The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
FRENCH POISON DRAMA
CAUSES BIG SENSATION
Arrest at Marseilles of a Woman
and Her Lover for Killing
Formers Husband.
CASE OF ILLICIT LOVE

PARIS, Dec. pa particularly revolving
case OF Illicit love, which led to the poison
ing of the husband, whose presence was an
obstacle to the designs of the lovers, has
just come to light at Marseilles, and has
caused an enormous sensation in that city.
The victim Of the prisoners was NJ.
Georges Massot, a sea captain in the en-
ploy of the Messageries Maritimes, belong
Ing to one of the best families in Mar
settles. The accomplice of his wife in put
ting an end to his existence is alleged to be
a young man named Edouard Hubac, the
son of a vice president of the Civil Tri-
bunal of Marseilles. The latter is stated
to have admitted his guilt. but Nine. Mas
sot persists in denying that she had hand
in the death of her husband
Nj. Mascot who was the father Of two
children, had absolute confidence in his
wife. although everyone i'm the neghbor-
hood was aware OF Mime. Massot's liason.
The captain enjoyed robust health and
when he returned home from a voyage his
wife always welcomed him with apparent
enusion. But Lucie Clar, the servant,
noticed that her master had begun to show
signs of ill-health, and the neighbors re-
marked that the appearance of the un-
favorable symptoms conceded with
Hubac's visits to the house.
Doctors were called in, but the mysteri-
Gus illness of the patient puzzled them and
the captain died without the exact nature
of his illness having been hScertained. The
interment took place on Oct. "a and the
widow received the condolences of her
numerous friends, her face suffused with
tears and showing all the outward signs of
inConsolable grief.
Some time afterward however Lucie
Clar discovered her mistress in the act of
tearing up number of letters and later on
the domestic collected the fragments and
pieced them together. Her curiosity was
rewarded by certain revelations which left
no ooubt as to the cause of her masters
strange deceaSe. In one of the letters adj
dsessed to Nine. Massot. Hubac complained
to her of the 'tiresome slowness" of her
husbands malady. He was sending her, he
said, small bottle OF poisonous liquid, and
he added instructions for administering il
to NJ. Massot. "You know" he added,
that you will not be a widow long, for
will marry you Immediately after the death
ot your husband" Lucie Clar also man
aged to secure couple of the bottles which
had contained the poisonous fluid, and
then, fearing that she might be poisoned
in her turn, she left the employ of Nine.
Mascot
Her secret. however. was too heavy to
bear alone, and she spoke 10 the wife of
baker whom she knew. The latter COM
nunicated the terrible story to her hus-
band. and he went TO the police author
tiles. Mime. Mascot and her lover Hubac
were arrested quietly.
IL is stated that a letter has been dis
covered showing that Nine. Massot medi-
tated getting rid of her seven-year-old son
in the same way as she is believed to have
captain has been exhumed and will be
submitted to a post-mortem examination.
The arrest of the widow and her lover,
both of whom belong to well-known fami-
lies, is the one subject of conversation in
Marseilles. 1t is stated that just before
NJ. Massot died he received from his wife
a beverage which burned him most fright
fully internally. Writing in pain, he
cried, What have you given me? You
have made a mistake. You have poisoned
me-" mo" replied the treacherous woman,
lit is the mixture prepared for you by the
Doctor" Two hours later he expired 1t is
believed the poison used by Nine Massot
was corrosive sublimate.