A DESERT DRAMA

Evening Post, Issue 25, 30 January 1935, Page 11

A DESERT DRAMA

LIBYAN FRONTIER POST

FRENCH COLONEL SHOT DEAD

QUARREL OVER WOMEN

United Press 'Association—By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. (Received January 30, 1 p.m.) | TUNIS, January 29. , A desert drama of illicit ■ love, jealousy, and violence was revealed at the trial of Lieutenant Cabanes, a handsome French officer, charged with ! murdering Colonel Caillon at an outpost in Tunis on the Libyan frontier in 1933. The defence declared that Caillon organised a Sahara expedition of seven officers and four women to provide him with tho opportunity of ' pursuing Madame Perrin, wifo of an army doetor. Cabanes, passionately in love with Madame Caillon, who resented her husband's infidelity and frequently reproached him, finally shot the colonel dead aftor a quarrel. One of the Judges declared that Caillon, although a'fine soldier, seemed to consider' officers' wives mere love dolls. Tho party lived in an atmosphere of illicit love and blood. Addressing Cabanes, the Judge said: "You shoot with remarkable accuracy. The first bullet hit the colonel's heart."

Cabanes remorsefully denied a trooper's allegation that he shot Caillon in cold blood. lie declared that ho respected Caillon, who respected him, but he was overcome by the circumstances. Counsel for the defence 'recalled Madame Caillon's words after the shooting: "It was a gesture of folly, but I should have done likewise, if I were a soldier." Cabanes was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Tho Judge denounced the scandalous conduct ,in a threeroomed .hut ,at a frontier outpost; where the whole party slept the night of the killing. The evidence showed that Caillon ejected his wife from their room, whereupon she and Madame Perrin. fought, scratching and biting. Later Cabanes and. Caillon quarrelled fiercely. Cabaues got his revolver from his car, returned, found Madame Caillon unconscious, shot. Caillon throe times, and thru attempted suicide, but was prevented by the other officers. Tho widow, who was absent at tho trial, is suing Cabanes for damages in order to defend Caillon's memory.