BRITISH CONSUL GARROTTED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8522, 15 January 1906, Page 2

BRITISH CONSUL GARROTTED.

MURDERER'S RUSE. ♦ A BLOWN 00T CANDLE AND A STAB IN THE DARK. A mysterious murder was committed recently in the Passage Oottin, Paris. Pierre Cosquet, twenty«-nv© years of age, kepfc a. email ta'tior'B shop there. Some time ago he received an anonymous letter warning him that his days were numbered, but this he put dawn as the work of a joker. About. ,i>©n o'clock one night, just after th« tailor had gone to bed, thero came a knock at his door, thinking that one of the other tenants had made a mistake, he paid no attention, and went to sleep. Later on his wife and he were awakened by hearing groans and calls for help on the landing. Both, got upland the woman lit a candle. Hardly was the door opened wbeaa a man — a stranger — blew out the candle, rushed into the room, and in. the dark stabbed the tailor to the heart -with, a stiletto. The aggressor is quite unknown to the tailor or his wife, and is believed to have been the instrument of the veugeanoe of a woman.

+ OUTRAGE BY FRENCH SOL- ' BIERS ON ENGLISH VISITORS. Five soldiers of the French 22nd Colonial Regiment, which, is stationed at Hyeres, attacked and robbed the British Consul, Mr Sadler, and Dr and Mm Rooko-Ley. All three were garrotted, thrown to the ground, kicked and threatened 1 with a revolver. They were robbed of gold watches and the lady's jewellery! Dr Rooke-Ley was rendered unconscious. The attack on Mrs Rooke-Ley was particularly savage. After being garrotted* she Was kicked as ehe lay on the ground. The scene of the robbery is a road leading froni the golf links to the hotels. The barracks are (situated on tliie r©acf, and similaT outrages have occurred previously. The military appear to be doing little to trace the offenders, while the police doolare that it is a military matter. The military authorities have actually advised strangens not to go out after nightfall. / .