SHOT IN HIS SLEEP.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3546, 6 August 1920, Page 2

SHOT IN HIS SLEEP.

In the beautiful old cathedral city of Stx':lssl)o.ul'g :1 ,y<>ullg mun, nmner‘. Frzuxcois DLppig, mul'del'od his 901»futhel'_. M. »Sch\\':lb, by shooting him \vil"‘n :1 wvolvtsr in his sleep. _

Dippig, who is only 19 years of age, :11‘ his triai uf Str:L.~-..~'}.=ouz‘g‘ (e()llf'cSSol3 t]mtCt‘hl-co time pl*c=".'mllsl_',' he had attCln_pted to carry out MllO nmrder by puiw-11ing,; his 1':1tho1".~‘ .food_. and even tu having on (me o_c<_*:lsiol‘l poisoned the 1'on(1 of the whole fanxily.

Se‘.eet’.ng :1 night when e\'el'yt3lii.ng was quiet, he crept along); to his faith-(-r’s bedrom, and t.llel'e deliberuiely and coolly shot him as he lay sleeping‘ pe:l<:et'ully in bed. .\[me. S«::hw:i1). being ‘£l\\'ill{CllC‘Ll' by the 'lloi.<e, went dnwnstaiisto see wlmt hurl happened, but on ‘trying to turn on the electric lights found that slie_\' failed to work, as the boy had previously cut all the wires. Young‘ Francois, being surprised «at the appearance of his mootlier, turned and furi-.;usly attacked her with the butt of his revolver, striking -her about the ‘head and body. » Next day Francois visited his uncle, living in anotlier part of Strassbourg. f‘."(l calmly announced to hfiii thal; burglars had broken into the house. killed his father, and seriously Wounded his mother. ‘He even sug‘g-ested that they should employ police dogs in an attempt to tr-ackdown the dangerous criminals who had e.omm!ited the terrible crime.

At the trial he showed no remorse. ‘u ‘n his nloth=el' stood in rthe witness box to give her evidence Francois doliberntely covered his face with a handkerchief aud turned his head- in the opposite -direction. The only apparent object of Ithe murder was that on several -occasions Francois had been scolded by his father, and a mental doczfor who examined the boy stated that he was degen-er.atei, with a complete lack of moral sense, and avdanger to the public. % " "“

The Court found Francois guilty, and lmced him to death. Failing .23. Presidential reprieve he will be publicly execut-ed.