Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-29
NET ABOUT NINE. STEIEHEIL
Remarkable French Woman Believed
10 Be Murderess.
MEN LURED BY HER CHARMS
Her salon DassIingIy BriIlIant-Hus-
. band Hated and Probably Re-
moved by Her order, IL
the Belief.

In all France No one ventures TO say
where the revelations will end. The po-
litical side looms larger and larger every
day and the interest harks back always
to the tragic death in Paris in 1899 of
Felix Faure, president Of France. M.
Faure died in the midst OF the Dreyfus
excitement.
The most minute details of the scene
In the room where he expired in the. COM
pany of Madame Steinheil are today fla
grantly published by even the republican
newspapers. Up to the present time this
incident in the career of Madame Stein
hell has only been referred to covertly.
The royalist and anti-Dreyfus organs de-
mand an official investigation into the
death of NJ. Faure and intimate openly
that NJ. Faure, as the insuperable obstacle
to the leaders Of the Dreyfus agitation,
was the victim of a plot. They have put
forward the old allegation that M. Faure
intended to yield to the petitions of the
Dreyfussrds and sign an order for the
revision of the case, and consequently he
was poisoned.
Verdict as 10 Faure's Death.
The only reason to believe that NJ.
Faure did not die a natural death is
found in the fact hat his body discom-
posed with unusual rapidity, and to offset
this are the statements of five of the best
known physicians who certified that he
died of cerebral hemorrhage.
The other story, that Madame Steinhell
was present when he passed away, seems
unfortunately to be true, and great regret
is expressed that circumstances have now
compelled the disclosure to the world of
this old scandal which the Faure family
and the friends of the former president
thought was buried with his body.
Hiatt letters containing evidence of M.
Faure's relations with Madame steinheil
were surrendered after his death probably
is true, but the idea that these
cations contained compromising state Sc
crets is rejected by all who were behind
that scene at the time.
with regard to the crimes themselves:
Madame Steinheil's husband and her
mother. Madame Japy, were found muir
dered in the Steinheil home In Paris on
May 81 of this year. and at the same time
Madame Steinheil was discovered bound
and gagged; the net is drawing closer and
closer around the wife. Stories Of her
numerous romantic affairs with persons
OF note in political and artistic circles are
coming to light daily, and they prove what
a remarkable woman she was.
"The Charmer of Men,"
She is now called the charmer Of men,"
Her salon was dazzlingly brilliant. Her
last lover, in whose eyes she declared she
wanted to justify herself, has now been
discovered, and his identity furnished a
clue to a motive for the crime. He Is a
rich widower and resides in a famous
chateau near Megieres, in the department
of the Ardennes. He Is not implicated in
the crime. When seen by a journalist this
man, who is the father of three children,
protested franticaHy at the disgrace an
exposure would bripK. He said he was
ready to commit suicide. but nevertheless
he made a clean breast OF his relations
with Madame Steinheil. He described how
he had met her at a reception at the Stein
heils. Tho gathering was a distinguished
one. He soon got into the habit of meet
ing her at the Green Lodge" a villa at
Bellevue, which Madame Steinheil rented
under tho name Of Madame Provost. Mar
iette Wolff, the cook. whose son was ac-
cused by Madame Steinheil OF being guilty
of the murders, lived at the lodge and
was her mistress confidante. This was
early last year. For a month 1t was an
exquisite idyl," said this man in describing
the episode. Madame Steinheil said she
adored me, and at each meeting she made
her avowals and swore I was the only
lover she had ever had"
Woman Denies FaurN story.
She told me her past" the widower
continued to the newspaper man. "and
denied this gossip of her relations with
other men. She insisted particularly that
the Faure story was a legend and said
she could prove that she was home i'll at
the time of NJ. Faure's death. She ad-
mitted, however, that she hated her hus-
band and said he led an Infamous exist
ence.' She detested her mother. also. for
having forced her to marry Steinheil. She
assured me that she would get a divorce
and marry me-"
Continuing his explanation, this man re-
lated how the scales gradually fell from
his eyes. When the spell was broken he
returned home. Madame stelnheil, how
ever, continued to pursue him and tele-
phoned him every day.
on the morning of the crime she called
him up by long distance telephone, but
the wire was not working well and he
could barely understand what she said.
Finally she exclaimed: 81 I'm satisfied,
for I rave heard your voice; that is
enough for me-"
The next day, when he learned of the
murders, he suspected the truth and came
to Paris. He saw Madame Stelnheil and
told her never to- see him again until she
had cleared herself.
The prevailing belief in Paris today Is
that Nine. Steinheil deliberately had her
husband and mother assassinated.
Possible Political Developments.
The possible developments of the political
side OF the case can best be hkened TO a
pawder magazine, and the Dreyfusards are
moving heaven and earth to explode 1t,
absolutely regardless of the national scan
dal- that may result.
NJ. Berry, conservative. gave notice in
the Chamber OF Deputies this afternoon
that he intended 10 present an interpella-
ton on the matter.
The sensational afternoon papers are
filled with the widest rumors and the
most minute articles concerning the death
of NJ. Eaure. II has been predicted al
ready tha Madame Stelnhell will be de-
clared crazy and locked up in an asylum
and that in this manner all further pro-
ceedings Will be stified. As a matter OF
fact, the experts agree that she is today
a complete nervous wreck, even II she
were responsible at the time OF the crime
Several newspapers pretend TO know the
name Of the assassin of steinheil ano
Madame Japy, as we'll as that OF HIS &C.