TRAGEDY FOLLOWS INTRIGUE

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 299, 16 December 1911, Page 17

TRAGEDY FOLLOWS INTRIGUE

INSANE JEALOUSY OS 1 OliD LOVER. BARONESS MURDERED. Astonishing facts in the career of an excaptaln of the French army were disclosed on 'Monday, 30th. October, when the man, whose name is Meynler, was pat on his trial for the murder of the woman he had hoped to marry. This woman described herself as Baroness d'Ambricourt, and was also known as Mme. Delvlgne, and, in literary •circles, as "MadoL" The captain, who is thirty-seven, had been a keen and even brilliant soldier, and had distinguished himself in Madagascar and later in the great Boxer rising in China. Among other things, he invented a means of preventing the spontaneous combustion of the notorious "B" powder. 'Having married for love, there was a divorce; and then be met the Baroness d'Ambrtcourt, who was also divorced. She was exceedingly pretty. The ex-captain nrent about with, the baroness in Paris wherever idle 'Whirl of mundane life led them. They were seen at aU the theatres and places of amusement, and the baroness had money enough, for both during most of the time. Now and then a pinch, came, and she resorted to expedients. Soon, however, her bonk account 'was again in good order, and they continned their round of pleasure. Captain 'Meynler asked her to become bis bride, and she consented. THE FATAIi MEETING. But all was not going well, and Meynler learned that the baroness was still continuing an intrlgne with a former lover. He grew madly jealous. Moreover, It Is said that he gave the baroness to understand that be was a man of wealth, whereas be was practically penniless. When the baroness beard this she Mated that she! bad tired of Meynler, and that she intended shortly to marry another man. Then came the fatal day. Visiting Meynler at his hotel the baroness told bun point blank that she was going to marry, and that she did not wish to earrtlnne as bis friend. There followed a dreadful quarrel. Every moment Meynler grew more desperate, and then he lost control of himself and strangled her. He told the Judge that when be beard the woman he loved so much say to bun that' she was going to abandon him he lost his i bead, became suddenly mad. and grasped i her throat. She uttered only one dying! cry, saying "I love yon." When he' realised what he was doing it was too late. She was dead. Meynler fled Into the streets of Paris after weeping over the dead body all night. In the morning he sent a note to the police saying that he was about to commit suicide. But he still clang to life. Shaving off bis moustache and otherwise disguising himself he became practically an. outla-w in Paris, wandering about the streets in a dazed condition. CARDS WITH POLICE. The whole police force was looking for him, and It is characteristic of him that be played cards with some of them at a cafe where they were watching for him! ißot bo soon round himself penniless, and In desperation he walked to the Ministry of Marine, and. In his own name and writing, sent in a request to a former friend to lend him enough money to bay a revolver with which be could shoot himself. This friend at once realised that the imi was wanted for alleged murder, and Instead of sending the money be kept the man waiting until he bad informed the police. There were some dramatic passages in the coarse of the trial.

"Ton knew very well," said the jndjre, "that Mme. Delvlgne had «mot*er lover." "What will yon? I was blindly In love with her," answered the prisoner. Then the prisoner described the murder. "The baroness," he said, "came to my room. I said to ner that I wanted her to leave off seeing the other man. She said that she would not. She preferred a man who gave her the means to Jive. I got into a rage and threw her on the bed. I believe I choked her without knowing what I was doing. There was a bottle at band with chloroform. I poured some of it on a napkin, and held it over her face. She remained motionless, and then only I realised what I had done." According to medical testimony, Meynier's mind Is partly turned by fever contracted in the tropics, and aggravated by bis drinking habits. The proceedings on Tuesday were marked by a most violent speech by counsel against the prisoner. "You are young," be said addressing the prisoner. "You were an officer. Yon might have allowed those expressive eyes of yours to speak for you. 'The court would sorely have understood. You might have cried, T killed through love.' But, no, to defend yourself yoa were ready to dishonour a woman. 13« a* !■ why I stand before you, you who, with the cowardly selfishness of the criminal, (tried to feesmudge the memory of your victim." •Meynler was sentenced to ten yens' penal servitude.