Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-04-28
FRENCH BARONESS ON
TRIAL FOR HER LIFE
Her Toilettes as She Appears in
Court Source of Wonder.
81 4 WOMAN o. MYsrgaY

HS"sPAPoFs VIII MOI bebSTipo Tof
prsss ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of Kill.
Inc Wealthy Manufacturer.
New York, Apr. 27--Baroness Anisla
louise du Vernon dc Massey, a dainty
Frenchwoman, has been put on trial
Tor her life before Judge Blanchard
81 the criminal branch Of the supreme
court, and because she came from
Paris instead Of Pittsburg, the court
room was only partially filled and the
Jury of twelve was secured in Ave
hours.
This woman OF mystery, whose re-
uiarkable toilettes since her incarcer-
alton In the Toombs have been a
source OF wonder to matron atten-
Hanls and prisoners, is charged with
the killing Of Gustav simon, a veal
thy shirtwaist maker.
The people will declare that the bar
onsHs, who had done work as a de-
signer for Simon, went to him for
overdue money and, after wordy
battle, shot the man down.
Charles lie Barber, chief counsel
for the woman, will assert that on
The day OF the tragedy an unknown
person called on Simon moment at
ter the baroness's call, and that this
mysterlous person did the killing.
No Witness to Tragedy.
The case will have to be fought out
on purely circumstantial lines, for
there was no witness 10 the tragedy
In court the prisoner was calm,
though deeply interested in the pro-
ceedlngs She consulted frequently
with Mr.. lie Barber and his asso-
ciate counsel, John Goode, but never
did she allow her interest IN the pro-
seedlings TO distract her attention far
from her own personality.
She was the attraction in the court
room, and she knew IL. She was
radiant IN costume that none bur
q French woman and Partisan
Frenchwoman at that, could have de-
signed, and her pride In her art was
80 pronounced that in passing group
OF newspaper men as she was being
taken into court she stopped short,
and looking the group calmly over,
said:
IF you must write OF me. don't, | |
pray you, make any such mistakes as
were made in describing the costumes
OF the ladies OF the Thaw case.
noted those and hoped that no such
plumbers would be made IN my case 4"
Matron 0Brlen and other Tombs'
attendants say the Baroness IL the
most interesting puzzle ever locked
behind the gray walls OF the big pris-
on. She has maintained from the
day OF her arrest the lofty airs OF
a noble woman. The other prisoners
have bee0 deemed teO far beneath
her to be rewarded by even the most
casual glance To the matron she
Aas spoken only when prison mat
tiers made II necessary; 10 ohteH, not
a. all.
This Frenehwoman has spent much
time In writing. also, not a play. as
many asserted, but translation into
English of a book which she says
will be called In Latin "Et In Hora
Merits Nostrao."
Accused by Dying Man,
presS-deslgning and literature have
seemingly occupied her mind COM
pletely since that Day. November IS
whca Simon was found In his once
With q bullet through bis lungs. Az
ter that came her arrest and the ao-
by the dying man that she
had held the pistol which had laid
him low.
she has no, talked about the crime
but she has told many things about
herself Nineteen years ago, when
a mere girl. she WAS married 10 tho
Bar0n ia Massy One year later
be was poisoned BY an enemy The
woman said that she sought far thol |
unit convinced that he had !
ied 70 this country. She came heFe !
10 1nd him She has over been 0ni ]
that train with no success Shcl I
iaany became poor. ana ssrures ca. I