Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-09
A BEAUTIFUL FACE
LURES FRRscR RAILROAD gAGSlIs Io
BIS RUIN.
His Wifss Cousin Wins Bis Affections and Drives
BIN to Murder Rs SpoaS-TAs Ingslous
Defense BE Sc! Up, But the Jury
wouldn't Believe It.

PARIS, March s.-The latest caus,
celebre In the Criminal Courts here q,
that Of NJ. Joseph Ribot, gentleman
OF good social position aud education
ana fair business standing. who. in spite
OF these advantages, appears 10 have
been utterly unable 10 resist the fascin-
atlonS OF fair woman. NJ. RibOt had
been well known here for years a. 4
competent official OF the Chemunde Fer
du Midi, whose railway to Lyons aud
MarseilleS constitutes one Of the princl-
pal through routes Of travel in France.
Respected by his brother officers ener-
getic In his methods and apparently
caVable Of releasing himself from the
meSheS Of red tape that environ all
French official life when the eXigencir-
Of tbs case demand such au assertion of
Independence. NJ. Rib0t occupied an ru-
ylable position.
Ia 1873 the tried railway manager VA.
united Ia the bonds OF matrimony with
Mile. GuillumOn. the niece of the deputy
representing the department of thr
Rhone. The bride Vas an estimablr
LADY, but was not al all Ia love with the
man who led her 10 the altar Neither
had NJ. Rib0t any real affection Tor hi,
future wife.
The match was wholly one Of the
kind known rs marriages dc conyen-
ance, in which almost every other con
siferation except love enters. In the
present case, the fact that Nine. Ribuf
was possessed Of a handsome fortune may
largely decided the railway manager
choice. But European wealth could
not insure happiness. and there was
very little OF that article in the Ribot
household before the arrival Of Mile.
EsSilda Dillac. Nine Ribot's lovely
young cousin, aged 20. who came up
from the provinces 10 finish her rdur4-
tlOn aS painter IN the art schools 81
Paris, aud still less afterward.
Mile. Dillac was very clever woman.
who never deHed herself the slightest
qualification from fear Of the possible
consequences. aud when She discovered.
as she soon did, that NJ. Ribot VI.
taken with her fair face. She was not
deferred from carrying On the amour hy
the fact that her wOuld- be- lover WAS thr
husband Of her relative A. 10 VI
Ribot, his experience again Illustrated
the facility OF going down hill aud ID lr
possessed any moral stamina az the oul
set, IL was terribly weakened by thc
soft glanceS Of his nam0rata.
OF course the billing aud Going of lhr
lovers could not be- carried on openly.
under the very eyes OF the woman they
Were deceiying, aud thus resort WAS had
to billets dOuX. These tender missly,>.
now in the hands of the police. are
filled with passion OF the most impul
Sive variety, and IL is difficult to decide
whether the VOWS sworn by the crrIue
spouse or those repeated by the too rc-
SpOnsiye maid were the more ardent
Although roses bloomcd at the outset
and the lovers were for time lost .n 3D.
fools paradise of their own creation. NJ
RibOt at least soon aWOke 10 the con
Sciousness that he was playing the part
of scoundrel. But this revelation. 80
whatever period OF the tragedy 10 Wa.
came too late. lie had gone too far.
and the same evil Influence that had
caused his first departure from the path
OF duty kept him from following ANY
nobler prompting. From being ger
son Of average amilbility. NJ Ribot
demcanOr towards his wife changed fur
the worse. The servants frequently
heard him curse her. and uu several o,.
casions they we're present when MINI
RibOt charged him with 100 treatment
aud even with trying 10 poison her
Matters were going On 100 ths un.
happy manner when, four week, ago,
the servants were nearly frightened uut
Of their wits by strange Noise boo their
masters room in the middle oi th,
night. These werr 80 unusual. aud N
Ribot's temper had lately been ,O bad
that they were afraid 10 venture tu ae-
certain the cause without help sum
mOning some 81 the tenants ou the
other flats they finally burst into the
room, where they found the furniture
thrown about in great disorder whilr
on the bed lay VI. and Nine. Ribot The
latter was dead. her lifele,s body being
bathed in pool OF blood that gushcd
from nearly dozen ,tabs. apparently
inflicted by a sharp knife, while VI
Ribot was half faintng, his mouth boz
ing gagged and his hands and feet tied
The police were quickly summoned.
VI. RbOt liberated, and his wife. corpse
prepared for burial The case wa-
placed in the hands OF several oi VI.
Goron's best detectives. They uatur-
ally applied first to NJ Ribot himself
for information. but after hearing his
4 A.
greatly enlightened. The facts, ac
cording TO the master of the house.
were these:
NJ. Ribot was awakened from deep
sleep by Mime. RibOt. who occupied o.
separate couch, calling his nam" Just
a. he was about 10 rush tO beer a--i..
tancc. he WAS seized. bound aud gagged
~ he was found boy two ruiiaus. whose
faces were blackrucd with >oot What
happened 10 his wife he could not say
as he also became unconscious.
A. this pleasing fairy tale, e' .drnt'y
extracted from one Of NJ BosgObey
romancos. was not thought 90 .unl
ciently resemble the truth. the deter.
tives proceeded on their own throrir-
and soon discovered that these remark
able robbers had failed to secure large
sum Of money IN the room, or, in fact
anything else Of value They also un-
earthed the details Of the DIliac amour
the inculpa,ing letters and all The pos.
sible incentives that could have iufu-
enced the railway manager in putting
his wife out OF the way.
As result VI. Ribot wa arrested.
tried and yesterday sentenced o. twenty
years imprisonment with hard labor
despite his plea VI mot guilty. The
leniency VI the sentence was due % thr
extraordinary finding by the jury thar
the murder was done "withOut premrd