Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-12-18


of the Somme held at Amiens, says a
Paris correspondent of the London
Standard. The following are the cir
cumstances of this remarkable case,
which probably involves a lamentable
judicial error. On the afternoon Of
April 20, 1887, some customers went
to a wine shop at Malaunay, kept by
Pauline Delacroix, the wife of one
Druaux, but were unable to gain ad-
mittance. By knocking at the door
they aroused the woman, who had
evidently been drinking. She cried
out that her husband had just died of
bronchitis in the head" and that her
brother was also dead. When the gen.
darmes were called they found both
men lying dead on the floor and the
woman was taken into custody on the
strength of popular belief that the
men had been poisoned.
! At her trial at Rouen, Maitre Julien
Gouion, deputy for the Seine inferiO-
ure, who defended her, expressed his
strong conviction that the woman was
Innocent and that the carbOnic-acid gas
emanations from a limekiln adjoining
her house fully accounted for the death
Of the two men. The woman also
asseverated her innocence of the crime
laid to her charge. The medical wit
nesses declared that the victims had
died from poisoning, although they
we're not able to determine the nature
Of the poison, and the woman was SEN
fenced to Imprisonment for life.
A few days after the trial the wine
shop was let to a young married cou-
pie named Gauthier They had not
been installed many days when both
of them were heard to complain that
they felt unwell, and one day in May,
1888, the young woman was found
dead in her Kitchen, and the post-mor-
tenn examination disclosed the same
symptoms as had characterized the
death of Druaux and young Della
croix. The following year Gauthier,
being very i'll, sold the business to an
other married couple named Dubeaux.
They had no sooner entered into pos
session than they became unwell with
out being able to account for their
ailments. One day both of them fell
down in the shop unconscious, but I'M
der prompt medical assistance they
were brought round.
These circumstances at last reused
The local authorities to action. An in
curry was held and it was found that
the effiuvia from the kiln penetrated
into the dwelling next door through
a crack in the partition wall. NJ
Goujon obtained authority for
searching inquiry to be made into the
fresh facts brought to light Several
M edical gentlemen said they were of
the opinion that all the victims who
inhabited the Druax wine-shop had
had been poisoned by the gases from
the lime-kiln.
AS a sequel to this inquiry Pauline,
who had then been eight years in
CIermont prison, received pardon.
On reaching home she found that
everything belonging to her had been
sold by order of the law courts, to
pay for the expenses of her trial, and
her young daughter had been sent to
the Founding hospital. Being utter
ly destitute, she went to service at
Havre only few weeks ago. After
much trouble she obtained permission
to take her daughter from the Found
ling hospital, but the child shrank
from her, saying she would not live
with the murderess Of her father and
uncle. By judgment, dated the 26th
of June last the Court of Cessation
quashed the previous sentence against
Nine. Druaux, on the ground that a
doubt existed as to her guilt, and hence
tho nrocant trial at A nianc