LANDRU BREAKS SILENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17258, 6 September 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

LANDRU BREAKS SILENCE.

A WITNESS .DISCOMFORTED,

DRAMATIC INCIDENT IN COURT. L&ndra, the French "Bluebeard, 5 ' who is agci's6d; of, having ' murdered hi* eleven fiafabeeii. and since his arrest ha? refused to answer, any question of the magistrate in charge ;-! the-investigation, departed from" : his ,sil6rice for, the first time recently, and it was distinctly to- his advantage, says a London paper. ■ Among the missing women who are aJleged,victims' of " Bluebeard " is a Mme. Benoit. who was cashier in a small Paris ' music n£U.'\ jisdid'.that they had seen 1 the woman' in the south of ! France with a bl?).cltr:piferded man, whom they ascertained' 'to be;l<^ndru. One of these witnesses was an ex-actor, who.usod, tot)e r ar r fiHepd pf Mme. Benoit. This mad/ who' j^of(. questionable reputation, and has'just' prison, was now confronted with Land?u. * \ For nearly half an hour, and with remarkable •' Bluebeard " discussed the witness* statements so well, and put such, precise questions to him, that the exactor became embarrassed and finally withdrew. ' v '* You see the value of' his arguments." " Bluebeard" remarked*. the Judge, with a similing face, and the magistrate confessed thai he had come tQ the conclusion that the ' disappearance . of Mme. Benoit could not be imputed, to Isaifidru. When- the confrontation was over, M. Bouin, the magistrate, congratulated " Bluebeard.'* " I am glad to see you

are able to answer questions in a most precise way, and' to discnsfr- points as well as an advocate,'' remarked the judge. At this moment " Bluebeard " suddenly burst into tears.

" You are weeping, Landru," said the magistrate "l am sure you want to liberate your oonscience; yon regret what you did 1 " Yes, I do," replied Landru. " You feel remorse ?"

" Yes, I do,", admitted "Bluebeard." . The magistrate became -very much interested. -He felt he was about to hear a full confession -from the accused. But the latter stopped weeping, his eyes met those of the magistrate without sign of further emotion,-and with his calm voice said: " If I cried, if I have remorse, it is because I think of all the scandal, and my poor wife,- whom I love so much, and who thought I was true to her." '