A SENSATIONAL TRIAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1016, 8 November 1917, Page 6

A SENSATIONAL TRIAL.

WOMAN ATTEMPTS FOURTEEN MURDERS', One oi the must- .sensational murde trials in the history of the Austria capital occupied tin- Criminal Court o .the Fifth district tour days, and endei with the conviction oi the defendant Mrs Leopokliue [vasporek. who wil have to die on the. gallows, it I'hnpero Charles does not save her hy an tict o grace. Although only iW years old, the run victed woman i.s one oi the must dcspei ate and heartless criminals in the ar mils of the police. She conn's from respectable family, and is tlio. wife ol soldier who has been lighting oh th Russian front since the first months < the war. ARRESTED .MANY TIMES. After lier 'husband was called to tiie colours, she started on her criminal career by committing numerous thefts, robberies and extortions. In L 915 and 1916 she. was arrested repeatedly, but always escaped with short terms of imprisonment because she pleaded that .she had been driven to her crimes i.y want. Sine she left the worUhouse the last time, the woman attempted at least fourteen murders and robberies, and in four or live eases the was successful. All of her victims were wealthy elderly women, whoso confidence she won in .some way. STRANGLE OLD WOMEN. Her method was simple enough. After gaining admittance to the apartments of the old women she strangled them into insensibility, and then -an!sacked the houses. Ten of her victims recovered but throe were found dcau, and one died in a hospital. In every ctwe the murderess managed ito escape'untiuticed. and her crimes re*" roained mvstcrics for many months until she was fmalh vauglit in Hie act, when she strangled Mrs Mane Wurish. a seventy-year-old widow, and applied the torch' to the house of the old women to cover up the murder. SWALLOWED DARNING NEEDLE. After her arrest the murderess made a daring attempt; to escape from prison. To get herself transferred from the goal to the hospital, she swallowed a large darning needle, which had to lie removed from her body by an operation. As soon a.s she had strength enough she. attacked one of her nurses, an elderly Sister of Mercy*, whoso garb she donned after strangling her almost' to death. She succeeded in getting out ol the hospital, but was recaptured within half an hour. CURSED JUDGE. At her trial the murderess manifested a cynicism almost unbelievable in a woman'. She did not show the slightest trace of remorse, bragged of her deeds, and cursed 'the judges and the jurors. After death sentence had been pronounced upon her it Look the combined efforts of six policemen to-drag her cut of the courtroom, and onthe way back to .her orison cell she fought like a tigress.