The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-19
GANG BOASTS
 OF MURDERS Frenchmen Tell Court
 of Crimes. SLEW FAMILY FOR MONEY Recite Narrowing Deeds With Ap-
 parent Satisfaction. Public Morality League Starts Move meat te Improve Character of Entertainment at the Thea
 tres of Pariss
nY HENRI nuRoIs.

Paris, July 18.-Never has the fact that respect for the courts of law is declining in France been demonstrated more clearly than the other day when the cold-blooded recital of their atro- cious crimes delivered by the brothers Abel and Anguste Pollet and Canut vromant, leaders of a notorious gang of criminals, comprising twenty-seven persons, fourteen men and thirteen wo- men, now undergoing trial on charges Of no fewer than 11S crimes. many ac- companied by violence and murder.
 The Polleas and Vromant told the judge in boastful language how they murdered an old couple named Lecoq. SO and 79 years old, respectively, and their daughter, aged 55, who were liv- Ing together in the centre of the vil- iaae of Violaines.
 Tha self-confsssed murdererR seemed to vie with each other in glorying in their rernorseless brutality They de- mcribed how they broke into the house towards midnight, Abel the chief of the gang. armed with a poker, and yromant with a heavy stove-ltd- Le- coq's daughter gave the alarm. but as she was getting out of bed she was xoiled with the poker by Abel, and at the same moment the candle carried by the robbers was extinguished by acct- dent.
 Mlna Lecoq, aroused by the noise. made a rush for the window and q scene of confusion followed In the darkness. The murderers slipped in the blood of their first victim, but suc- ceeded in stopping the unfortunate wo- man before she reached the window, Nromant telling her with 6 blow of the stove-lid. Relighting the candle. vromant dealt the prostrate old woman several more blows and then went into 9he adjoining room.
 Here he found Auguste PolIet stand ing over the half-nurdered octogena- rtan. who hal fallen on his knees and elbows. Strike" cried Auguste. 'he has got about enough but we might as well finish him off"'
 "And.~ vromant added. T gave him . tremendous blow with the stove-lid. !"
 Abel. answering the judges ques- tions. seemed only anxious to magnify his share In the crime. He vaunted his ruthlessness as the leader of the gang and described how he spurred on the nagging courage of his confederates.
 Addressing the judge, he added:
 swhen you break into . house to steal, Monsieur le President. you must see the thing through. So I struck and we all struck. As we had been recognized, we could not hesitate or show any pity. If you had been in our place, Monsieur le President. you would have done the same thing"
 So callous were the prisoners that the judge ordered them to be silent saying they were disgrace to human ity.
 It appears that before finally killing the old man. they forced him to tell them where his savings were hidden. In the place indicated they found 5000 francs in bills and gold, several val- uable antique coins and a quantity of 5eweIry. Abel, the leader. gave 5000 francs to his accomplices and kept the balance.
 The brothers Pollet during the hear ing of the case, indulged in vehement examinations, each accusing the other of treachery. and loudly proclaiming to the court that all were equally guilty.