PETIOT ON TRIAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 March 1946, Page 4

PETIOT ON TRIAL

THE MAN WITH THE HYPNOTIC STARE 27 MURDERS ALLEGED PARIS, March -18. Dr. Marcel Petiot, to-day, limped into the packed courtroom of the Palace of Justice between two Mobile Guardsmen armed with tommy-guns, for the opening of his trial, in which he is charged with at least 27 murders. Squadrons of Elite Mobile Guards were stationed at' every entrance of the courtroom in a display of force not seen since the Laval trial. Petiot smilingly answered the presiding magistrate’s questions concerning his identity, then took off his coat, folded it deliberately, sat down, and surveyed the crowded courtroom. He fixed his famous hypnotic stare on the spectators, who, in most cases, turned away nervously. There are more than 50 witnesses for the prosecution and more than 20 for the defence. The trial is expected to last at least a fortnight. An argument concerning the number of murders with which Petiot is charged occurred when the public prosecutor mentioned 33 bodies. Petiot himself insisted that the number should be 63, but the prosecutor brushed aside the argument, saying: “Thirty-three is all we care about.” Petiot: In any case I am charged 27. Imprisoned by Gestapo. “While on the subject of bodies,' those I found in my house when I returned from 12 months in the Fresnes prison (where he was detained by the Gestapo) were still pinkish, proving death to have been quite recent,” Dr. Petiot continued. The prosecutor remarked that the pathologists’ evidence to be submitted would contradict this claim. Petiot produced sheaves of documents and letters, which it is alleged he forged, trying to prove that he was a leading member of the resistance movement and commander of the “Flytox” group, which according to the police did not exist outside his own mind. He is striving to prove, that his victims were either Germans or Vichyites. „ .. A Roars of laughter greeted Petiot when he declared: “I don’t want to pass for a criminal.” He indignantly denied that he had anything to do with the disappearance of 77,000 francs to which the judge referred while questioning him on his earlier record. When accused of the murders Petiot completely lost his temper and bellowed at the Judge: “Yes, it is true. It is true I killed them but I killed them to help the resistance movement. You will acquit me for these killings and then I will give you the names of other victims for whose deaths you will also acquit me.” Alleged Activities in Maquis For three hours the Judge questioned Petiot about his alleged Maquis activities. The Judge said: If yoh were a [member of the Maquis then give us 'the names of men with whom you fought? . . The public prosecutor joined the Judge in shouting: “Give us names. Give us names.” For a time Petiot ignored the demands. Then crouching in the dock, his eyes blazing and his face contorted, he shouted: “No, No, I won’t give you names. I won’t betray the men with whom I fought.” Detailing Maquis activities which were supposed to have concentrated on wiping out members of the Gestapo, Petiot said he was trained by a member of the resistance movement from 'Britain. . The Judge: “You say you invented a secret weapon with which you killed the Germans at 100 feet. What is this famous weapon? Tell us about 1 Petiot: “I shall only disclose details of the weapon when satisfied that to do so would be in/he interests of France. ', ~ When the Judge ordered that the session be suspended, -Petiot leaned towards him and muttered definantly. “I am not tired yet.” He carefully replaced in his pocket a packet of biscuits which he had been munchm to before allowing the guards to handcuff him and lead him from the courtroom.