A FRENCH LOVE TRAGEDY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14587, 25 January 1911, Page 5

A FRENCH LOVE TRAGEDY.

A lion-tamer is responsible for a tragedy enacted in a flat in one of the populous quarters of Paris. A young man, aged about 24 years, turned up at the police station in a state of great excitement and told the following story —

"I have just killed my wife. I shot her in the head with a revolver. The bullet entered at the left ear, and she died on the spot. The unfortunate woman deserted me some days ago to live with a tamer of wild animate. I brought her back home last night, and as she not only showed ho regret for his misconduct, but expressed her intention of. deserting me again, I fired at her in a rage, and killed her. I beg you to arrest me." Before arresting him the polico inquired. His story was only too true as regards the death of his wife, who],was known as "La Belle Alice." The couple had a comfortable situation, and owned a thriving hotel business. Pretty Alice had made the acquaintance of a young man with a little means, who fell in love with her before becoming a soldier. She kept true to him, and married him after he left the airily. The mother of the young man at first objected to the marriage, but 'was "herself finally vanquished by the charms of pretty Alice, so much so that she added 1000 on her own account towards the purchase money for the hotel which they took over. La Belle Alice had, '* so far, been a model wife, but the appearance of a certain lion-tamer completely upset Iter. She told her husband openly that sho would run away with him, and she did run away. In vain did her husband try to induce her to return. One of. his attempt* only resulted in his being thrashed, as he alleges, most outrageously by the tamer. But when the couple had no more money left the wife was disposed to return to her husband, only, however, in the hope of escaping again as soon as means were forthcoming. This led up '.o the tragedy, and when the police commissioner arrived at the hotel lie found La Belle Alice dead on the floor in a room alongside the office. The husband explained the scene that had preceded her death. She stood defiantly at one end of the room, and-told him, "It is no use. Each time that I can I shall escape." The husband got into a rage, ran over to a table where he kept a revolver, took it out, and fired, two shots. The first missed her and struck the tapestry, but the second shot, fired at close range, hit her in the head. She fell down, and exclaimed, "I am dead." " When I saw that (she was no longer breathing," the man added, "I took off my cap, knelt beside her, and kissed her; for I loved her still. Then I went away to hand myself over to the police." The husband after this was taken into custody.