The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-06-10
INCARCERATED
IN DARK GARRET
Twenty-Five Years Mile. Mon
nlsr Spent in Solitude.
MOTHER AND BROTHER ACCUSED
Former Dies In Prison Shortly After hsr
Ansst-BTothsr Denies kncxlsdge OF
Gauss Of The Long "SequsstTalloa.
MOTHER ANDBROTHER ACCUSED

Paris. June lO-By the sudden death
in a Poitiers prison Saturday OF NINE
Monnier. there has been removed alInos'
the last chance OF elucidating mys-
,.rv about which all France has peeh
talking for over week past
Nine Mnnnier. who was Meallhg o9e
somewhat miserly land owner OF To''-
,ers. and her son, former suD-preleo'
of the Department OF Nienne' anu
,.ader of society in that aristocratc
provincial city, were arrested some ""ss
ayo on charge OF inhumsn cruelty 10
Mue Blanche Monnier, daughter ana
sister. respectively OF the prisoners
For upwards OF 25 years the gri' OF
rather. woman, had been incareera,so
i'm a garrett In her mothers house,
nr,,ed of any light and air save VIVA.
ranstrated into her prison through ths
chinks in "A barricaded window, anu
snnnIIea with so little food that when
a.. nolice discovered her her einaciaieo
condition was absolutely reVoltlns
+, is suggested that the "sequestratlon
a match with a penniless laWyei ,Du' -
pVQ
lection To her daughter, VINO 70 yeaIs
40 was a beautiful brunette, contracting
fact that the latter died IN HS o'
nrtver this story OF versinihtuue' "n"
"a NJ Marcel Monner declares thst hs
acauiesced I'm his mothers trestmehs oi
his sister purely from motives oi ,,ai
,satv and that he was not acqualhteu
r,,,h the reasons for IL, IL looks as IL the
secret of this domestic tragedy mas
900 to the tomb with the woman "hose
| Saatb took pIace in the hospital waro
! of the Poltiers prison this morning
LIKE BEING BORN AGAIN
49,. ,h. victim of the tragedy, Mile.
| plsnche nonnier, she Is like child anu
nay never be able TO give an explanation
she is 81 years OF age. but is prseticanS
beginning lfe o,h-
lEw-b1n- she WIS removed from her -ihett-
4 er's house to the hospital she mao az
1 most lost the use OF her tongue, ons
| could only stammer a few words anu
| oou,d not frame a complete sentence
l Ii,tla nv little the power OF speech mas
! hayun TO return to her She recognizes
! aowers birds and articles which were
nnce familiar TO her. She lives In
continued snchantment in the ne" me
10 which she she has been born,
| Mime Monnier was Mile ue MAJ
| connay "A descendant OF an oiu rolt-
| evin FAMILY She was left widow Al
an ear,v age with her two children, Mar
Gel and Blanchs, whom she had Wen
educated and OF whom she was appst
entity very fond.
The son entered the government ser
vice hut on the fell OF the Empire Win
srar into nrivate life and went to live
in a house opposite his mothers'in tn'
Rue de la Visitation, a quiet highN
respectable street In Poitiers
Ne,shbors remembered Mile. Blanch'
. Monnier. during her fathers life. as
, bright gay. pretty brunette All Oh
sudden. few days stter 1sr aa'n.
died. the girl disappeared. ~ was re
ported that she had been attacked D.
q nervous disease which necessitatet
confinement and constant care,
Much sympathy was felt for the moth
er. Her reluctance 20 speak on IN
subject was attributed TO proper pria
and desire to keep 10 herself the detail
~ a domestic misfortune. The myster
Of the closed. silent house was respected
and in course Of time Blanche Monnie
was practically forgotten.
. THE DISCOVERY.
A few months ago Mime. Renard, a
old servant, who had been with MN
Monnier for over 40 years came to al
and two girls were engaged TO take N
nlacs Shortly after this the COMM
|. sarv of Police OF the quarter receive
an anonymous letter informing him IN
Mile Blanche Monnier was sequesr
ted" in a garrett IN her mothers hou
= and that her situation should be look
into.
M. Bucheton, the Police CommissaI
called at Nine Monniers house, q
WAS refused admission. He then call
on the son, NJ. Marcel Monner. who
formed him that he had better not ms
die with what did not concern him Z
ding that his mother, Nine. Monni
had a physicians authority for all
had done.
~ AS NJ. Marcel Monnier was man
consequence I'm Poitiers NJ. Buche
may have hesitated for time, but
= was not for long.
Next day he forced an entrance !
- Nine Monniers house and into
garret IN which the woman Blanche
stark naked upon an lndescribably
thy mattress and so emaciated that
seemed to be living skeleton.
Al room which was some ~ feet long
10 wide was In complete darkness
window having been nailed down
IN covered With heavy curtain. The
net and tho mattress upon Il were cove
with refuse, worms and vermin.
- Nine Monnief and her son were
~ arrested. The latter disclairns any
'ply sponsibiity or knowledge as 10 the
'RE sons for the action Of his mother.
as has been stated, died suddenly
- the infirrnary attached 10 the Poi
IL prison this morning.
1000 Rlanchc Monnier was at FIRST expe
can 10 die. but she has been picking up
teo) derfully. and there IL just chance
men she may fully regain ,her faculties
Al furnish an explanation of her mot
CI conduct toward her.