TRIAL IN FRANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 13

TRIAL IN FRANCE

STAVISKY'S WIDOW ECHO OF FAMOUS FRAUDS STRANGE SCENES IN COURT By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright PARIS, Nov. 5 Madame Stavisky—widow of Alexander Stavisky, reputed bank swindler —clad in deep black and slightly disdainful, faced the Judge at the Seine Assizes to-day. She was charged with receiving part of the proceeds of her late husband's alleged swindles, said to total £7,000,000. Twenty of Stavisky's associates were charged with participating in the frauds. Wild scenes occurred in the Court, which was crowded by 50 defending counsel, 270 witnesses and Republican Guards. When the Judge, M. Barnaud, asked if defending counsel were comfortable there was a noisy demand for cliaiis, and in the confusion the Judge suspended the session and retired "while chairs were thrown across the Court. Lawyers danced about excitedly and witnesses, prisoners, journalists and spectators leapt from their seats and joined in the laughing and shouting. Madame Stavisky is already confident of acquittal and is making plans to go on the stage. It is expected that the trial will last more than a month. "The shadow of Stavisky's corpse will dominate the trial," said the Judge, in summarising Stavisky's frauds at the opening of the trial, which is the climax of 20 months' investigation into one of the biggest of modern frauds. The reading of the indictment occupied two hours, in spite of the omission of 1956 questions, which will be submitted to the jury. The witnesses summoned include the former Premiers, MM. Daladier and Chautemps, also M. Chiappe, formerly Chief of Police. Madame Stavisky's black hair was dressed in the latest style. At the outset she faced the Court calmly, but she crouched on a wooden bench weeping, shaken with sobs and being comforted by her counsel with his arm about her shoulders, as the Judge mercilessly traced Stavisky's career from the time he started a night club with an elderly •woman, whose jewels he stole, to the Bavonne swindles and his suicide. The Judge declared that Stavisky was a glamorous swindler and a crooked megalomaniac who cheated from love of ostentation and luxury, possessing a personality sufficient to involve prominent people in his machinations. As a result, the dock was filled, with editors and politicians who formerly were highly respected. The Judge then began questioning the accused. His examination, he intimated, will occupy a week.

Madame Stayiskv. widow of the notorious financier who committed suicide whon trapped by the police on the eve of his exposure for large-scale frauds in 1934, was liberated on April 30. The Court lipid that there were no legal grounds for her detention on the charge of receiving stolen goods. M. Darius, editor of the Midi, and M. Guibout Ribault, Stavisk.v's former lawyer, were released. M„. Garat, formerly Mayor of Bayonne; M. Heyot, a theatre owner; M. Digon, a director of the Bayonne Municipal Pawnshop; and M. Guebin, an insurance director, were held in custody. Apparently Madame Stavisky has been re-arrested on fresh charges.