COURT IN TEARS

Southland Times, Issue 17002, 28 March 1912, Page 6

COURT IN TEARS

One of those tragi-comic scenes which are so common in French justice was witnessed at the Charente Assizes at the trial of a restaurant keeper, Louis Hugron, for the murder of his wife and attempted murder of his young daughter.

His story was a pitiful one. His ambitions were modest. His only desire had been to make an honest living and bequeath some small amount to his daughter to help her through life. He began as a servant, saved money, and set up a small establishment the restaurant of the Eighteen Saucepans, in the Rue Montmartre. -At first all went well, and he was in the seventh heaven. Then suddenly his customers began to leave him. He had only £BOO, representing his savings, left, find this was stolen from him. ' v In his sorrow he confided everything to his wife. To his stupefaction she burst into tears, and told him that she was the real cause of Ills ruin. She had, It appeared,been systematically robbing the till for the benefit of one of the waiters, who had captured her affections. In his utter misery lie forgave her. She called on him to kill her, whereupon he suggested that they should kill one another. She agreed, but Insisted that they should kill the child as well to save her from future misery.. That decision reached, the two determined to spend the-last wreck of their fortune, some £l2 before dying. They left their restaurant, made a tour in the west, and when only Id was left, determined to end their existence.

Huferon and ills daughter told the story while the prosecuting counsel and the judge spoke with a quaver in their voices, and the jury bent down their heads to hide the copious floods of tears. He iiad aimed at ins daughter, ho said, ho as not seriously to injure her. He had fired at tils wife to kill her, and had done liis best to kill himself. His survival was yet another failure in Ills career of disaster.

The jury was so overcome with emotion that after a thrilling appeal from Hugron'K counsel for mercy they found him not guilty, and the Court sobbed and applauded.