THE THIRD DEGREE

Evening Star, Issue 20312, 22 October 1929, Page 9

THE THIRD DEGREE

PARIS MURDER CASE ARMENIAN UNDER SUSPICION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. PARIS, October 20. The so-called wicker trunk mystery, which has excited Paris for several weeks, has reached a crisis in a relentless third degree examination for forty-eight hours of an Armenian tailor named Almazian. The dead man was Frederick Rigaudin, an accountant, and his body was found in a wicker trunk at the Nord railway station, Lille, on September 13. it is known that Rigaudin was the lover of Madame Almazian. a pretty young Parisienne, and the police are slowly being convinced that the love alf air is the real explanation of the murder, which is complicated by the fact that Rigaudin’s mother was strangled mysteriously in her rooms in April. Almazian, who has been without sloop for two days, is slowly breaking down under the relentless inquisition. He cries continually “I am innocent,” but the police hope for a confession at any moment. The police are taking turns at questioning the suspect, and they are utilising bits of evidence found in his tailor’s shop, such as recent human blood stains on the floor and the wails, a piece of wire the same size as that used for tying up the trunk, and fragments of cotton wool similar to that wrapped round the dead man’s head. The police also read n loud the wife’s love letters to the dead man, which prove misconduct. Rigaudin had been engaged on tax collection frauds for some time, and the police at first believed that be had tried to blackmail some of his clients and consequently was murdered. A false clue prevented suspicion from falling on Almazian earlier.—Australian Press Association.