Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-07-22
FRENCH COURTS BAFFLED
A NAN TWICE SENTENCED TO DE
GUILLOTINED.
7wice Convicted OF II Crime which a
Girl Confesses That She Alone
was Guilty Of

There is the most puzzling MUIR
der case that has ever been brought
before a French court of justice.
Four courts have discussed it and
have attempted to decide it. Yet
it is now no nearer just decision
than it was four year ago.
In the village of Blancarde,
near Marseilles, there was a rich
old woman named Nine. Monttet.
She was 50 years old and lived
alone, except her companion,
Marie Michel, a pretty girl of l6,
young for her age in speech and
manners, but well developed ply
sically. Every day a young man
of the village, q certain Louis
Cauvin, of good family and of ex-
cellent reputation. came to call on
the old woman. 1t was well known
that Cauvin was to be the old
woman's sole heir. She gave him
money and presents ell the time,
and they seemed to be very fond
each of the other. AS the old
woman was very strong, she had
a good chance to live many years.
Early in the morning of Decem-
Der Is, 1891, old Nine. Monttet
was found dead. She had been
strangled in her bed after ter
rible struggle in which she had
drawn blood from her murderer
with her long nails. Suspicion
at once fixed upon Marie Michel
as an accomplice, because she
could not give a coherent account
OF herself.
She denied strenuously, but
after a few days made a most
startling confession. She accused
young Cauvin of the murder.
She said that the evening of
December 18th Cauvin offered
her 1000 francs out of his inherit
ance from the old woman and
secure place in the employ of his
own family if she would help him
to murder her old mistress. She
said that she had accepted his
offer.
Her account of the murder
was full of minute and horrible
details. She said Cauvin's man
ner was such that she thought he
would kill her, and the old wo-
man as well, if she did not con-
sent. SO she hid him in the bed
room OF the old woman, and they
waited until her breathing indi-
Gated that she was asleep. Marie
said that she held the candle
while Cauvin leaped upon the
body of the old woman, striking
his knees into her abdomen and
burying his fingers in her throat.
When he was sure the old woman
was dead he went into the next
room and washed away the blood
her nails had drawn. He came
back wiping his hands on a
towel.
This is only an outline of the
story the girl told. 1t was as
truthful and as precise in its de-
tails as a story could possibly be.
When the case came up she went
upon the stand and repeated it
Just as she had told it to the prose-
cutor. The young mans lawyer,
one of the best criminal lawyers
in France, cross examined the girl
for several days. He did not
succeed in breaking her testimony
in a single point. Cauvin proved
good alibi, but the jury found
him guilty. There was the girls
story, and there was the fact that
Cauvin was the only person in
the world who would profit by the
death of this healthy old woman.
He was sentenced to death. Marie
Michel was acquitted.
For some reason the Judge was
not quite satisfied, and sent the
case up to a higher court. That
court sent it back for a retrial.
The same testimony was heard
over again, and the jury found
Cauviu guilty, and he was again
sentenced to death. But the case
was again sent up because the
Judge feared there was something
wrong. There was long delay.
Marie Michel went into convent,
not as novice but as a penitent