The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-21
Her Murderer Conveying Her Corpse
to the River
us STOPPED BY THE POLICE
A'Chapter of Crime from Cultured Gsthars
That nivals Anything In the An
nails OF the Rough and Rswdy
Weet-Rraaeis in Jail
TIE DAYS RECORD OF CRIMES.
Asuurdored woma. m q sae,


NEW York, May N.-At 8 O'Clock
this morn ing a Frenchman, who proved
to be Louis Francis, OF No. 3O7 Tenth
avenue, WAS arrested while on his way
to the North river, bearing on his beck
bag containing the mrtilated corpse
Of q woman who had been murdered.
policeman, attracted by Francis,
my sterious manner as he moved alonw.
stopped him and asked what the bag
contained. The Frenchman re-,
fused TO give an explanation
AND attempted to move on, and the
officer took him into custody, where
upon he dropped the bag. The officer,
upon opening the end OF The sack, found
that IL contained the mutilatsd body OF
a woman. The body was doubled up
and In an almost nude condition, and
bore unmiBtaknble evidence OF the fact
that the woman had been murdered.
Francis was asked for an explanation of
the Affair, and after recOverin from his
confusion declared that the corpse WAS
that of his wife and that she had disd a
natural death. Being without the
means necessary to defTny the expenses
OF a funeral, he had concluded on car
rylng the corpse to the river and throw
ing II in. He was placed under arrest
and steps taken to Investigate the sup-
posed crime. Francis is about 81 wears
OF age and made no attempt TO explain
the affair when closely questioned /,
other than to repeat the story that his
vile had died at their home on Tenth
avenue, and that he was simply deposit
ing the corpse in the river ON account of
his inability TO give her a Christian
burial.
a STATEMENT BY FRANCIS.
Louis Francis tells the following
story: Yesterday l found a valuable
dog, which my wife atterward lost.
reproAched my wife for losing him and
she swore at me. At 7:30 o'clock last
| night she sent me out for beer.
When. l came back l found man
named VIM. Welsh in ethe room
with her. Welsh works in the
same shop with me. She sat on my lap
and kissed me. Then she threw q glass
at me and then a can. She then walked
TO 20 out. When / came back
she was lying on the floor dead. I
waited an hour, thinking she would re-
yive, but she didn't. / doa't know the
cause OF her death. She told mo befote .
she died that she did not care for me,
put she liked the man who put up wine
with her. He is Leopold Saconville.
and he lives with Mrs. Lynch on
broadway. After | found my wife
dead, took 10 cents, went out and got a
drink. In half an hour came back and
put her In the bag to throw her in the
river.
The woman was not Francis, wife.
She was Selma Fohat, 38 years old, with
a son Is years OF age, who lives In Boa-
ton. Francis, who Ia one year younger
than his paramour, has worked for some
time In French polishing marble yard.
Three months ago the couple moved
into the apartments where the crime
was committed. Francis lived on the
ground floor in the rear OF the structure.
The three rooms were comfortably fur
nished ands neatly kept. Both
were persons, in appearance, above
the average in the neighborhood,
but both drank freely of beer, the man
often 10 excess. They quarreled fre-
quently. Two weeks ago, while in one
OF his conviviel moods, he beat and
kicked her while she was on the floor.
He, upon picking her up, was heard by
tenants In the house TO say: al guess
I've finished her this time" AS the
body OF Telina Fehat lay In the police
station this morning 1t had the appear
ance OF once having been pretty wo-
man. Even trace of dissipation could
not be discerned. She was of delicate
complexion, large expressive blue eyes,
thick, wayy light brown hair and
petite in figure, probably weighing
about 100 pounds. On the corpse were
scrupulously clean underwear, a black
skirt and an embroidered night-dress
About the neck was twisted silk hand.
kerchief and about the throat lines OF
discoloration and marks OF finger
nails. II was evident the woman had
been strangled TO death by twisting a
handkerchief about her thaoat,