The Case of the Tragic Widow

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23381, 24 June 1939, Page 12 (Supplement)

The Case of the Tragic Widow

MADAME' S hands were the smallest and most beautiful I have ever seen. As I fingerprinted them, something about the hands struck me. At first, I could not make out what it was that made them different from any others I had ever seen. Then it dawned on me. They were both tho same. Left and right were identical; twin sets of costly rings sparkled on each of them. Ilie owner of the hands was small, to match them, a perfect little doll. < Madame was weeping. Her trail little form shook with sobs. "C'est terrible, e'est terrible." she moaned, as the matron and I at Bow Street tried to comfort her. We persuaded her to drink a hot cup of tea. London was never more perfectly suited to a melodrama than it was that night of July 10, 1923. It had been a day of terrific heat, and an unearthly stillness was in the air of the sweltering city. At midnight precisely, tho storm broke in the West End. Flash upon flash of lightning, lit the sky. One could almost read a book by the continuous glare. Three Sharp Cracks During the height of the storm, death came to "Prince" Faluny Boy, a young Egyptian millionaire, in a famous hotel of the West End. Three sharp cracks came from the "prince's" suite at two o'clock that morning. A porter who was carrying luggage along the corridor in which tho suite was situated stopped suddenly when ho heard the reports. Then he ran to" the "prince's" suite. He found "Prince" Fahmy Bey lying on the floor. Blood was flowing on to his silken pyjamas from wounds in his head. By his side, on her knees, crying pitifully, was his wife. A Belgian pistol and three empty cartridge cases lay on tho carpet. A doctor was called, but there u*as nothing he could do. "Prince" Fahmy Bev was dead. Divisional Detective-Inspector Grosse went to the hotel with other officers, and, later, Madame _ Fahmy was arrestee! and charged with the murder of her husband. ' , . To a doctor at Bow Street who spoke French she said that her husband had advanced toward her in a menacing fashion, and that she had fired the pistol out of the window to frighten

him awav. He still came on, and sho pointed the gun at him. She was surprised that it wont oif, as, having fired it out of the window, sho thought it would then he empty. £3,000,000 Fortune The more deeply the investigators probed into the private lite ot "Prince Fahtny Bey, the less they discovered that was of credit to him. Llie six months during which his pretty young wit'o had been married to him had been six months of hell. Fahmy Boy, apparently, did not want a wife 111 the ordinary Western sense of the word; he wanted a slave. This young Egyptian was not, in fact, ,1 prince at all. He was given the title of "Boy" because of his large gifts to charity. In his native land lie was regarded as a wild youth, and his behaviour was very much frowned upon by his follow countrymen. ' His fortuno was more than £3,000,000 and it was discovered that much of it had been spent on very questionable pursuits. . Fahmy was attached to the Egyptian Legation in Paris, and, while in the French capital, lie became fascinated bv the loveliness of a Parisienne dancer iii a cabaret. He married her, and very soon sho became known as the best dressed woman in Paris. The pretty Parisienne, however, soon made discoveries about her husband which caused her to dread and despise him. , , Torture her life had been, aiKl that was the story unfolded at her trial at the Old Bailey. Young French Dancer The trial was one of the most sensational London had witnessed for many a dav, and public interest was at fever pitch* as the beautiful Frenchwoman took her stand in the dock to fight for Three famous counsel defended Madame Fahmy—-Sir Edward Marshall Hall, Sir Henry Curtis Bennett, and Mr. Poland Oliver. The hearing began on September 10, 1923. _ A crowded Court listened intently while the amazing storv wns unfolded, In reply to the question whether sho pleaded '"Guilty", 'or "Not Guilty," which was translated for her by an interpreter, Madame Falimv murmured "Non coupable" (Not Guilty). r Sir Percival Clarke then "Mr. Clarke," Opened tlio case for the prosecution. The facts related to the jury of Londoners sounded more like a highly coloured tale of Eastern ro-

