Mrs. Lames, who is = -,id to have fired the shots, has gone, ,„, detective so far has discovered whither. So. much i* clear. Leyond that one i* more or le-s in the realm of conjecture. The story, as one knows it at present, begins with the arrival of Mrs. Karnes inl'aii*. She came with a legend. Men had thrown away their lives in despair, it was said, for the young American, who was in the full Hush of her beauty: M. Walter de Mninin, young, rich, unmarried also met her, and soon there were visits to the theatre, to balls, and to the races. lint Mrs. Panics gradually put all thoughts of a separation resolutely from her. The lover, on his side, however, weaned of the affair, and hinted that' sooner or later it must end. To .ill such suggestions Mrs. Lames shut her ear*. ELEMENTS OF TRAGEDY. The familv of M. de Mumm. however, had no wish that matters should end unpleasantly. There were thus all the necessary elements of a dramatic, even a tragic, conclusion, to the story. Such an end, both the. dramatic and the tragic, happens a score, of times in humbler circles every year, and they call it a ■•crime passionnel," and next day the newspapers are full of it. And then in a week the current of Paris life has rolled over it, and it is forgotten. But in this case the surroundings were more elaborate. After a supper in a'fashionable restaurant, the recollection of the. lover's coldness returned to the lady, and there were taunts and recriminations.

The man does not attempt to deny that the end must come, that "tout passe, tout easse. tout lasse." Me even reaffirms it. Still the. woman does not believe him. It cannot all so end. And it seems to her us though destiny in the form of the man before her is too mocking, too insolent, to be borne. If the world is to "end for her to-night," as his words say, it must, at any rate it will, end for him, too. And, so says the story, suddenly spying a revolver, she sratches it up and fires. What happened afterwards? The stories conflict. At first the rumor was that the mil 11, in a fury, fired upon the woman in return. But M. de Mumm, as will be seen from his own.story, denies this. At any rate, the woman vanished, crossing, it is said, the Channel, and seeking a refuge in London, according to one story, in Brighton according to another; lint, according to a third, not leaving Paris. M. DE MUMM'S STATEMENT. Meantime, the wheels of French justice have begun to revolve. A juge d'instruction has waited upon M. de Mumm in the nursing home where he is, and lias heard from him his version of the affair, lie said: "I cared for Mrs. Barnes a great deal, though I think she cared for me perhaps more. But my family were quite definite that, in spite of our mutual affection, the thing could not go on. Separated and not divorced, she could not be my wife. So, looking to the incvitablcness of a parting, T tried to prepare my friend. More than once 1 said to her, 'We are very fond of each other, but there may come a day when circumstances will compel us to separate,' But she never seemed to think there was anything final in any reference of the kind T made. •"In the meantime.' she would say, 'let us gather our roses while we may;

■t us be happy in our happiness. One ever knows. It inav be that circum-

stances will unite us more closely instead of driving us apart' She. alluded in saying this to a hope of a marriage which I knew could never be.

"Last Wednesday night we went to a night restaurant in the Rue Royal p.. It was a merry supper, and the champagne flowed freely, too freely, perhaps. When wc reached the line des Belles-Fenilles, worn out with excitement it was almost down. Instead of going to bed we sat up talking. 1 repeated once again to my friend that our love must end. She had never before revealed our emotion at the words. But to-night she broke into a lit of hy.-trrical crying, ft turned to a furious rage. I "If, must end. must it?" she (tried. "We shall see about (hat," and before T could stop her .-he snatched up a revolver and bred. "NOT SERIOUSLY WOUNDED." The Magistrate interrupted at this point with a question: "Is it true that Tour fired on Mrs names'.'" lie asked. "It is said that >he has been wounded, and that, instead of having lied to London, she is in a nursing home on the outskirts of Paris." "No." replied M. de Milium, "she can.Tiot say -die lirei] in self-defence. T neither tired upon her. nor did T strike after she tired. I disarmed her. and was not over-gentle in doing so. I admit.. T may have been rough, to a certain extent, but tliaf is all." That is the position of matters at the time of writing. M. Walter de Mnnini is the hrother of M. 11. de Milium, a wellknown racehorse owner. The wounds he received were not verv serious. One of Hie bullets, according to (he police surgeon who accompanied the jnge d'instruetion, bruised his collar-bone, while the other grazed his chest, lie was able to walk out of Hie flat and hail a cab to take him to I.he nursing home. ft is expected thai, lie will be well in a few davs* lime.