Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-22
Woman Accused of Six Murders, Innocent
Strange Tragic Story Jeanne Weber, Breton Peasant Who
dor for Three Years Before She Released from the Clutches of Law

10 months the accused woman lay In
prison awaiting her trial at the Seine
Assizes.
TRIAL LASTED TWO DAYS.
At last. on Jan. 20, 1906, Jeanne We
Der was placed in the dock. The trial
| lasted two days. The medical experts
upon whose evidence the prisoners fate
depended--for there was not shred of
direct evidence-declared II impossible
to say whether the children's death
was due to accident or a criminal hand.
So far as they could tell after minute
investigation OF the bodies there was
no trace of violence.
To the judges question whether the
childrcn's death could have been caused
by suffocation, by the pressure OF a
hand, the experts answered no.
The question whether death could
have been caused by strangulation was
not put. as Dr.. Thoinot who examined
little Maurice Weber five days after his
visit to the hospital. was unable to
find the slightest trace Of the alleged
black line around the neck.
Finally q fourth expert stated that
the viscera contained no trace of pol
son.
DOCTOR NOT PRESENT.
Strangely enough, the assistant who
had diagnosed a commencement of
strangulation lin the case of Maurice
was not present In court. He wrote
from provinces to the Judge to say
that he was away on his holidays and
remembered nothing about the Weber
case.
Toward the close of the second day
the advocate general. speaking in a
court crowded to its utmost extent,
said; There were and there still are
in this case strange and bewildering
oil ,,ta ktnfr , fafx nj ~ Inn
We are living IN the twentieth century.
II Jeanne Weber had lived 400 years
ago she would have been tried as a
witch and burned at the stake"
In reading these words one Is involun-
tarily reminded of the fate of poor Ca
las, the Toulouse tradesman, who was
accused of poisoning his son, found
guilty and brokn on the wheel In 1872.
The great Voltaire, convinced OF CALAIS
innocence, labored for three years to
prove II. and at last procured the dead
mans rehabilitation.
VERDICT NOT POPULAR.
The delIberatlon OF the jury was
short. almost Immediately they return
ed a verdict of mot Guilty" and
Jeanne Weber was free.
murmur--it was nothing more--of
applause passed through the court 1t
was clear that the verdict was not a
popular one. remember hearing a
young workman beside me say! ut
viii 20 hard with her II they catch
her alone on n dark night"
Humbly, meekly. without word and
without tear the little Breton woman
received her acquittal and disappeared
from view. The curtain descended on
the "Ogress" and the AFFAIR was quick
ly forgotten.
Some 10 months later the child OF n
woodcutter named Bavouzet, In the
little village of Villedleu. near Chat
eaurouA, died suddenly and In decided
ly suspicious circumstances. The little
ones face was convulsed and Il foam
ed at tile mouth. The village doctor
apparently was unable TO state tho
cause OF death, but as there was no
reason TO suspect any one OF a crime,
the burial permit was delivered with
out DIFFICULTY, Only one person had
been with the child In It's last moments.
and that was woman who had come 10
the village year before and had been
Installed IN Bavouzets cottage 10 nil
me place OF the woodcuttor's departed
WIFE This woman left tho cottage
after me ehild'H death and did not
return TIL the burial was over.
IDENTITY DISCLOSED.
All at once the news ran through the
village like wildAre that the strange
woman who was living IN Bavouzet's
cottage was none other than Jeanne
Weber, the ogress Of the Goutto dOr,
in disguise. The woodcutter had been
an attentive reader OF the reports OF
the Gouette d'Or mystery, and when
Jeanne had been tried and acquitted.
the honest peasant, touched by the
woman's misfortunes and believing her
10 ba innocent, wrote and offered her n
home. Tho offer was accepted, the So
cret OF Jeannes personality being
faithfully kept UP 10 the time OF the
sudden and mysterious end OF little
AuBuste Bavouzet. Now, Bavouzets
family consisted Of two girls In add-
ton TO the little boy, Germaine, the
elder daughter, Is nearly = young wo-