The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-18
MARIE JEANNERET'S DEATH.
CAREER or THIS POISONER.
How She Did Her Work--lier Trial. and the
Motives for Crime.
Letter 70 London Daily News.l


and probably the most extensive secret
poisoner OF her time. Her case is oil the
more remarkable in that 10 presents some
curious psychological problems, and that,
strangely enough, she was the cause OF
the abolition OF the death-penalty In the
Canton Of Geneva. / saw the woman in
her cell some six months since. and the
following narrative OF her career and her
crimes, gathered partly from the reports
u her trial and partly from persons who
bad knowledge OF the affair. may be found
interesting:
Marie Jeanneret belonged to one Of the
most honorable families in the Canton OF
Neuichatel, where she was born in 1896.
| she inherited from her parents, both Of
whom died when she was an infant, a
modest competency. Marie remained at
school until she reached her nineteenth
year. and was carefully and reigiously
brought up by her uncle. who was also her
guardian. Her character, rs observed by
those about her, was peculiar. She had a
defective judgment and strong will, in
constant tastes and a restless disposition, n
tendency to falsehood and passion for in
| trigue. She was vain. too, and liked to
attract attention and be talked about.
On the other hand, she was regular in her
attendance at church and assiduous in her
religious duties. She did not enjoy very
good health, but was suspected OF exag-
gerating her maladies. By dint OF reading
medical books and consulting many doc
| tors she obtained some knowledge OF medi-
cine, OF which she was very proud, and
often expressed R desire to become sick
nurse. She complained much OF her eyes
pretended at one time TO he blind, and in
| 1865 consulted DR.. Dor. Of Vevey. who as
certained by a decisive experiment that
| the affection was imaginary. He did
| not prescribe for her, but il is probable
| that she took an opportunity, while his
back was turned, Of approprlating bottle
| Of atropine. Another doctor whom she
consulted prescribed belladonna, and as
| she kept the prescription by her she was
enabled to procure a supply Of that drug
at pleasure. In the spring OF 1866 Marie
Jeanneret. while staying at the Pension
Beroud at Vevey, made the acquaintance
| OF a Mile. Berthet, Of Nyon, whose sympa-
| thy was won by her sutlerings-real or
Slpposed-her insinuating manners, and
| her religious professions. They became
| fast friends. were nearly always together,
| and used each others rooms as If they be-
longed to both. One day, after dinner, Mile.
Berthet asked for glass of water; but,
| the dav being warm, Jeanneret suggested
| that a mixture of wine and eau Sucree
would be the safer beverage. The mixture
was made accordingly and drank. and
shortly afterward the two friends started
for Clareus. On the way thither Mile.
Berthet became very i'll. She was sick
The pupils OF her eyes seemed to be para
lived: her head felt as heavy as lead.
jeanneret showed much sympathy, lifted
he lids OF her friends eyes to examine
them more closely, and suggested rem
edies.
After short rest at Clarens, Mile. Ber-
tibet recovered sufil iently TO return to
Vevey, whittier she was accompanied by
Jeanneret. "COme into my ROOM" said
the latter on their arrival at the Pension
Beroud, "and | will give you an efler-
yescing drink" The invitation was &C.
cepted, and JeaDneTet prepared the mix
ture. using for the purpose some drugs
contained in the small arsenal OF bottles
| which she always carried about with
her. Drink quickly" she said.
=. while the efleryescence lasts" Mile.
Berthet did drink quickly. Jeanneret
eyed her curiOusly, and while in the
| very act Of returning her the glass her
| friend fell back on sofa in state OF utter
nervous prostration. All the night and
the whole OF the next day she was de-
lirious, and her friends, beng informed
by telegraph of her illness, fetched her
home, and by so doing undoubtedly saved
her life. Three days passed before she
could sufficiently command herself to eX-
plain to her medical attendant, DR.. Lam
| hassy, of Nyon, how she had been taken
| i'll. After hearing her statement, and ask
| ing her some questions. DR.. LamDasSy said
| hat it looked very much as il she had been
| poisoned by belladonna. The pupils OF
| her eyes were extremely dilated, her very
features were altered, and months elapsed
before her sight was fully restored. Mile.
Bertbet also believed she had been poison
| ed. but by mistake, her idea being that
.Jeanneret had got her bottles mixed and
| Given her the wrong stun inadvertently,
and this opinion she retained until subse-
nuent revelations showed how terrible bad
| been her danger, and how narrow her es-
cane. This was probably Jeannerets FIRST
ESSAY at murder, and I will he observed,
as a curious feature OF the case, that she
had nothing TO gain by her friends death.
On the face OF II the crime was absolutely
mOtiveless.
From Vevey Jeanneret went to Locle.
her native place, and in the following Dc
tober she entered the nursing school OF
| Lausanne. in order to qualify herself Tor
the calling for which she had so often en-
pressed prediction. After stay OF TWO
months she left the school without COM
pIet,ng her course, on the ground that the
State OF her eyes rendered her unit for
work. NJ. Raymond, the manager OF the
establishment, was struck by something
strange and indefnable in the new neo-
phyte's character. She was restless, emo
tional, and laxative, peculiarlties the
reverse OF desirable in SICK cham-
her. Whether she tried any expert
ments on the patients In the hos
initial is unknown, but she was ocea-
siOnaIly sent out 10 nurse patients at
their own houses, and to one OF them, NINE.
Cbabloz, she almost certainly gave DELLA
donna. One night JeannCret called on
Nine. Chabloz's married daughter NINE.
E,chenherp. and said her mother was very
I'm Nine. Eichenberg found the latter with
vide omen ewes, a face expressive OF intense
terror and talking wildly and laughing
Jali,ously. The doctor was sent for and
cane hut suspected nothing. Another
inc she went into the dining-roOm While
,ha Fichenbergs were at supper, and gave
the children some bOn-bons, which she
called prncesses. All who ate OF them
We're very sick and vomited much. Still
nobody suspected that Jeanneret was Sc
cret poisoner.
The scene now shifts to Geneva, where,
At the time 10 question, there lived GER
tain Nine. Juyet, wife OF tradesinan'
WI, together with two friends.M Mime;
Vaucher and Mile. Farsat-bad formed
the design of establishing a malson a, de
sante, or private hospital, for GONZALES
cents. The better to fit themselves Tor tnis
undertaking they spent few days IN a, tne