AN AIMAZING MURDER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3832, 16 August 1928, Page 1

AN AIMAZING MURDER.

FRENCH JEWELLER’S CRIME. SUDDEN REVELATION IN COURT. An amazing turn was given to a murder trial in Paris recently that lias staggered public opinion. A young jeweller named Mestorino, finding himself in money difficulties, had enticed another jeweller, Trupheme, with his wallet full of diamonds, into his office in the hope of a deal, had killed him, wrapped up the corpse, taken it out of Paris by night in his ear, and next morning, after drenching it with petrol, had left it blazing, like a torch, by the roadside, where some hours afterwards it was found charred beyond recognition. The tracking down of the murder brought much credit on the Surete Geiierale —the French Scotland Yard — which of late, by its numerous failures, has fallen into disrepute. Near the office where the murder was committed is a workshop where several men and women in Mestorino’s employ were engaged. Hitherto and during the long months of the police inquiry and of the Police Court proceedings these people have denied all knowledge of the affair. As Mestorino was not a particularly goo# employer, and as there was certainly no reason why they should try to shield him, it was naturally supposed that they were speaking the truth.

ACCUSED’S SLIP IN COURT. A slip of the tongue by the accused, a question put at hazard by the judge, and it was suddenly revealed that the workpeople, including a stalwart youth of 18 and a man of 40, had calmly looked on at a singularly atrocious murder without lifting a finger. They blindly obeyed their employer’s instructions not to tell the police wjth such fidelity that for months they constantly perjured themselves. One of them, at Mestorino’s orders, went out to buy the wrapping and string for the envelopment of the corpse, all this for no apparent reason whatever, certainly not for pecuniary reward, nor out of personal devotion, for to them the murderer was “a boss” like any other. Still more: the owner of the garage where Mestorino stabled his car during the night recognised the nature of the packet and accepted a bribe to hold his tongue, which he effectively did up to the time of .the revelation in court. To complete the list, the man who cleaned Mestorino’s ear next morning in his own garage found a diamond that had fallen from the victim’s pocket, and was allowed to keep it, again on condition of silence.

Here was a whole world of normally decent people, skilled workers and middle-class folk, says a Paris correspondent, allowing a murder to take place before their eyes and even consenting to become accomplices, either for no reason whatever or for a few paltry francs. Rarely has such a staggering revelation of a widespread lack not only' of public spirit, but of common human solidarity, been made in the courts of law of a great civilised capital. LOOKING AT THE MURDER. The first witness was a boy apprentice of 15 years. After maintaining sullen silence for some minutes, he suddenly, under pressure of questions, blurted out the truth, prefacing it with an exclamation of “Eh bien, viola!” and a dramatic gesture of the arms. Yes, lie and his fellow-workers had heard the sounds of the struggle, they liad rushed into the office. There they had seen Mestorino with his knee on Trupheme’s back, slowly strangling him. The president of the court: The victim was still alive?

The witness: Yes, president. Not one of you thought of intervening? The witness: No, because M. Mestorino told us not to. He told us not to call in the police or tell anybody. The witness then mimicked the struggle on the floor of the court. He added that at their employer’s order they had withdrawn from the room. They had stood listening, all of them, at the door of the office. There they had heard the victim scream: “Pity, have pity; don’t kill a man for 100,000 francs.” The apprentice imitated the gasping cry with much dramatic force. This story was confirmed by another witness, a youth of 18. He, too, had seen the struggle; he, too. had heard the cry. Mestorino’s young sister-in-law Suzanne had remained in the room when the others had left. She had heard the victim imploring her to seek help. “Suzanne,” he gasped, “I have a sister just like you. Have pity on me.”