Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-12-27
A CRIME CONFESSED.
AN ARREST FOR THE MURDER OF The
BARONESS DeLLARo.
How the Aged Lsdy's Maid Narrowly Es-
capped Death Hsrself--A Christmss-Day
Sensation in Paris.

SGnSotiOn tu
The Christmas-day sensation in Paris.
France, was the arrest OF Lieutenant
Anastuy, retired army officer. on the
charge Of numbering the Baroness Dellard.
The Lieutenant was subjected TO prelimi-
nary examination at tho prefecture Of pc.
lice Friday morning. and after denying that
he was guilty the prisoner was remanded.
Lieutenant Anastuy justified the convic.
ton of the police that he IS the murderer
5v confessing later that he committed tho
crime.
baroness Dellard was daughter or Q
general Of the first empire. the widow OF
colonel of cuirassiers of the guard: and was
seyenty-two years of aga. She is described
as tall. stately old lady. with snow-white
hair. and was held in much respect ana
esteem by her neighbors. Her SOD, Baron
Dellard, holds an important position on
the clerical staff of the Minister OF War.
Nj. de Freycinet. He is about forty years
Of age, retired army officer. and Knight
of the Legion OF Herforu.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The evidence submitted by the police
was about as follows: The Baroness was. lat
about o'clock in the afternoon OF Decem-
Der 4th, seated in the saloon OF her apart
mept on the first floor OF the large am
fully-inhabited house. which she occupied
with her son. at No. ~ Boulevard du lem
ple. close to the Place de la Concorde.
A Young man of slight build. elegantly
dressed, wearing high silk hat, and car
rying an AuOcdis portfolio under his arm,
entered and asked the porter where the
apartment of the Baroness was. lie was
informed that the Baroness lived on the
first floor, but the stranger went up 10 tne
apartment Immediately above that OF the
Baroness and asked the servant who an
swered the bell if that was where the
Baroness Dellard lived.
He was informed that the Baroness
lived on the floor below, whereupon he
scended to the first floor and was heard
TO rlng the bell of the Baroness apart
ment.
There was lapse of short time, posi-
blv five or six minutes, at the end OK
which Delphine Hourbe, a servant EN-;
ployed by the Baroness, violently opened
the window of the latter's dining-room
door, which opened into the courtyard
forming the interior of the building, and
pointing to the archway leading into the
street. cried in checking tones; Help
Murder Stop him."
THE SERVANT GIRL WOUNDS.
The poor servant girl had deep wound
on her throat, from which the blood was
pouring. The girls cries. however, were at
first too insrticulate to arouse Immediate
attention aud alarm, and in the mean
while the murderer was able to leave the
Raroness's apartment and start down
stairs.
On the porch, Just as he was leaving the
house. the murderer met the conclerges
or porter's wife, and coolly recommended
her 20 close the front door, as It seemed
that something had happened IN the house.
He then calmly stepped INTO the street
and the bewildered woman closed the
door behind him. The murderer then
quickly mingled III the throng OF passers-
by and disappeared.
By this time the Baroness servant. IN
spite OF the gaping wounds in her throat,
had managed to stumble, faint from loss
of blood, down stairs into the court nall E,
where she fell lnsensible. This caused the
concierge TO raise an alarm, which brought
number of people to the spot. and the
blood soaked girl was carried up stairs 10
the apartments of the Baroness.
A frlghtful spectacle was disclosed. The
utmost disorder prevailed in the dining
room. In the bedroom adjoining was the
hody of the Baroness Dellard. her throat
cut from ear to ear. the head being almost
cut from the body. IL was evident that
her death must have been almost ipstanta-
neous. The police were soon summoned
to the spot. and an investigation was made
into the crime.
THE GIRLS LIFE SAVED.
The first thing done was to try and save
the life of the unfortunate girl, and this
the surgeons were able to do in spite OF
the terrible wounds in her throat and the
large quantity of blood she had lost. When
Delphine. O strong and healthy country
Girl, had recovered sufficiently to answer
the questions put to her .he police were
able to set to work with a well.connected
story Of the crime to guide them,
She had been sent on an errand, ana the
murderer, who is supposed 70 have been
watching the house, aware that baron
DeIierd had gone out some time previous
ly, knew when Delphine left the Dellard
residence that the old Baroness was alone.
Consequently he entered the house and
went to the floor above the Baroness, SIM
ply to see If there was any possibility or
being interrupted in his work, When he
rang the Dell of the Dellerd apartments 1T
il was the Baroness herself who opened the
door to the assassin. The latter. the in
vestigation elbows, must have followed the
Baroness into the bedroom of her son, 10
which place she apparently fed, terrified
by his threats. In that bedroom he seems
20 have aeized his victim, and to have
killed her by almost seyerlng her head
from her body.
Then, resolving to profit as much AZ
possible by the absence OF the servant,
the murderer began to ransack the apart
ments, and prepared 10 escape with all the
yaluables he could gather together.
In this work, however, no was inter-
rupted by the unexpected return OF the
servant. Hastily conceaiing himself he
resolved TO commit another murder In or
der to insure his escape with tho booty
aad to provide against his detection. He
allowed Delphine to enter the kitchen.
where, it being already dark, she lit the
lamp, without as yet having her suspicious
aroused as to there being anything wrong
about the Dellard apartment.
When the lamp was lighted Delphlne
proceeded, carrying it in her hand toward
her rlistress's room, when suddenly the
lamp was knocked out of her grasp and
she was seized from behind by the assas-
sin, who at the same time stabbed her IN
the breast, and hastily withdrawing his
murderous blade from the wound thus IN
ficted, he cut the poor girls throat as she
struggled desperately TO free herself.
In her battle for life she succeeded in
tearing the murderer's knife from his
hand, ana IL ,roiled 10 the ground anu
to some place where he could
not find it III the dark. While he
was hunting for this blood-stained weapon
Delphine ran to the dining-room window
and raised the alarm, as previously de-
scribed. The murderer then saw that he
had no time to lose If he wished to escape,
and hurried to the street
THE VICTIMS son.
While the police were examining the
Delard apartment shortly after the escape
of the murderer mounted dragoon DASH
ed up to the door at AZ Boulevard du Tenn
pie, the house in which the Dellard apart
ments were situated. The dragon was
the bearer Of note from Baron Dellard,
the murdered woman's son. TO his mother
saying she need not expect him back to
dinner as he had accepted an invitation
to dine with some friends. The Baron, il
may be added, only returned home at
o'clock the next morning and was ignorant
of the tragedy until the fearful news was
impaired to him by some people in the
crowd which was still gathered in front OF
the house. BY that time, however. the
body OF the Baroness had been removed "a
the morgue. where the legal and official
post-n,ortem examination was to be made.
Delphine slowly recovered from hel
wounds. but owing to the darkness which