CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 193, 14 August 1909, Page 15

CONTINENTAL CRIMES AND SENSATIONS.

BLACKMAIL BY. PIGEON. Blackmail by carrier pigeon Is the very latest novelty in Paris. On a recent Sunday night a tradesman received an anonymous letter, the writer of which declared that be would disclose eertalu secrets of the tradesman unless he received £1(30, to be sent by carrier pigeon. "On Tuesday morning," he was told, "four carrier pigeons will be sent to you. Each bird carries under ita wing a little case, !ni which you will place a £40 note. You will then set the pigeons free, and If they do not return to mc by midday, 1 shall know what to do." The pigeons arrived from four different railway stations la Paris in the mornl-ig, and the tradesman handed them over to the police. FATAL BALLOON ACCIDENT. A balloon accident occurred la St. Petersburg on Friday, June IS. Three membet-6 of the newly-formed Russian Aero Club, one of them accompanied by his wife, made an ascent lv the balloon General Wannowskl, belonging to the Army Ballooning Division, and all went well until an altitude of over 2100 ft was reached. The gas bag then split, a long rent being made. The balloon rapidly deflated, and In two minutes the car was (lashed to the ground. M. l'olltzln, Court Chamberlain, was killed, while Captain Korbe, of the "Aeronautical Journal," of St. Petersburg, who was In charge, sustained a broken leg. Madame Polltzin was also seriously Injured, but the fourth occupant escaped practically unscathed. TRAGEDY IN A YACHT. An extraordinary Incident occurred lv St. Tropes Harbour, Southern France, lv June, on board a yacht belonging to a wenlthy Russian named Obermuller, who owns a large estate lv the neighbourhood. M. Obermuller had occasion summarily to dismiss a sailor named Pascal Prosper, a native of Cannes. Furious at his dismissal, Prosper assembled several of his comrades and returned to the yacht. As he stepped aboard M. Obermuller shot him dead. At the same moment a score of other 6hots were fired from boats alongside the yacht. M. Obermuller Informed the police that he only acted la self-defence, and remains at liberty. THE DEADLY HATPIN. The frequency of accidents caused ny hatpins worn by Parisiennes In their enormous headgear has aroused much Indignation among the public. During the scenes on the racecourse at Auteuil on June 20, when there was a riot, several persons received injuries from these weapons. Among the victims during the last few days, writes a correspondent, are two shop girls and a conductor of a "tube" train, who Is now la hospital. Each of the victims will probably lose the sight of one eye. THE AFFABLE BURGLARS. M. Joseph Moos, a retired diamond merchant, fifty years of age, living alone In a flat in the central and populous Boulevard Saint Denis, declares that on returning home at 11.30 p.m. on Monday, June 21, he was seized and thrown on the bed by two men, who forced him to give up all his money. M. Moos pleaded for his life, which was only spared on his swearing not to inform the police. This having been arranged, the burglars sat by the edge of their victim's bed munching sweets uud smoking cigarettes which he offered Ibem, he also smoking. This went on till two In the morning, when the robbers retired. DOUBLE MURDER BY JEALOUS HUSBAND. Jealous of the parish priest at the village of Gorbio, ou the Riviera, a young Gascon from Niece has shot both Oils wife and the priest. The victims are lying lv a critical condition In the hospital at Mentone. The husband, following his wife, a charming Parisian, to Gorbio, where their only child was being nursed, shot the Abbe Clave at the door of his presbytery. The wife, hearing the shots, left the nurse's cottage close by, and received severe wounds In the body and wrist.

The ahbe took refuge In the church. His assailant pursued hiiu, but refrained from further outrage on seeing the priest on his knees before rhe altar. The abbe had received two bullets In the chest. One that penetrated the lungs has not yet been extracted. Both the victims strenuously protest their innocence. The two men were formerly close friends. The priest dived with the couple when In Nice, and he entertained them at his presbytery when t'b"y visited their little sou, to whom ihe had stood sponsor. The husband has produced an alleged incriminating letter, but both bis wire aud the abbe declare It to be a forgery. EXTRAORDINARY FRENCH MURDER TRIAL. The trial of a peculiarly atrocious murder case was concluded at La Mans the other day. A prosperous wouug farmer named Louis Jolals was shot one evening in October last nt seven o'clock, while he was watering his horses at a pond within a stone's throw of his own door. Suspicion fell upon his wife, who was 27 years of age, and a farm hand named Joseph Foueault, 19. The latter was arrested, and after a searching interrogation confessed to having contrived the murder In the following circumstances. Foucault's brother Louis, who was also employed on the farm, had been for some time the lover of Madame Jolals. When he left to perform his military service lv a hussar regiment be was succeeded by his brother Joseph, with whom the farmer's wife established similar guilty relations. Being on the worst of terms with her husband, who beat her and drank heavily, Madame Jolals became possessed with the fixed Idea of killing him and marrying Louis Foucau'.t. In pursuance of this plan she gave Joseph money to buy a gun, and constantly urged him to shoot the farmer, saying, "I wish I knew how to handle a gun, I would do it myself." Finally she persuaded him to do the deed under promise to marry his soldier brother and to pay the younger for committing the crime. The murder was done at dusk, both barrels of the gun being discharged nt tlie farmer through a hedge nt close quarters. Tlie wife sat indoors callously listening to her husband's dying moans. Ills calls were beard for fully baif-an-hour. At length, seeing that the servants were growing suspicious, she went out with a lantern. Jolals was only able to soy, "What a long time you have been coming," before bo lost consciousness. lie died without uttering another word. It was his wife's endeavour to throw suspicion upon various innocent persons that led to her arrest. The Jury found both prisoners guilty, but with extenuating circumstances. Eacli was sentenced to seven years' penal servitude, ....