The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-26
FAIR CASE IS
BEFORE PUBLIC
Arrest of Two Witnesses tor
Perjury Commented on
SAID THEY SAW THEM DIE
Others Declare That No Soul
Was in Sight
SAID THEY SAW THEM DIE

Paris. July 25-What with the HUM
bert affair and its mythical millions and
the newly resurrected Fair case with its
tangible millions, Paris lawyers are very
busy at the present moment
Columns are devoted by the papers here
TO the latest development in the latter
lawsuit
This development is the arrest upon
charge of perjury of two Frenchmen'
Iucien Masse and Frederic Mauranne'
who claim and even testified under oath
that they witnessed the automobile ac-
cident near Pacy -Eure on August IA
last, in which MI and Mrs. Charles Far
were killed They made further dec
Iaration that Mrs Fair outlived her nus
band by an appreciate interval
Acting upon a complaint to NJ. Her
beaux. the procureur de la Repubiique.
made by Mrs Vanderbilt, sister Of Mrs
Fair. Maitre Ganneval the Juge din
struction. or investigating magistrate.
charged NJ Lamard. the chief of the de-
tective service, to arrest the two men
in question.
The arrest was made at their residences
In Paris on Thursday morning at six
o'clock and the incriminated couple are
now in the Prison de la Sante liberation
on bail having been refused up to the
present.
Quite a newspaper sensation has been
created by this new phase of the Fair
case.
Naturally two camps have been formed
for French Journalism loves to espouse
one side or the other of any cause cele-
hire. and the number of millions involved
In this matter makes it most thrillingly
interesting.
The Petit Parisen may be taken as rep
resenting the camp which regards the
case against the two prisoners as very
strong.
The Intransigeant, II. Henri Roche
forts paper is the leader of those which
picture NM. Masse and Mauranne as vic
tins of the tyranny of Frenc hauthorities
whom it accuses bluntly of being infiu-
enced by the wealth of the Vanderbilts to
commit a 'scandalous violation of liberty
and of the rights of men,
All the papers-the Journal the Eclair,
the Gauois. the Figaro and the Echo de
Paris-devote columns to the affair, which
is being worked up journalistically in a
mastery style.
According TO the story told by the two
men before the court in America, they
were bicycling from Trouville on August
Il Just before they reached Saint Aqui-
Iin hamlet a short distance from Pacy-
sur Eure, they were passed by an auto
mobile flying along at a furious pace.
A few minutes later the accident hap
pened.
They declare that they got off their
bicycles to see if they could be of assist
ance to the victims and assert that Mr..
Fair was already dead. and that Mrs.
Fair stin gave signs of life.
Having noticed this. they got on their
bicycles and again rode off.
They appear to have said nothing about
or six days later, when. in a letter TO the
United States Consul General in Paris,
they informed him that they We're in a
position to give conclusive evidence as
to which of the young couple killed in
the accident survived the other. Later
on Masse and Mauranne went to Ameri-
ca and repeated their evidence before the
court under oath.
AS proving the falsity of their sworn
statement. Mrs. Fairs heirs advanced the
declarations of Nine. Nourdet. the gate
keeper OF the Chateau du Baison de Mai,
before which the accident occurred.
Mime. Nourdet insists that no bicyclists
were anywhere near when the Fairs were
killed
Speaking on August 16. she said the
v,r,s- 4. 49,.
accident happened.
Her testimony on this point is supported
by the fact that as the telephone from
the chateu was not working well she had
to ask a giri who passed driving a farm
ers cart TO haste with all possible speed
TO Pacy and send a doctor
1t is certain, as she says that she
would have asked one OF the bicyclists TO
do this service if any had been in sight,
particularly as Masse and Mauranne as
sert they were going to Pacy TO take the
train for Paris.
The girl who carried the Nourdet mes
sage 10 the doctor at Pacy swears she
neither passed nor was passed by any
bicyclists on her way there.
Furthermore, man driving a moving
AAAeAN-AAA-N AAsio ANSAiiANA NA4Ntl Nilu AHdL ne
saw the automobile pass but that neither
before nor after did he see any bicyclists
on the road leading 20 Pscy.
Another point which tells against the
probability of Nauranne's declaration is
that he declares he left Paris for Trou-
Vile on August :, 5. or She is not sure
Of the exact dRte-but he swears il was
not later than the eth
Now, the Vanderbilt family are in pos
session OF evidence which is said to prove
conclusively and incontrovertibiy thac
Mauranne WAS in Paris on August Z. al
though in his evidence he swears he was
enjoying himself IN Trouville.
As neither AIasse nor Moranue is rich.
the former. according to the Journal has
been theatrical agent. and the latter a
sohooimaster, it is scarcely probable that
they went 10 Trouvnle for mere sand.
returning 10 Paris the same day. and II
they did not they could not have been
near Pacy- returning from Trouvile. on
the 6ay The accident happe-ed.
Nine Heurdet's story. IN fsct. contra
diets theirs so fatty and s supported bv
such strong and various testimony that
The charge OF perjury IS Inevitable.
ONE YEAR ~ PRISON.