New-York tribune., 1908-03-01
FRANCE OPTIMISTIC.
OPINION ON MACEDONIA.
Belief Turkish Rule Must End
Red Inn Gang Trial.
Especial by French Cable 20 The Tribune.1
LC,onrrtrht IaoHAby The Tribune Association-l ]

Copyright, i90t1Aby The Tribune Associaho'-I
Paris Feb 29@A part of the French press
continues to represent in an alarmist hght INC
situation in the East and to draw pessimlstic
conclusions as to the possibility of generai
European onfagration from Sir Edward Grey 5
speech on Macedonia but optimism is the per-
sistent note in official circles Germany has SD
far shown no inclination to resent the strohs
language employed by the English Foreign MIL
lister and the opinion that sooner or later Mace
donia will have to be withdrawn from TURKISH
domination. if necessary by force. seems u oo
generally shared only the question of oppor-
tuneness being reserved
Rarely has Paris been more completely ao-
sorbed by interest in causes celebres thah III
the last week. First and foremost there mas
been the trial of the Red Inn gang, accused Vi
numbering insurance agent named Mohse'' "'
Langon a village on the banks of the Hafoiiie
The lurid details of this crime, which look pd'e
in a.smau cafe close to the local railway station
recall the mysterious murders OF the belahu
travellers perpetrated century ago at the
famous Auberge des Adrets, and since lreeiy
melodramatized. The trial is being held at BoF-
deaux and the proceedings have the rich SAVIOR
of the earruIous and gesticulatory South
Brancheri the chief of the gang and the pro-
pretor of the cafe where the murder was com-
mitted formerly professional weight litter ana
wrestler is black haired. with close-set eyes ana
the bubbling facility of speech pecuilar 10 the
Frenchman of the Midi. During his exarnlna-
ton by the president Of the court he WeepS
and RACES and jokes and not infrequentV MS
ready wit completely disconcerts the judge HIS
accomplices in the crime are Jarrot. typlCSti
thug OF Apache" of weak physique, but with
murder written upon every line of his deformed
and degenerate face. which resembles that OF
wolf; Gazot a giant, who out OF pure gooo
nature and a desire to be helpful lent hand
in conveying the body of the murdered man 20
the river and Lucia Brancheri. the leaders wife,
who enticed the victim to woman friend she
is neither pretty nor ugly, but shows such
dominating will and such fascination that all
three men culprits are accusing themselves In an
effort probably vain, TO save her.
The chief witnesses are Henrette servant
at the cafe, who spent all her earnings with
'sorceresses'' in the purchase of love philters to
soften the hearts of recalcitrant beaus, one OF
whom she nearly poisoned by putting powder
made of dried toads in his soup and La Cam
pagne a deaf and dumb beggar. whose evidence
is given in signs, which only three persons In
the village apart from Brancheri himself are
able to interpret. The motive for the murder
was simply robbery but the cafe had already
achieved so bad a reputation on account OF
several previous d1SappedranceS tnal II WAS
known in the district as the Inn of Blood. The
deaf mute's gesticulatoTy description Of how the
murder was committed of the most
dramatic and blood-curdling scenes ever wit
messed in the French assizes.
At Limoges the Thomas brothers and curio
dealer, Dufay. are standing trial on charge OF
robbing churches and here again the main effort
of the elder Thomas. who has confessed TO the
principal charges of burglary and sacrilege. is
to save the reputation of his mistress the wife
of a respectable Limoges tradesman.
As soon as this trial is over the government
will introduce into the Chamber law for the
removal of ecclesiastical treasures to local mu-
seums in cases where they are not sufficiently
protected in churches NJ. BRAND was the orig
inator of this scheme, which in Opposition circles
is described as the final step in the general
scheme of despoiling the Church of its property
l. r