PARIS TRAGEDY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 September 1924, Page 5

PARIS TRAGEDY

WAS IT MURDER? EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. BY CABLE —PBBBB ASSOCIATION—OOPTRIGR'f LONDON, Sept. 19. The Daily Telegraph’s Paris correspondent says a most important discovery has been made in connection with the de Kerminon mystery. The Comptesse, who was accused by the Compte on his death-bed, maintained that only one. shot was fired, and that it was accidental. The magistrate at the inquiry discovered a second bullet embedded in a door. He asked how a defective revolver could explode twice accidentally when it required cocking by hand each time. He also discovered a door panel broken by vigorous kicking. The Comptesse said she kicked it in her anxiety to fetch assistance. The magistrate pointed out that she was wearing only stockings, and the damage had been done by boots. The Comptesse refuses to confess, stoutly maintaining her innocence.

A message from Paris on September 13 states that the death of the Compte Roger Leroux de Kerminon a fortnight ago at Lannion, in Brittany, which seemed a simple affair, lias developed an extraordinary mystery. The Compte was found with four revolver wounds from which he died, and was buried in the family vault, the wounds being announced as the result of an accident. The Comptesse, who has 6ince been accused, now declares that the Oompte’s typiste, Mademoiselle Nedelec. conspired to secure the Compte’s death with two cousins of the victim in order to obtain an inheritance. Under examination yesterday the Comptesse maintained her innocence, although the judge pointed out that while the Compte might have inflicted one wound himself he could not have been responsible for four.