A WOMAN'S STRANGE ORDEAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 8, 10 January 1908, Page 3

A WOMAN'S STRANGE ORDEAL.

There is lying in a French prison a woman who is either a cold-blooded murderess or the victim of cruel and mysterious coincidence. Her name is Jeanne Weber. A year or two ago all Paris Vas interested in her trial on a charge of causing the death of several young nephews and nieces. The circumstances surrounding the end of these children were certainly mysterious. They died most unaccountably one after the other., after a few days' illness, and Jeanne had j been, in each case, alone with them at the last. It was positively asserted over and over again that their bodies presented , marks of strangulation, and of extreme pressure having been exercised over the heart, and the popular outcry became so great that the Public Prosecutor was forced to take up the case. As a consequence Jeanne Weber was arrested, but the evidence' was of the flimsiest character, and she was acquitted. After the trial Jeanne disappeared, her husband secured a divorce, and the affair passed out of remembrance. Now comes the strange part of the story. A woodcutter named Bavonzet, who had read the reports of the case and sympathised with Jeanne, had written to her inviting her to come and look after his motherless children. He lived in a secluded little village, and there she might forget her trouble. The woman accepted, and all went well until the woodcutter's youngest child suddenly fell ill, and as suddenly died. Bovonzet's eldest daughter, a poor halfwitted creature, who believed Jeanne to be guilty, revealed her belief to a neighbour. Once more it was said there were mysterious marks on the dead child's body, and again suspicion was fastened upon the unhappy woman. Two experts were ordered to make a post-mortem examination, and their reports led to the immediate arrest of Jeanne. Her counsel, Maitre Henri Robert, who defends her, demanded a fresh post-mortem examination, and two other doctors pronounced that the death of tne little child was not due to violence, but most probably to primary fever. Since then, however, no further action has been taken by the judicial authorities. Ihe League of tKe Rights of Man took up the case, and instructed yet another mpdical man to inquire into it. This doctor's report is entirely in favour of Jeanne's innocence, and was submitted to the Minister of Justice, but he made no response. Three professors of the faculty hove been instructed to.report upon the report of the first'two experts, and until their report is ready Jeanne languishes in prison.

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