CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 166, 13 July 1907, Page 13

CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

UNREQUITED LOVE DRAMA. Mile. Leonie Longuet, a pretty brunette from Perpignan, who had devotedly helped to make a successful soda-water business ia Paris for a Spaniard named Cruanos, was casually informed by him on May 23 that, he had become engaged to a.wealthy lady. Some time later, finding him asleep, she 6hot him through the head, laid her own head on Ms breast, folded his arms about her neck, and fired a revolver shot into her right temple. STREET MURDER IN PARIS. Another brutal murder at the hands of the hooligans known as "Apaches," whose ruffianism has made Paris notorious, occurred on Wednesday, May 23. A brawl was in progress in the Hue de Flcndres when a policeman interfered. One of the mob, a young hooligan, well known in the quarter, resenting the officer's appearance, without any ado pulled out a revolver and shot him dead. An angry crowd quickly gathered and attempted to secure the murderer, who, however, kept them at bay with his revolver. He emptied the remaining chambers of his weapon, wounding seriously sis persons before taking to flight. He was, however, captured, and nearly lynched by the crowd, being in a half-dead condition when rescued by a squad of police. WOMAN'S GAMBLING MANIA. Anne Marty, a young postal employee of Versailles, recently became afflicted with tho gambling mania. She got in touch with a bookmaker, who assured her that he had found an infallible method of "picking the winner." The woman decided to give tne new system of betting a trial (says the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Chronicle"), but as she had no money of her own wherewith to experiment, she stole from th-.' post office a registered letter containing 25,000£ (£1000) in bank notes. She remitted a thousand to the bookmaker, and theu waited developments. The latter came in the shape of a policeman, who arrested her. As for the bookmaker, he has vanished, leaving no trace. The balance of the stolen money was found secreted in tie woman's lodgings. MOTHER SHOT FOR SON. A revolver shot intended for a man at RoTicq, France, hit his who died within a few minutes. A young man of 23, named Paul L-ava, had been concerned iv a brawl, and was summoned to answer to complaints. When he arrived it was evident that he had been drinking, and his answers to the commissary's questions were so impudent that a Customs officer, M. Sales, was called upon to eject him. In the street the two men rolled about, fighting desperately. End a crowd collected, including several of Lavas relatives, and the young man's mother. M. Sales saw that he was in a corner, and suddenly drew his revolver, intending to fire in the auto frighten Lava. He pressed on the trigger too hard, and the random shot struck Mdme. Lava. She tried to rise, but fell back, and was soon dead. M. Sales was at once arrested. TERRIBLE END TO QUEST FOR ALPINE FLOWERS. A pathetic mountain tragedy occurred on May 27 in the mountain above Stein, Canton Appenzell. A poor Swiss woman and her daughter, aged 10. climbed the slopes to collect Alpine flowers for the market. The daughter reached a ledge, from which she could neither advance nor retreat. She called to her mother, who, with great difficulty, reached the ledge. Turning to desiend, both fell down a precipice 250 ft deep, and were found lying together aeSTu, still holding the flowers. HEIRESS' FLIGHT WITH A PLUMBERL'lsle Adam, a picturesque hamlet on the banks of the Seine, some twenty miles from Paris, has been set agog with excitement by the elopement of a. millionaire's daughter with a plumber. Some time ago the water pipes at the millionaire's home needed attention, and the locaj plumber sent his son, a well-set-up, fine-looking young man of twentyfive, to set things right. The daughter of vthe house, tired, perhaps, of the lonely and retired life sbe led, straightway fell in love with the handsome workman, and he reciprocated her passion.

Strange to say, from that time something was always going wrong with gas or water pipes, and the young plumber was frequently being sent for.

At last these freqnent accidents, and a chance word let fall by his daughter, amused the millionaire's suspicions, and he forbade the plumber the house. Curiously enough, from that time there were no more leaks or breaks.

Tbe couple soon found means to correspond, and as the girl despaired of securing her father's consent to the marriage she agreed to an elopement. So the other day she asked to be allowed to go to Paris, and was accompanied by an elderly lady who had formerly been her governess. In a shop the young lady managed to give her chaperon the slip, and the governess, after vainly waiting for several hours, returned to the chateau and told what had happened. Inquiries were set on foot, and it was found that the plumber was also missing. As the young lady is ol age, and as she took nothing with her, the millionaire lias no remedy, and the police cannot interfere. The girl's father is disgusted, and has resolved to sell his property as soon as possible and retire to a distant part of France. SENTIMENTAL LADTES A_ND THE SHAM BAKON. Swindlers find the oldest methods the best, says the F'aris correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph." A smart gentleman, calling himself the Baron Fly. put this advertisement into many French papers:— "Highly-connected gent., thirty-six, 40.000f a year, would marry lady, from thirty to forty, having sentiment and 4000f income." Ladles with the requisite sentiment and competency were drawn by Fly's advertisement like moths to a candle. A woman "In the best society," really the sham baron's mistress, introduced the butterflies to Fly, one after the other, separately, of course, and successive engagements followed. During the betrothal sudden financial disaster invariably overtook the baron, who felt compelled to release the ladies from their plighted troth. Bat they, being full of sentiment, almost always declined the generous offer, and would not give their baron at any price. On the contrary they were prepared to pay to keep him, and generally pawned their jewels to raise the needful sum for tiding over his difficulties. Having pocketed the money, the baron ceased to dissemble, threw off tbe mask, and appeared in the character of a nrst-rate villain. He told the tearful ladies that he had tricked them. He was a married man himself, and wanted only their money. They were free to show aim up, but he warned them that his wife had a temper, and kept a revolver. She had already shot one rival dead, and possibly they might remember the crime passione of the Itue dv Rocher in 1532. The heroine was his wife, and she had polished off her rival, bis then mistress, with one bhilet. Most of the sentimental ladies having heard enough, fled in terror. But one of them, with more spirit than the rest, refused to take the baron's melodrama seriously, since his love-making was a fraud, and told thejmlice. 33ie baron is in gaol, and tbe lady has not jet been fixed at by aujr jealous siXe,.