Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-18
The French Criminal Judge.

| MICHAEL EYRAUD Is on trial IN Paris Tor
the murder of GoUIssANr COUPE on the
9th Of last July. GABRIELLE BoMPARD was
his accomplice. She enticed deceased into
her room, where no proceeded to make
| love 10 her. She sportively threw moose
around his neck and they laughed and
ioked about it and then she passed the
ends of tho rope through hole i'll the par
| tition wall and her lover, there concealed,
seized them and drew GouFFE of the floor,
strangling him to death almost instantly.
The prisoner declares that he did not
mean TO murder the fellow, but purposed
| only to extort money from him. As 1t was,
however, he was prepared for the emer-
gency. The body was robbed and the
| clothes destroyed, and then the corpse was
butchered up and put into trunk, which
was taken of as part of the luggage OF
the woman. EYRAUD and La Belle GA
RRrEILEE," as she has ever since been called,
went off to the United States. In due
course both were put prison; he charged
with the actual crime, she as accessory.
EYRAUD. in the course of q statement he
made to the Court the day before yester-
day, said that GoUFFE was holding GA
BRrELLE on his knees and caressing her
! when she slipped the moose over GoUFFEs
head and gave the prisoner the precon-
certed signal.
Long accounts of the trial are being tele-
| graphed to the papers of the United states,
and what strikes the average reader with
| most amazement is the way the presiding
Judge denounces. criticises, bulldozes, and
sneers at the prisoner, who, however,
though confessedly guilty, is able to take
care of himself, and answers back with
sayageness and levity. On Tuesday the
stranger, with eyes fixed upon the floor,
answered the questions put TO him by
President ROBERT, and in these answers he
doomed himself to the guillotine THE au-
dience even laughed in its appreciation
when the Judge caught EYRAUD in his ques-
tons, and they oil listened with strained
eagerness to the prisoner testimony made
of the low life he and his accomplce had
! led"
Every time the prisoner WINGED or
cboked these people leered delightedly in
each others faces" GABRIELLE was re-
moved from the courtroom while the
principal actor in the affair. EYRAUD, was
examined. President RoBERTs's tone az he
addressed the wretched EYRAUD was one OF
stern accusation. and he frequently shook
his finger threateningly at the bonded
figure before him. gesticulating with both
hands as he pictured the enormities Of that
miserable career. "EYRAUD," said the
president, "the accounts of your past life
are of the very worst description" and
then the Judge went on to review the
murderer's career of idleness, dissipation,
and crime.
The woman accomplice when she came
forward TO testify was also badgered by
the Judge. but she had little of the muir
derer's ferocious spirit and her repartees
were quite tame.
This is trial which interests all Paris
and is daily attended by great crowds
None but people of influence can get tick
cts of admission.
EYRAUD, of course, expects to GO to tbs
euillotine, but will be perfectly satisfied
no doubt, if La Belle GABRIELLE can be
made to accompany him. He says she
originated the idea of the murder to rot
the victim. She left HIM at San Francisco
and voluntarily returned to Paris and be
came an informer. Hence his love wa
turned to hate.
The trial will 60 on for several days il
not weeks.