WOULD-BE BLUEBEARD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 137, 10 June 1911, Page 17

WOULD-BE BLUEBEARD.

An alleged would-be Bluebeard, or one who has only been able to do away with his first wife, has been discovered aud arrested in a small place near Marseilles, and thereby further mischief will no doubt be prevented. The prisoner has the peculiarity, furthermore, of having been sentenced to death once before by a eourt-mashal for assaulting a superior on board a cruiser when in the service in 1894. The sentence was commuted, and after some years of imprisonment he was released altogether. He settled near Marseilles, and was accepted as caretaker of a villa and park. He went to reside in an annexe to the villa, and was accompanied by a young woman, whom he presented as his wife. Some time ago the young woman disappeared, and the man then stated, it is alleged, that she had not been his wife at all. and had left him of her own accoTd. Soon afterwards he became engaged, and married the daughter of people living in the neighbourhood. He continued to occupy the some rooms adjoining the villa, but as the property was recently sold the new proprietor gave him notice to leave. As repairs were being made In the villa and In the annexe a mason observed that the tiles in the kitchen floor had been removed recently, and replaqed rather clumsily. He informed the proprietor, and as there had been suspicious tales in the neighbourhood, it was decided to Investigate the matter in the presence of the police. The tiles were removed, and It was then seen that the ground had also beer dug up freshly, and after taking out a good deal of soil a corpse was found at a con slderahle depth. It was still in a fall state of preservation, and was easily recognised as that of the young woman who had disappeared. The recent caretaker was called, and it is alleged that he finally admitted that he had burled the corpse ■where it was found. There had been a qnarrel between tliem one night, and the woman had died. He was frightened, and not knowing what to do, he thought it best to dispose of tho corpse as he did. The man was arrested, and' lakea -to. prism for ' * '"' ' ' , .—i7.T»,T>."r-..=-T:- ■---— —t— mwens^ss.