A SENSATIONAL TRIAL.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

A SENSATIONAL TRIAL.

One of those extraordinary case ■which seem to occur frequently now adays in Paris, but which would no bo tolerated in any other civilisec community, has just been creating i very pretty stir. The hero is Dr Quinet, a Belgian physician, who ii March last deliberately shot anc well nigh killed a banker's clerl named Bayot in the* Boulevarc llaussman, one of the principal streets in Paris. The trial came or at the Seine Assizes recently, and, a* in several cases of a similar kind, excited considerable sensation. The accused, it seems, settled down tc practice at Gilly, near Charleroi, in 1867. "In the following year he fell in love with a young lady, Laure Gonteaux, who was about to be married to a Belgian officer. In consequence of his advances an arrangement was come to with the lady that the consent of her parentE should be obtained by an elopement. The officer, was allowed to continue his addresses and even to send his marriage presents. Then a few days before the date fixed for the wedding Mdlle. Gonteaux went away to Paris. The accused explained to the father what had happened, and asked leave to marry the daughter, demanding at the same time the dowry that was to be given to the officer. His proposal was rejected, and the lovers, after a trip to London and America, returned to Gilly. Years passed away. The doctor worked hard and successfully at his profession. He had a family of eight children. Mdme. Quinet had a school friend, the wife of a M. Bayot, employed in a bank at Gilly, whom she occasionally visited. An improper intimacy sprang up between her and M. Bayot. Anonymous letters were sent to the doctor, but he supposed them to be calumnies. On the 7th February, 1884, Mdme. Quinet and Bayot were found in company in a field near the town, and wero recognised and pursued by a hooting crowd. Dr. Quinet could no longer resist the evidence of his wife's infidelitj', and he turned her out of doors. Through a respectable friend of her family, Mdme. Quinet sought a reconciliation. The doctor said that if she would go into a convent for a time he would consider what he should do. She refused, wont to stay with an old servant, fell seriously ill, and was taken back and attended by her husband. But when she had rpcovered he again forced her to quit his house. She then wrote a long letter, acknowledging all her offences, and among other things expressed doubts of the legitimacy of her seventh child. She implored her husband's pardon, and offered to go and kill Bayot. She still refused to go to a convent, but was allowed to return to her husband's house to pack up her clothes. On this occasion the husband and wife met, and she was turned into the street without shoes or sufficient clothing. On the 22nd of November she joined Bayot at Paris, where he had obtained a situation in a merchant's office, having been obliged to leave Gilly in consequence of the public scandal which his conduct had caused. Dr. Pinet suspected that his wife had gone to Paris, but could obtain no tidings of her. He threatened to several persons that he would kill Bayot, and at last he resolved to go to Paris and find him. On sth March he left Gilly with a young man who knew the French capital, aud who was to act as his guide there. They reached Paris at midnight. That morning at 7 o'clock they proceeded to Bayot's house, in the Rue Perdonnet, and stood at some distance from the door. The doctor was armed -with a revolver which he admits he had bought with a view to punish Bayot. He had besides in his pocket a large knife, which he had used in hunting the wild boar. Bayot came out of his door at half -past eight o'clock, having his little boy by the hand. Dr. Quinet having seen him, went alone to a place near the house in the Boulevard Haussmann where* Bayot was employed, and waited there for him. Bayot came to the spot with Madame Quinot. "When he saw Dr. Quinet he screamed out "Help! Murder!" and ran in great terror from one place to another, n,ot knowing what he did. He took hold of a young man by the arms, saying, " They want to kill me ! Save me !" In his alarm and confusion he ran against two persons in the street, who fell with him to the ground. Dr. Quinet came up with his revolver, and, in spite of the efforts made to stop Mm, discharged it at the breast of his enemy. The wound was serious, but the ball was extracted, and in six weeks the wounded man had recovered. Madame Quinet heard the discharge of ihe revolver* and ran away. She has not since been heard of, and is supposed to have gone to America. The information obtained as to the character of the accused is very favourable to him. He is said to be a very hard-working and honourable man, who enjoys the respect and confidence of his fellow-townsmen. His appearance produced a very favourable impression on the .audience. In his examination he said that he did not mean to kill Bayot, but to take him by the neck and drag him before his wife. Bayot is a tall man of 42. In xoply to questions, he said that Dr. Quinet had fired at him because he (tho witnpss) had relations with the prisoner's wife. The Judge having asked the witness if he had betrayed his friend, he said that he could not protect himself from the lady, who had made advances. He did not know what ' had become oJ her. Another witness, -Pfull, aged 17, a clerk in an architect's office, said that Bayot seized him and mad( him a screen against the doctor. H< and another person fell with Bayo' on the pavement, " and it was thei that Dr. Quinet came up and firet his revolver. The Advocate-General M. Bernard, denounced the victim ii the strongest terms, amid great ap plause, and apparently only sup ported the accusation in order to giv the defence the easy opportunity o destroying it. M. Desjardins, coun sel for the defence, made a tollin: .speech, after wnich the jury a< quitted the prisoner — a result for* seen all along."