mauce than the reality which they undoubtedly represented. The jurors heard how tho lovely young French dancer was courted by tho ardent Egyptian millionaire in Paris, and how he prevailed on her to accompany him to Egypt. Passionate letters, stories of life in an Eastern palace, a journey to the Tomb of Tutankhamen, moonlight cruises on a luxury yacht and Eastern brutality toward a white woman—these were some of the highlights placed before the Court. Counsel tor the prosecution revealed that at no time had Madame Fahmy and her husband been really happy. She slept with a pistol close at hand, and Fail my also had one. Tho couple came to London, accompanied by the "Prince's" secretary and companion, Said Eiuini. "My Only Consolation" On the evening of tho tragedy, all three went to the theatre togother, and returned to tho hotel for supper. Fahmy was quarrelling with Ins wife. Sho had been advised that sho must «'o to Paris for an operation. Her husband wanted her to stay in London with him. , Peoplo in tho restaurant noticed that the pair had disagreed, and, when a bund lender approached Madame r a limy and asked her if sho would like him to play any particular tuno, sho said to him, "I don't want any music—my husband has threatened to kill mo tonight." , Said Enani, who was the first witness, agreed under cross-examination by Sir Edward Marshall Hall that Madame Fahmy wns hesitnnt about going to Egvpt. , , , Then Sir Edward read a letter written by Fahmy to her while ho was in Cairo.'"Torture of my life," wroto Fahmy Bey, "your image appears to me in a still more luminous light. It appears to be surrounded by a halo, and your head so haughty and majestic, brightly encircled by a crown which 1 reserve for it here. Yes, this crown I reserve for you on your arrival in this beautiful country of my ancestors. "Envy and jealousy should never have any weight with any of ns. Come, come quickly, and appreciate tho beautiful sun of Egypt. Masterpiece of Drama "Come, come quickly, and .see this beautiful sun of Egypt, and him who will excel himself to make your sentiments more delightful. My only consolation is you." Tho crown which "Princo" Fahmy really kept for his bride-to-be was more like a crown of thorns. On her arrival in Egypt, Fahmy showed her liis gorgeous palace, his yacht, motorcars, his horses, but when the marriage ceremony was performed, he refused to allow a divorce condition to bo inserted. After the ceremony, if he liked, ho might divorce his wifo at a moment's notico, but she could not divorce him. and ho had the power to take three other wives, if he chose. Evidence was given that tho "Prince ' emploved a black, Sudanese valet as "bridal valet," and this native was stationed outside Madame Fahmy's bi'droom, in spite of her protests. Sir Edward Marshall Hall's speech to the jurv was . a masterpiece .of drama. He held the fatal pistol in his hand, and with dramatic flourishes, demonstrated how . ■ the shots which ended Fahmy Bey's life camo to be fixed. "The moment the marriagfe ceremony was over, all sort Of restraint on Fahmy's part ceased," said Sir Edward. "Ho developed from an attentive, plausible, and kind lover into a ferocious brute, with a violent temper.

j Another of his famous cases j recorded by I Divisional-Detective Inspector [ JACK HENRY, j who has just retired from | Scotland Yard. I j

"From that day onward, down to tho very night, within a few moments I of tho time when a bullet sent that i man to eternity, he was pestering her. He had a black valet to watch over 1 this white woman's suite of rooms —it | makes one shudder. I "Sho had bruises and marks all over. | Ho carried a pistol, which ho used to j fire over her head to frighten her, to cower her, to got hur into that state of obedienco which a black man wants from a woman who is his chattel." Afraid of Thunder On more than one occasion, said Sir Edward, Madame Fahmy had been given coffee in Egypt which had a strange taste, and made her feel ill, i and on the night of the tragedy Fahmy had threatened her life, and sho firmly believed that he would carry out his intention to kill. . At times on tho point of fainting, often in tears, Madame Fahmy told her story in the witness-box ill L' rench. "i went to my bedroom at about ono o'clock, alone," sho said. "By that time the thunderstorm' was terrible. I am very much afraid of thunder, and 1 was very nervous and tired besides. "Whilel was writing, my husband came and knocked at the door. When ho asked mo what I was doing, I asked him if lie had any money for my journey to Paris the next day. I was then in evening dress. "Ho invited mo to go into his room to see what money lie had, and lie showed mo somo English one pound notes, and about two thousand francs. I asked him to give me tho Froneh money for iiiv expenses to France. "Ho started tearing off my dress. Ho struggled with me. I ran to tho telephone, and ho toro it out of my hand and twisted my arm. 1 hit him, and ran toward tho door. Ho struck me, and spat In my face." After appealing to a member of tho staff who was in the corridor, Madame Fahmv said that she returned to the suite, "hoping that her husband by this time would have gone from the room. A little while afterwards, sho saw him in tho doorway again. She saw the pistol in its place, and felt very frightened and very weak. "Ho advanced," sho said, "with a very threatening expression, saying 'I wili revenge myself.' "I took up the pistol. Suddenly, ho seized mo brutally by the throat, and. with his right hand, pressed mo behind, saying, 'i will kill you now.' His thumb was on my windpipe, his fingers were round my neck. Stepping back, he said 'I will kill you.' "Ho tried 1o spring on mo. I put my arm in front of me, and, as ho was about to spring on me, I lifted my arm without looking." Completely Vindicated With sobs, sho told how her husband was lying on the ground before she realised what had happened. Sho did not know how many times tho pistol went off. "When I saw him lying on the floor," she said, "1 said, 'lt is nothing. Speak, oh, please speak to me.' " Tt did not take the jury long to decide that Madame Fahmy was blameless of the murder of her husband. "Not Guilty," announced the foreman. So loud was the cheering in Court that tho interpreter was unable for some moments to tell Madame Fahmy the result. Men throw their hats in the air, and there was such a demonstration of emotional enthusiasm that Mr. Justice Swift ordered the Court to bo cleared. Tho jury also returned a verdict of •'Not Guilty" of manslaughter, and Madame Fahmy, the tragic bride and moro tragic widow, walked from tho dock at tho Old Bailey completely vindicated.