A ROMANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 20, 11 June 1914, Page 5

A ROMANCE.

EX-CABINET MINISTER DEFENDS HIS WIFE THOSE STOLEN LETTERS.

Paris, April 7. a-r. Joseph Oixillaux, ex-Mmistev of Finance, went to the examining Magistrate to-day to give evidence in favor of his wife, who murdered M. Gaston Calmctte, editor of the Figaro, on March 18. The story lie told reads like a chapter from a sensational novel. Beneath tlie. service of the successful career of this powerful Finance Minister who fell from office when his star was at its zenith there wae the undercurrent of drama j and divorce plotting against him. _ i He arrived at tihe Palis de Justice this afternoon immaculately dressed, as he always is, but his face was pale and resolute. It was the face of a man who was staggering up under heavy blows. M. Caillaux first told M. Boucard, the Magistrate, the circumstances of jiis marriage in 1900 with Mme. Dupre Ciueydan. The marriage wan- unhappy, but M. Caillaux maintained silence on the cause of this umliappincss, "When did the misunderstanding that led to your divorce first occur?" inquired the magistrate. ■'ln July, 1007," said M. Caillaux, "after the fall of the Clemenceau Cabinet, in which I was Finance Minister." Then he went on to tell that in September of that year a bundle of three letters was stolen one night from Ms (lc.sk. One of those was the letter signed "Thy Jo," published by the Figaro just before M. Oalmette's murder. The others others were two letters addressed 'by liiui to the present Mme. Caillaux before he married her. "What did the letters contain?" asked M. Boucard. "One of them," replied M. Caillaux, "was very short. The others were longer, and one of them was 10 pages long, and contained an intimate account of my life and of the reasons, some of them political, which prevented me from breaking the marriage tie contracted in 11)00." "What did you do when you found out the disappearance of the letters?" nskcil the judge. 'T oU'ered mv first wife either divorce a recoiur'ilhilion, oil condition t-hait she should restore the stolen letters," said M. Caillaux. ''She preferred reconciliation, and ill November, l!l(l!l, the three letters were destroyed in my house ill the presence of M. l'rivat-Deschanel, Permanent Under-Secretary of Finance. Before proceeding to burn tliem 1 asked Mine. Dupre Gueydan whether she had any copy or photographs of any <>f them." 'What did she say?" M. Boucard asked. "She solemnly declared to me and M. Privait-DcscilKtiiel," said M, Caillaux, "That she had kept nothing back." He explained that owing to flesh trouble following the reconciliation in proceedings in July, 19111. an J that this Was granted with his wife's consent in Maroh, l!)lt. In October the same year he married 'Mme. Claretic, the present Mme. Caillaux.

''l am certain," lie said, 'tliat my wife committed her terrible act, not because she feared tlic publication of tlic Fabre document exposing the llochctte scandal, but 'because slie was afraid that •these letters would foe published." - wawthii 'othor day; (