The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-21
CONVICTION OF THE sTRAsGLERs.
prescription OF the Scene In Court and q
Story OF the Crime.


PARIS, Dec. 20.-fNew York HeyaId
Cable. THE jury in the case of Michael
Eyraud and Gabrielle Bompard. accused
OF having murdered Toussant Gouffe. rem
dered verdict Of guilty against both de
PENDANTS. Eyraud was sentenced to death
by the guillotine, and Gabrielle to twenty
years imprisonment with hard labor. The
announcement of the verdict caused great
excitement in the courtroom. Gabrielle
Bompard covered her face with her hand
kerchief and seemed overcome with terror.
Eyraud turned deathly pale, but main
tanned his stolidity of manner. The court
room today was again thrown open to the
public. A large crowd of distinguished people
was present, as has been the case on each
day of the trial, with the exception of yes
terday, when DR.. Liegeois, of Nancy, the
hypnotic expert, availed himself of his
right under the code to give his testimony
in the presence of the court and Jury
alone.
When brought into court today both
prisoners gave unmistakable evidences of
fatigue and growing anxiety. Gabrielle
lombard appeared particularly nervous,
and apprehensions were entertained that
before the day was over she might have a
recurrence of Mysteries.
The public prosecutor, as soon as the
court was seated, began his Stunning up of
the case for the people. He opened his re-
marks by stating that he would con-
fine himself strictly to the task of proving
the defendants, Eyraud and Bompard,
TO have been guilty of the crimes OF
murder and robbery. He earnestly
begged the jury to dismiss from their
minds, as not bearing on the case, all that
irrelevant testimony which had been in
jected into it regarding hypnotism. Ho
referred TO the testimony yesterday given
by DR.. Liegeois, and scathingly denounced
the theory of the Nancy school.
s'No operator" he said, "could bring a sub
ject SO absolutely under control as to force him
or her to the commission of crime. II the theory
of the Nancy school were once admitted all per-
sonal responsibility is ended, and the
laws whereon society depend for
its protection must disappear in anarchy.
claim that Gabrielle Bompard is vicious, de-
praved criminal, absolutely responsible for her
actions. have had long experience in criminal
matters, but / cannot admit the theory of linn
tied responsibility
The counsel continued:
GAS for Eyraud, his comprehension of moral
responsibility had become SO completely oblit-
Grated that think the school OF Nancy might
have extended its valuable aid to him Also"
Gabrielle Bompard, he contended, was
not mentally weak, but she was depraved
morally. Both defendants were equally
guilty. They had alike participated
in arranging the preliminaries for hang
ing their victim, Toussant Gouffe. The
prosecution urged upon the members of the
jury that it was their sworn duty to reject
the story which had been told In court by
the woman Bompard. She was every way
as culpable as the other defend
ant, Michael Eyraud, who ad-
mits his guilt. Gabrielle Bompard
had delivered victim to her lover. 1t
was with her girdle that the unfortunate
man had been strangled, Eyraud only
awaiting its adjustment and favorable
moment to draw the cord.
The public prosecutor then demanded
that the extreme penalty of the law be
meted out to Michael Eyraud, and said he
would not ask that any indulgence be ex-
tended to Gabrielle Bompard, Eyraud's
active accomplice in terrible crime. 1t
was, he said, for the jury to consider
whether any grounds existed for an extern
uation of that crime.
The crime was committed July q, 1889,
in the apartments Of Gabrielle Bompard,
Eyraud's companion. A short time prior
to the murder suit was entered against
Eyraud in the courts. He talked over a
number of schemes with Gabrielle to raise
money to defend the case, and they
decided to murder NJ. Gouffe, a
wealthy Partisan jeweler, who was paying
attention to Gabrielle When the victim
entered her apartments upon the evening
of the murder he sat in Gabrielle's lap.
Eyraud was concealed behind partition.
In playful way Gabrielle slipped her
girdle around his neck and passing the
ends through spiral in the wall handed
them to Eyraud who pulled the cords, and
Gouffe was strung up until he was dead.
Gabrielle's version of the case was that
she did not know of Eyraud's intention to
commit the crime until after her return
home from dinner upon the evening of the
murder She said that he then threatened
to kill her if she gave the alarm. She said
that Eyraud tried to throw the
moose over Gouffe's head, and
that the jeweler, attracted by the
movements behind him turned quickly.
Eyraud knocked him down and strangled
him to death. After the murder she said
that Eyraud cut the body in pieces, put 1t
in trunk and left her alone with the
corpse in her room.