BOY’S TERRIBLE CRIME

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1929, Page 6

BOY’S TERRIBLE CRIME

MURDER FOR 28.

A murder mystery • which has been puzzling the pqlice’ for some time past was cleared up recently by one of the most amazing confessions m modem French criminal history. Mme. Barry, 80 years of age, who had lived alone in a cottage at Vaucresson village, _ near Versailles, was discovered dead in bed. Her head had been battered- with a piece of steel piping which lay on the be police investigations had no result until one day they learned that a boy of 14. Emile le Guel, a shop messenger, had disappeared from Vaucresson. Search was made for Emile, and it was discovered that he and another youth (Louis Helie, aged 16) were m prison in Paris, having been arrested as young vagabonds. Le Guel, disliking work, and with 200 francs from his master s. till, leit Vaucresson K to enjoy himself in Paris. Here he met Helie, who had been a messenger in a Rouen cafe and had also come to Paris for a similar reason. They quickly spent the 200 francs. Then Helie suggested that they must carry out some coup to secure some more money. Le Guel told him of Mme. Barry—how she lived alone, must have just drawn her pension, and always had money in the house, “Our coup,”. Le Guel calnily told the police, “was the murder of Mme. Barry. Yes, we did it!” Tho two youths were taken to Vaucresson “to reconstruct the crime”—according to French police custom. On the spot, Le Guel was asked to tell his story —which he did with complete calm. “I opened the garden gate —like that—and we went quickly into the. garden. “There we found a piece of steel piping. “We entered by placing a ladder against a window. Once in the house wo lit a candle.

“The light awakened Hie old woman, and Helie, with the piece of piping in Iris hand, dashed toward the bed, and struck Mme. Barry with all his strength on the head.

“Then we searched tho TOpm for the money. “While we were doing so the old woman became conscious and Helie attacked her again, hitting her off the

head with the piping—twice, ten times and twenty times.” “How much money did you find? asiced an inspector. “Only 12 francs”, (about 2s), said La Gue! coolly. ' • “Then we fled, and went by tram to Paris, where we were arrested, as we had no papers and no money.”