ACQUIESCENCE IN MURDER

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 269, 14 August 1928, Page 9

ACQUIESCENCE IN MURDER

CRIMINAL’S EMPLOYEES ACCESSORIES A STRANGE SILENCE Au amazing turn was given to a recent murder trial at the Paris assizes. A young jeweller named Mcstorino, finding himself in money difficulties, had enticed another jeweller, Truplieme, with bis wallet full of diamonds, into his office in the hope of a deal, bad killed him, wrapped up the corpse, taken it out of Paris by night in his car, and next morning, after drenching it with petrol, had left it blazing like a torch, by the roadside, where some hours afterwards it. was found charred beyond recognition. The tracking down of the murderer brought much credit to the Surete Geuorale '(the French Scotland Yard), which of late, by its numerous failures, has fallen into disrepute. Otherwise it was a baual murder ease such as tills the columns of newspapers in this dead summer season, but of no special interest. Near the office where tlie murder was committed is a workshop where several men and women in Mestorino's employ were engaged. Hitherto and during the long mouths of the police • inquiry and of the police court proceedings these people have denied all knowledge of the affair. As Mestorino was not a particularly good employer, and as there was certainly no reason why they should try to shield him, it was naturally supposed that they were speaking the truth. A Slip in Court. A slip of the tongue by the accused, a question put at hazard by the judge, and it was suddenly revealed that the workpeople, including a stalwart youth of IS aud a mau of 40, had calmly looked on at a singularly atrocious murder without lifting a finger. They blindly obeyed their employer s instructions not to tell the police with such fidelity that for months they have constantly perjured themselves. One of them, at Mestorino’s orders, went out to buy the wrapping and string for the envelopment of the corpse—all this for no apparent reason whatever, certainly not for pecuniary reward, nor out of personal devotion, for to them the murderer was ’ a boss” like any other. Still more: the owner of the garage where Mcstorino stabled his car during the uight recognised the nature of the packet, and accepted a bribe to hold his tongue, which he Ims effectively done up to this hour. To complete the list, the man who cleaned Mestorino’s car next morning in his own garage found a diamond that had fallen from the victim’s pocket, aud was allowed to keep it, again on condition of silence. Here was a whole world of normally decent people, skilled workers and middle-class folk, allowing a murder to take place before their eyes and , even consenting to become accomplices, either for no reason whatever or for a few paltry francs. Barely has such a staggering revelation of a widespread lack not only of public spirit but of common human solidarity been nuide in. the courts of law of a great civilised capital. Looking at Murder.

The first witness was a boy apprentice of fifteen years. After maintaining sullen silence for some minutes he suddenly, under pressure of questions, blurted out the truth, prefacing it with an exclamation of “Eh bien, voila 1” and a dramatic gesture of the arms. Yes, he and his fellow-workers had heard the sounds of the struggle, they had rushed all together from the workroom iuto the office. There they had seen Mcstorino with his knee on Trupheme’s back, slowly strangling him. The President of the Court: The victim was still alive? The witness: Yes, President. Not one of you thought of intervening? The Witness: No, because M. Mestorino told us not to. He told us not to call in the police or tell, anybody.The witness then mimicked the struggle on the floor of the court. He added that at their employer’s order they had withdrawn from the room. They had stood listening, all of them, at the door of the office. There they had heard the victim scream: “Pity, have pity; don’t kill a man for 100,000 francs.” The apprentice imitated the gasping cry with much dramatic force. This story was confirmed by another witness, a youth of eighteen. He, too, had seen the struggles. He, too, had heard the cry. Mestorino’s young sister-in-law Suzanne had remained in the room when the others had left. She had heard the victim imploring her to seek help. “Suzanne,” he gasped, “I have a sister just like you. Have pity on me.” The Corpse Parcelled. This youth added that some t time after the murder had been committed Mcstorino had come into the workshop and sent him out to buy wrapping and string. “I couldn’t say no to him, could I?” be demanded somewhat truculently of the Judge. In reply to further questions the witness said: “When he gave me the order M. Mcstorino turned to his sis-ter-in-law to ask her how much wrapping I should buy, aud she said ‘Oh, seven or eight yards.’ ” Later in the afternoon witness had entered the office and seen the corpse all parcelled up and tied with string. A third witness, a workman of 40, said he had gone forward to intervene, but his employer had warned him off, saying: “This fellow is a thief.” Like the others, he had heard the victim’s appeals for pity. “For pity let me live. You may take all we’ve got.” And so on through the list, in explanation of their silence, and even perjurv. they had alike the same plea. “I didn’t want to be drawn into it.”