THE STEINHEIL TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 50, 27 February 1909, Page 15

THE STEINHEIL TRAGEDY.

DISCOVERT OF AX ANONYMOUS LETTER. Fortunately for M. Andre, whose Inquiry into the Stelnheil case was flagging, a new thrill of Interest h.-Vg been given by the discovery of an anonymous letter which It is supposed might tend to the long-expected coup de theatre that would repeal the whole secret. It has at any rate made the magistrate return to one of the first lines of inquiry. The arrest of a suspected person Is even said to be Imminent, If it has not already taken place. The anonymous letter was one of the first that had been received. It was posted on .Tune 3—that is to cay, three days after the crime. For months It was forgotten, having been thrown In with a pile of other unsigned letters which kept pouring In. On looking over this old and now dusty correspondence, ■most of which Iβ entirely irrelevant, M. Andre was struck with certain coincidences. The writer saya that on the night of May 31 he was returning home after visiting some friends in the Rue de Cher-che Midi. As he was passing the Impasse Ronsin four men and A RED-HAIRED WOMAN came out into the Rue de Vauglrard. "One of the men bad a long black beard, and wore a bowler hat. The other three wore caps resembling those of English tourists. Two of the men had bags in their hands, like those usually carried by football players. They were walking towards the Underground Railway Station In the Boulevard Pasteur, and were disappointed, like myself, to find It closed. They then tried to get the motor 'bus, but the last of these ■had gone. I heard them consulting together os to what they were to do, and noticed that they were speaking In Italian. They decided to walk down the Rue de Vaugirard, and, as it was my way also, I walked behind them. Suddenly one of them turned round to mc and asked what I meant by following them. . I said that I was going home. Wfoen they got as far as tiie Odeon they took the ftue Racine, and I lost sight of them." The coincidence noticed In this letter la that the person supposed to have stolen the gaberdines from the Jewish Theatre also carried A FOOTBALL OUTFIT IN A BAG; and on the other hand, Mad-nme Steinhell said In her first story that she thought that she had Teeognised an Italian and a former model of her husband's among the alleged three murderers. The inquiry to discover the wrliter of this letter 3i<m led to somfe rattier startling police vl#lts In several atelieis. Among other*, n wellknown pointer Iβ eai Cto 'hay-e been asked

to copy the letter." The ODjeet wias to see 'Whether his handwriting- corresponded, and •whether he was not the author of. the etrange document. The painter objected, trat Jie wae told that It was in the interests of justice, and. to please the police lie cojUeiT -tie letter. a NEW " CONFESSION " IN A PBHSOS' CELI4. A fresh, confession is reported to have been, made by Slmei Steluheil, who has In the last few months of hex singular career Siren various versions of the murder of her husband and 3ier mother in iParis last May. lime. Stelnlhell shared a prison cell with the iTountess Alba Gkirelli, who ■was subsequently released, the charges against hex not having been proved. In the "Jtatin" the countess repeats Mme. Steinhelil's confidences. They include a strange story of the famous pearl wtiich the artist's widow placed lethe pocket-book of her mansermnt, Remj Coulllard, with the motive of Incriminating Mm. She first put the pearl, she eadd, In the pocket-book of her cousin, M. Ch&brier. The la-tter's wife discovered it and said to Aline. <Steinheil t "tM-eg, if you accuse my husband I will klil you." "That frightened mc," Mme. iSteinbell added, "and the pearl got into Coulllarae pocket-book." Later, Mime. Steinhell repeated her accusation that the muTderer was Alexandra Wolf, her 'housekeeper's son, "or someone very .Uke him." She also said, "Never mind! It will all soon 'be settled. A suldde is all that it -wants, and that suicide will take place!"