FRENCH CRIME.

Auckland Star, Issue 153, 1 July 1887, Page 7

FRENCH CRIME.

A Case that Puzzles .the Paris Detec- •*•: ttves. ■ Paris has another mysterious tragedy to solve. Whether it is a case of murder or suicide remains to be seen. On Thursday evening, May-Cth, about 11 o'clock, a well."dressed, young man called at a furnished lodging-house in the Rue de Bac and rented a double room.;. An hour after a young .woman, thickly veiled, camp and joined the > first coiner., more was heart! from theniby the porter in charge. Next day about noon.the porter,,riot .having seen the lodger nor having- heard from the room, 'ascended and" knocked at' the door. It was already ajar. He opened ib, and was met .with the sight of the young man lying dead upon the undisturbed bed. The following ; letter was on the table.

■ ' lean live no longer. I have committed an infamy. Let no one be accused of my death. .I am goin/ to poison myself. May God pardon : jno. WiU life over, there be nore agreeable than the one 1 have led on this earth 1 1 hone 80-.. '. .\' ; - .. , AIJASTIDE DE BeSAXCON. The ycung woman had disappeared. "When she left the house and how she got out without being seen by the' porter are unexplained.; The authorities suspect the murder of Besancon by his female companion. - -

The French authorities have exhausted every dramatic device to extort a confession from Pranzini, but have thus far failed. Some of the scientists of Paris have advocated the placing of Pranzini under mesmeric influence, to see if he would nob, while in that condition, repeat the story of the tragedy, but in answer to this plan it is asked what weight could be given by any court to such evidence? If rranzini could be placed in a mesmeric condition any story he then would tell could but be regarded as reEections of the nwul of the operator.