Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-11
NINE. JAPY NOT SLAIN
Prosecution Admits Nine.
SteinheiI Did Not Kill Mother.
WITHDRAWS THIS CHARGE
Believes She Died Of Fright When
Son-in-Law Was Murdered.
ADVOCATE GENERALS THEORY
Accomplish Aided Prisoner in
Crime, He Arguss-Motive Was
Love Of Borderel.
WITHDRAWS THIS CHARGE
GENERALS THEORY

PARIS, November 11.-At the opening
of the Steinheil case today the prosecu-
ton and defense agreed that 1t was I'M
necessary to summon certain witnesses
who had not appeared.
M Borneque, Nine. Steinheirs uncle.
was the first witness called. His evidence
was in regard to the finances Of the apy
family. He said Mime. Steinheil benefit
ed to the extent OF $1,000 francs by her
mothers death.
Nine. Japy. he said, dined at his house
before going to Paris on the journey
which >ended In her death. While at his
house she was seized with syncope and
fell and hurt herself. but still insisted on
making the fatal journey, saying she
wanted to see Meg" about whom she
never made the least complaint.
"Japy." said M. Borneque. had al
vanced money to all his daughters. II
he complained at all 1t was Of his sons
in-law, especially Herr.
II am sure" declared M. BOrneQue
that Nine. Steinheil loved her mother:
NJ. Herr, husband of Nine. Steinhen
sister was the next witness. He testtneo
that Mime. Steinheil had never asked her
mother for an advance Of money.
Judge Wales interposed and SAID tnat
before the crime Nine. SteinheN had ask
ed an advance OF SJ,VU IrdHSe % O NV
for her daughter Marthe.
Defense Opens Case.
The defense here opened its case. The
first witnesses were three former servants
in the Japy household. who testified to
the good relations that existed between
Mme Steinheil and her mother.
Joseph Buisson. uncle of Pierre Buisson.
the sweetheart of Marthe. Nine. Stein
heil's daughter, was the next witness.
Pierre Buisson was formally engaged to
Marthe, and, according to some testimony
during the trial, broke of with her be-
cause of the crime Of which her mother
was accused.
of the ceramic business in which Adolphe
Steinheil was to place 5000 francs In part
nership with him. M. Buisson declared
1t his personal opinion that Nine. Stein
he'll did not kill her husband and mother
The witness corroborated statement
of Maitre Aubin. the prisoners counsel:
that Nine. Steinheil lived In perpetual
dread OF burglars.
"Blue Automobile" Sought.
Other witnesses for the defense included
a chauffeur whom Nine. Steinheil paid to
seek a mysterious blue automobile"
which was supposed to have been seen
outside the Steinheil house on the I'm
passe Ronsin on the night OF the crime.
Certain newspapers have declared that
this was a most important clue.
The chauffeur said he found no trace Of
any such automobile.
A detective who was employed on the
same mission. and who had previously
testified. was recalled. He reiterated his
previous testimony that he was equally
unsuccessful In finding any trace Of the
mysterious car.
An expert accountant was called to tes-
tify as to the finances Of the Steinheil
household. He testified that he found that
Chouanard, the ironmaster, had contrib
uted 5000 francs and Maurice Borderel
the provincial friend of the prisoner, 1000
francs toward the support of the family.
1896 Francs in House.
From January to May 30. 1908. the ex-
pert's examination showed that the re-
ceipts Of the household had been 1910
and the expenses 1850 francs. Allowing
for other receipts he had found, the ex-
pert figured that there were sos francs in
the house on the night of the crime.
Maitre Aubin, Nine. Steinheils counsel.
objected to the expert acting on the sup
position that there was no money in the
Steinheil house on the LIST Of January,
from which point he made his deductions
Capt. Scheffer. who has been referred
to as "Meg's" earliest sweetheart, came
to the court to testify in behalf Of the
woman whom he once might have mar
ried. His praise of her as a young girl
was unqualified. He declared that he was
profoundly convinced Of her innocence.
1t may be recalled that the judge In
terrogated Nine. Steinheil on rumors
about the birth to her Of a natural son
by Scheffer, who might have been the as
sassin Of the people in the house on the
Impasse Ronsin. Judge Wales did not
question Capt. Scheffer on this point. 1t
is figured that possibly the Judge based
his interrogatory of Nine. Steinheil on
suggestion in one of the numerous
melodramas produced after the crime.
At this point the witness for the defense
nounced that he would place the ques-
ton Of completely before the jury.
Not Slayer Of Mother.
The advocate general began his speech
for the prosecution. He charged Nine.
Steinheil with being the principal author
and accomplice in the murder Of her hus-
band. He Withdrew the charge Of murder
ing her mother.
The advocate general admitted that
Nine. Steinheil had not given birth to
natural child. but argued that her fathers
anger against her proved that she had
The representative Of the government
said he was convinced that the prisoner
was a money lover. This was shown by
her numerous liasons. With a servant
like Marietta Wolf, he declared, the most
terrible jobs could be undertaken. Stein
he'll, the advocate general said. was q
complacent husband, who was aware OF
his wifes conduct.
Mime. Steinheill lowered her head as the
advocate general read a letter in which
her husband said she had dug an abyss
between them. He quoted another letter
of M. Steinheil. asking the ironmaster,
Chouanard, for money after alterations
had been made on the house In the Inn
passe Ronsin.
The advocate general reiterated the
statement that Nine. Steinheil accused
her husband Of unnatural practices. al
though the witnesses to this statement
had withdrawn their corrobOration from q
feeling Of chivalry.
Theory Of Prosecution.
The theory of the advocate general EVIL
IDENTIFY is that Nine. Steinheil killed her
husband with the aid Of an accomplish.
In his address he outlined the idea that
Nine. Steinheil and this accomplice first
bound her mother. Nine. Japy. During
this operation, NJ. Steinheil awoke. The
noise had disturbed his sleep. Then, the
advocate general theorixed, Nine. Stein
he'll and the accomplish killed the hus-
band. On returning to Nine. Japys room
they found her dead.
The advocate general argued that Nine.
Steinheil wanted to get rid OF her hus-
band in order to marry Borderel. She
brought her mother to the house to act
as a witness to the drama. She had an
occornlice Who waa IN enter tie I'M the