WOMAN’S FATE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1935, Page 7

WOMAN’S FATE

murdered in her bath. I ( YOUNG COUPEE ON TRIAL. Women queued up at four o’clock in the morning to obtain a place in the Court of Assize at Brussels for the trial of Pierre Nathan, the son of a wealthy boot manufacturer of Brussels,- and .of his mistress, Marie Louise Gerin, indicted for the murder of Madame Herel, the wife of a rjch grain dealer of Paris. The crime was committed on March 9 of last year, the victim being found dead in a bath at a Paris hotel. Some days later it was stated that a young man and his mistress had been arrested at Brussels and had confessed to the murder. Marie Louise appeared in the crowded court wearing an elaborate costume. She was defended by several barristers, including the famous Paris advocate* Maitre Torres. The prosecution alleged that the victim met Nathan in a ballroom. He introduced himself to her as a count, and after a few days succeeded in bringing her into a hotel, where, after rendering her unconscious under chloroform, he drowned her in the bathroom. The examination revealed that Nathan and his mistress, two followers of a gay and easy life, had decided to kill the first wealthy woman whom Nathan as a young and handsome man would be able to entice. After the crime the murderer brought back to Marie Louise the clothes and jewels of his victim, but his mistress, it is alleged, reproached him for not having Mme. Herel’s mink cloak worth £lOOO. Nathan then went to the dead woman’s house and under false pretences obtained the fur from the maidservant.

While the Paris police were searching for the false count the couple went back to Brussels, and Nathan confessed his crime to his grandfather, who gave him 100 francs with the advice that he should buy a pistol and kill himself. Nathan did not follow the advice and was arrested.

During the hearing th<* president questioned Nathan and his mistress regarding the circumstances of the murder. Nathan insisted that he had been inspired by his mistress, who had compelled him to purchase a bludgeon and had herself purchased the chloroform. On her side, Marie Louise said that she staggered with horror when Nathan told her he had killed Madame Herel. But she answered vaguely when she was asked why she had accepted the victim's clothes and why she had insisted on Nathan going to fetch the mink cloak.