NOISY PARISIAN TRIAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 136, 8 June 1907, Page 13

NOISY PARISIAN TRIAL.

ACTRESS WHO SHOT AT STATESMAN ACQUITTEB. Paris was on Monday, April 22. Qs«. scene ol a remarkable tria"". which r_ suited in an acquittal based on the "unwritten law" that a woman is entitled to shoot her betrayer. Mdme. Jeanne Dallemagne, actress, better known under her stage name of Addey, a tall, good-looking -woman of 47. elegantly dressed in black, stood In the dock. Hes features bore traces of much suffering. She was on trial for the attempted murder of M. Merlon, formerly Minister o_ Finance in M. Rotrvier's Cabinet, and nowj French Minister to Penj. She wounded M. Merlon with four shots from a revolver on the Boulevard dcs Italiens In November last. Heine. DaH_n_a__te"s story, as she told It in Court, was a sad one She first became acquainted with M. Merlon in IS9_ when he was practising as a doctor- __q was a married man, but paid attentions to his patient. A cMld was horn, and Mdme. Dallemagne -was then deserted by M. Mexlou, who, she said, left her In a state of great destitution. The child died soon after. Violent scenes fr_que__ occurred between M. Meriou and the deserted womaiv On one occasion in 1902 she forced her way into M. Merlou"s house while he waa at dinner with his wife, and made a great disturbance. M. Meriou then promises to settle £20 a month on her, but the payments were very irregular. Latershe alleges, be threatened her with death, but settled £400 on her. -Hearing that M. Meriou had at the last general election lost his seat in P_ll_ ment, and had been appointed French Mi_ iser at Lima, she determined to kill hi_ before he left- France. "A SHOT FOR EVEE.T •_*AR.~ "Tour revolver was a seven-chambered revolver. Why did you load It with on* four shots?' * "My child had been dead four years, and I resolved to fire a shot for every year of my bereavement," answered the ortsonec. One of the witnesses was Mile. Bergen, who was with _ Meriou when the shots were fired. S _ is sa id to have sun. planted her fn_d In the statesman's, af.ectaons, and complains that a few months ago Mdme. Dallemagne tried to kill h_ by sending her a basket of live vipers. b__, ** ac «3 ,ieill -<"> l-«i not bee* .// Ce _L OWUrred when Mc " coun- !_ absent M - Merlo,a - aai i that to the Court, _ c was there fa heart." _ this there was such a roar ot laughter judge threatened to clear the The barrister suggested that the prisoner had been egged on by enemies of the R_ public to fire ~t M. Meriou. __ book e_ h, M. Meriou," writ- _£• * <■■***«. ««ad been Inspire, written for the purpose of blackmail. DUEL C____u.E_.GE OT COURT. Jrf .*_ W ° rClS a lowi voice txom Uie well of the Court shouted. "That is a ac interrupter, who was M. Gaucher, the author of the np m _ h insults until he was expelled from the Court by ax ushers. He then sent fa his card, asking the barrister to nght a duel. ™ Me. Robert, f or e_ e de __c, drew a picture of __. Meriou as unscrupulous, dishonourable, _ d deceitrnl Th(? prisoner . 3 child, he said, had died fa hospital of tuberculosis because the mother had nothe means of providing It with proper nourishment. This was the man who represented the Fr_n_ nation at Lima, and who had run away rather than face tbe Court. A storm of applause greeted his conclusion, and the jury immediately returned a verdict of acquittal, amid tremeadora cheers. As Me. Morel <____» _«rt of the Coort ha waa. TJdently assaulted ty M. G*ne__»""_ wiia -was arrested.