Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-06-15
A PARIS POISONER.

being tried in Paris for poisoning different
persons, among them his mother and seve-
raj of his wives He is about thirty y-six
years cf age, and the history of his crimes
is as follows:
In 1873 he came TO Paris with his mother,
and began business as matchmaker. He
devoted all his leisure moments to music
and chemistry, taking a special delight In
the study of poisonous drugs. He was very
eccentric in his habits, often passing him
self off for a professor of the Sorbonne and
wearing decorations to which he had no
right.
On August 16, 1872, Pe's mother, who
had been maltreated by him for many years,
was seized with violent pains in the lntes.
tines, with intense thirst and vomiting, and
after few days of excruciating agony she
died. Pei allowed no doctor TO come near
her, and he explained that the old woman
had met with sudden death by playing
with an electric apparatus in his room. The
| neighbors all suspected crime, but no
| afterward Pei sold all his mothers effects
and went on a debauch with the proceeds.
| In May, 1879. Pei employed servant
named Marie Mahoin. Five days after
Marie entered Pel's service she was seized
with terrible pains i'll the intestlnes,
with intense thirst and vomiting. The
Young girl got worse each day Dur
| ing her illness Pei introduced into his
| apartment second woman named
Eugene Meyer, who forthwith became his
| mistress. Eugenie was also seized with yio-
| lent pains in the intestines, with intense
thirst and vomiting The two women nursed
each other, but Marie Mahoin. fearing some
thing wrong, ran away and took refuge IN
Beauion Hospital, where she was speedily
cured. Eugene Meyer, however, since the
day she entered Pefs apartment, was never
seen again. Pei sold her clothes and jewel
| ry and went on debauch with the proceeds.
| When Pei changed his apartments few
| weeks later blood stains were found on the
| walls, but again no inquiry was instituted.
In 1880 Pei removed to the avenue Kleber
and married pretty young girl named
Eugenie Bullreau, who brought him dowry
of 4,OOOf The wedding took place on
August 2G. and on October 81 Nine. Pei
died after two weeks of vomiting, thirst and
| intense pains in the intestines. Pei allowed
no doctor 10 come near his young vile until
| she WAS in the last agony OF death lei
declared that her death was caused by eat
ing poisonous mushrooms, story that was
believed readily by the doctor aud no inves-
tipa,ion was made The stomach, liver and
intcstines of this young wife were placed in
china basins in the court room, and were de.
clsred By medical experts to be impregnated
| with arsenic.
Nine months later Pei married another
Young lady, Mile. Murat Bel!ise, who
brought him dowry of 6,OOOf. Ten days
after the wedding Pel's second wife ana
her mother were seized with excruciatlhg
| Mains in the bowels vomiting and intense
| . ha
nresentiment of evil left Pel's house and
persuaded her daughter to do the same,
thereby saving both their lives. Pei had,
however. got hold of the G,000f. and pro-
| ceeded to spend them in reckless dcbauch-
cry.
In 1854 he made the acquaintance OF a
| woman named Elize Bockmer and the two
lived together in a small house at Mon
treuil. Elze sold Credit Foncier bonds and
gave all the money to Pei. On July 2, how
ever, she said, in reply to Pels urgent en-
treaties mot another sou." On the even.
ing of that very day Elze was seized with
sudden pains in the intestines, vomiting
and intense thirst. Pei forbade her to call
any doctor or admit any neighbors. Dur.
| ing Pcl's absence, however. two women
Mime Chesnet and Nine. Deven-entered
| the forbidden apartment and found EllZe
writhing in fearful torture, tearing out her
hair and decorating her flesh with her finger
nails. This was on July 12. Since then
she disappeared-just as Eugene Mayer
did in 1S79-and was never seen again.
Shortly afterward the neighbors were
alarmed by terrible STENCIL like that OF
decaying corpse, coming from Pei's apart.
ment. Great excitement was also aroused
by fire, like that of a blacksmith's forge,
| that illuminated Pel's windows day and
night in spite of the closely drawn black
curtains. The peighbors gathered in the
night near the apartment, gazing with al
most supernatural terror upon the mysterl-
GUS flames behind the black curtains, feel.
ing convinced that some internal drama was
being enacted.
Toward morning two women less super
stitious than the rest hoisted themselves up
to the level with the window and through
the opening saw Pal naked, wearing only
his gold spectaces and dripping with sweat
from the intense heat, pale, haggard, bent
| like a demon over the furnace tanning the
flame with pair of bellows, awaiting with
feverish impatience for the fire to accomplish
some devilish work.
Next day Nine Deven climbed up to the
window of the room in which Eize used to
sleep. No fire was burning this time, but
the bedding was scattered about in disorder
and heaps of white damp ashes were seen
in the ashpan. There was strong smell OF
chlorate of lime. The police were at once
warned. Pei was arrested.
On chair were found few spots of blood and
saw, the teeth of which were clotted with blood
and hair On being asked what had become OF
Elize Bochmer, Pei, with the greatest clamness,
| renlied .Sbe rot better and left me very alb
ruptly. She did not say where she was going,
While the Indictment was being read. Pei
scrutinized through his spectacles, the basins
containing the bowels, intestines. stomach and
liver of Pel's first wife; series of china oasins
containing the white ashes found in Pcl's store,
snnnosed to he all that is left Of El.zc Bochmer,
! Pel's mietr.s. aua series of basins containing
| ashee i: = rec ntly executed criminal burned by
n,..tcsl experts in stove similar to that OF PeFs
to enable the jury to decide whether the a'he5
found in Pel's stove are the ashes oil human oe,
;no or not. When the indictment was finished
| =. annla rad Ii to ha q tissue of lies.